Cunswick Scar, Lake District, Summer
After a wet week, it was nice to get up on the fells above Kendal.
After a wet week, it was nice to get up on the fells above Kendal.
On the Sunday, Lisabet had a series of obligations to attend to, so I took the opportunity for a solo hike. As Kendal sits in a valley (Kent + Dale, that is, “the valley of the river Kent”), it is flanked east and west by small fells. On the western side of the valley the ground gently rises up before terminating in a series of limestone cliffs plunging down to the Lyth Valley. The main fell here is Scout Scar, a local favourite, but a smaller sibling can be found further north: Cunswick Scar.
On this occasion my route to the summit was a fairly standard one: head up through the winding paths and roads through Kendal to the Helsfell Nab path. Follow the path all the way up and around Helsfell Nab, cross the bridge over the A591, and continue on the gently rising trail all the way to the summit cairn of Cunswick Scar.
A beautiful summer’s day.
All photos taken on my Fujifilm X-T2 using my Vivitar “Series 1” 28–105mm f2.8–f3.8 lens. RAWs converted in Capture One for iPad, developed in RNI Films, finished in Affinity Photo for iPad.
Cunswick Scar, Lake District, Summer by Ian Cylkowski is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
A glorious day in Kendal, full of promise.
Up on Queen’s Road. The views over Kendal here are already beautiful.
On the Helsfell Nab path you round an allotment above Windermere Road. Gardening here must be lovely with views like this.
I can never resist these two compositions when walking the Helsfell Nab path.
It all just lines up in such a pleasing way.
Even the local sheep like to pause from grazing to enjoy the views every now and then.
At these disused barns the path rounds Helsfell Nab and climbs sharply up. You’re then above the A591, where you cross the bridge over the road to continue on towards Cunswick Scar.
The route is clear all the way up to the summit. Sheep peacefully graze and wander the fell.
The summit cairn and the crackin’ views all the way towards the Kentmere fells.
A zoomed in composition shows off the Kentmere fells with light and shadow dancing across their features.
Directly west from the summit, the rolling Lyth Valley is capped by the distance Lake District fells.
Time to navigate off Cunswick Scar’s shoulder. Like Scout Scar, the fell is primarily composed of limestone, so different flora flourishes on the fell compared to the Kendal valley.
The views heading back east ain’t too bad either. Nearest, to the right, is Benson Knott, and in the distance are the beautiful Howgills.
Oh! A winding drystone wall? Time for a photo then.
For the returning route, I chose the path over Kendal Fell Golf Course. Across the field is the back of Helsfell Nab.
A herd of cows rest in the afternoon sun.
Not a bad place for a golf course, eh?
Back down Beast Banks into town.
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Kentmere, Lake District, Summer
We seem to be going through a session of revisiting hikes we’ve not been on in years.
We seem to be going through a session of revisiting hikes we’ve not been on in years.
Straight after work one afternoon Lisabet and I had planned on a hike perhaps up to Hayeswater from Hartsop, or into Deepdale to gawp at Greenhow End. But not long after setting off we consulted SaferLakes.co.uk and found that most of the parking around Glenridding and Patterdale was labelled as Busy. We quickly changed plans. Why not jump off the A591 now, head through Staveley and arrive at Kentmere for a walk around this gorgeous and quiet valley?
The last time we hike up the Kentmere valley towards the reservoir and its famous ring of fells was back in June 2013. Back then, we chose a later time of day to do the hike in order to catch the light as the sun set. That’s also when all the midges come out and we certainly got eaten alive that evening.
It was a glorious day for a hike and Kentmere was looking particularly resplendent in its summer garb. I do forget though just how big the valley is. The hike took a lot longer than expected, even with our increased fitness.
All photos shot on a Fujifilm X-T2 with a Fujinon XF 18–55mm f/2.8–4.0 lens using a customised Classic Chrome film profile.
The scenes already look gorgeous straight out of the car park, with beautiful little cottages dotted about the valley.
The views begin to open up once we round Rook Howe; the slopes of Shipman Knotts (587 m/1,926 ft) looms in the distance.
Rook Howe and Greenhead are home to quite a few glacial erratics with a large example featured here. In the background is the craggy eastern face of an area known as Crag Quarter, with minor peaks having such wonderful names as Cowsty Knotts, Raven Crag, and Calfhowe Crag. This area was almost certainly extensively mined.
We crossed the juvenile River Kent to make our way towards the eastern side of the valley, trying to catch a glimpse of the Kentmere Horseshoe fells.
Crag Quarter and some lovely light.
Admiring the wonderful barns and cottages dotted around Hallow Bank, looking up towards Shipman Knotts and Wray Crag.
Our first glimpse at the Kentmere Horseshoe fells and their striking profile.
A Kendal Rough Fell ewe and her lamb pay little attention to us as we hone in on the Kentmere Horseshoe fells.
The fells in question, from left to right: Yoke (706 m/2,316 ft), Ill Bell (757 m/2,484 ft), and Froswick (720 m/2,360 ft).
Through the fields heading towards Tongue House and Tongue Scar. This particular path towards the Kentmere Reservoir was a rather wet and boggy one, which we didn’t expect.
We start to enter the horseshoe of fells that surround Kentmere Reservoir. This is Rainsborrow Crag, with evidence aplenty of historical mining.
A wet and undulating path at Whether Fold to navigate now as we near the reservoir. The peak on the left is Froswick, the “wall” in the middle is Gavel Crag (the southern face, ultimately, of High Street), and the rightmost peak is Lingmell End.
The falls pouring from the outlet at Kentmere Reservoir, and looking up at Rainsborrow Cove.
The wall at the head of Kentmere Reservoir known as Gavel Crag, the source of the River Kent. It is the Kent that gives its name to the reservoir and the valley (“Kent Mere”), as well as my hometown Kendal (“Kent Dale”). It is said that the River Kent is one of the fastest flowing rivers in England.
Soft light catches Lingmell End.
A simple composition straight along the dam towards Yoke and its subsidiary crags.
No crystal perfect reflections unfortunately, but still beautiful nevertheless.
Previously unable to find a footbridge to cross the reservoir, we decide to just walk across the reservoir’s outflow. I nabbed this composition on my way across.
The outflow we crossed, with Lingmell End catching some more golden light.