Hayeswater, Lake District, Summer
Here’s one we’ve not been to in quite some time.
After June’s dry conditions and soaring temperatures, July has been unseasonably cool, stormy, and wet.
A succession of wet weekends exhausted our patience, so Lisabet and I braved the Sunday and head into the Lake District.
The initial plan was for a valley bottom walk around Grisedale, one of my favourite places in all the Lake District. However, as we approached Brothers Water, Lisabet suggested revisiting Hayeswater instead, and I heartily agreed.
The last, and only, time hiked up to Hayeswater was way back in June 2013. A lot has changed in a decade. For a start, despite being 10-years older, we’re both fitter. The hike up to the former reservoir was considerably easier than we remembered it.
Our journey into Hartsop and up to Hayeswater was punctuated with frequent downpours and brief bursts of localised light. It made the going tough, but boy did it make for epic photos.
All photos taken on my Sony α7ii with a Sony FE 28–70mm f3.5–5.6 OSS zoom lens. RAWs were developed and edited using RNI Films’ Kodachrome film emulations.
Hayeswater, Lake District, Summer by Ian Cylkowski is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
From Cow Bridge car park, Hartsop Dodd (618 m/2,028 ft) towers over you as you head towards the sleepy little hamlet of Hartsop.
Looking up Patterdale, another squall drenches Place Fell.
After passing through Hartsop, we’re greeted with this view of Gray Crag (699 m/2,293 ft) whilst a small flock of Swaledales eagerly keep their distance from us.
Looking up Pasture Bottom towards Threshthwaite Cove as a small gap in the cloud cover lets some light in.
Beyond Hartsop, the trail quickly gains height, opening up the views back across Patterdale to the Fairfield and Helvellyn fells.
Another big squall soon drenches the Patterdale fells. It would be our turn soon.
With the steeper part of the trail behind us, a brief pause allows me to compose this image of Lisabet heading onwards with Sulphury Gill streaming down the fellside and The Knott (739 m/2,425 ft) rising sharply above.
The ascension ceases. At Hayeswater, I zoom in on the sheer face of High Street (828 m/2,717 ft) as clouds blow across.
Hayeswater is natural in origin, but was dammed in 1908 to supply water for Penrith. In 2005 it ceased to be used as a reservoir, and in the summer of 2014 United Utilities removed the dam, restoring the natural form of the tarn.
We watched as waves of clouds washed across the fell tops.
After stopping for lunch in the pouring rain, we started making our way back down the trail. 250 yds from the tarn, a new bridge crosses the gill that allowed for some nice compositions.
The waves of rain eased off and soon the immense views across Patterdale to the Helvellyn fells revealed themselves to us. To the bottom-right of the image you can see the old Filter House, now a private residence.
Glad to vaguely dry, I started to relax as we made our way down the trail. Beyond, the cloud cover lifted from the fells.
A break in the cloud illuminated the fells, if only for a moment, and I was able to capture this epic scene.
Nearing the valley bottom, the shoulder of Hartsop Dodd is bathed in glorious golden light.
A tighter, zoomed in composition involving a drystone wall, pasture field, and Raven Crag.
Beneath the towering form of Hartsop Dodd, this delightful barn captures our attention and imagination.
A beautiful scene of one of Hartsop’s houses with Hartsop Dodd looming above.
Perhaps the finest shot I got from the whole day. A dilapidated barn covered in a carpet of moss with a tree growing out of it. Beyond, a break in the clouds allows an intense burst of light to illuminate Raven Crag.
A true rural Lake District scene with the unmistakeable form of Hartsop Dodd keeping watch. The sky darkens as the clouds drop down and close in again.
We tried a different route back to the car park, passing by this gorgeous cottage as another wet squall starts to close the end of our walk.