Ian Cylkowski 16/01/2023 Ian Cylkowski 16/01/2023

Orrest Head, Lake District, Winter

Arctic conditions have returned.

After what’s seemed like an endless amount of rain, a dry and cold front has arrived over the British Isles, covering the fells in frost and snow.

Before family obligations in the afternoon, Lisabet and I got up early (for a Sunday morning) for a quick hike up the classic Orrest Head. It’s a quick way to get a good vantage point and drink in the views of all the snowy fells.

Thankfully, the light was also lovely.

All photos taken on my Fujifilm X-T2 using my Vivitar “Series 1” 28–105mm f2.8–3.8 zoom lens. Shot with the Eterna film simulation, RAWs developed in Capture One for iPad, finalised in Affinity Photo 2 for iPad.

Orrest Head, Lake District, Winter by Ian Cylkowski is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

From the parking bay off the main A591, we can immediately see the Coniston fells in their wintery glory rising above Windermere.

I’ve said it many times before, but snow makes the fells seem even taller.

Elleray Woods underneath Orrest Head shelter you from the biting winds whipping the fells. Plenty of rhododendron about with their evergreen leaves.

My favourite in Elleray Woods. It’s like the roots are slowly dripping down and covering the crags.

Low winter morning light catches the gentle curves of Sour Howes, with the higher peak of Yoke glowing in its winter coat.

The snowy fells rise above Threshthwaite Mouth, part of the Kentmere fells.

With light as fleeting as it is in the winter, you have to keep your eyes open for quick moments and smaller scenes like this.

And there, the famous view from the summit of Orrest Head, the view that Alfred Wainwright fell in love.

The summit of Orrest Head features these wonderful rock formations, and the low winter light really pulled out all the textures.

Not a bad place for a bench and a view, eh?

Light scans across the fields towards the frosty maw of Threshthwaite Mouth.

Zooming in on Threshthwaite Mouth as slivers of golden winter light sweep across the rolling fields below.

One or two people similarly made their way up onto Orrest Head and enjoyed the views and conditions on offer.

On our way back down from the summit, the day brightens up and the light evens out a little. A little hint of 2022’s autumn colours linger on.

Always nice to see the Gruffalo on the winding track back down to the car.

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Ian Cylkowski 24/06/2020 Ian Cylkowski 24/06/2020

Orrest Head, Lake District, Summer

Lisabet and I decided to revisit Orrest Head recently for our post-work exercise to get some steps in.

In 1930, at the age of 23, a young Alfred Wainwright from Blackburn, Lancashire arrived at Windermere Railway Station, Westmorland, and hiked up the nearby small fell known as Orrest Head (238m/783 feet).

And then, in his own words, “…quite suddenly, we emerged from the trees and were on a bare headland, and, as though a curtain had dramatically been torn aside, beheld a truly magnificent view…”

This experience changed Alfred Wainwright’s life forever. He moved to Kendal in 1941 and started working on his now-famous Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells in 1952, initially just for his own interest.

Lisabet and I decided to revisit Orrest Head recently for our post-work exercise to get some steps in. Of course, I took my camera with me. Orrest Head is such a small and unassuming hill but the views it commands across Windermere towards the Lakeland Fells is indeed spectacular.

All photos shot on my Fujifilm X-T2 with a 16–50mm f/3.5–56 lens using a custom Velvia film simulation.