Pandemic Peregrinations: Lower Borrowdale, Lake District, Spring
The Four Step Plan to “normality” has been announced.
The Four Step Plan to “normality” has been announced by the government.
From the 8th March 2021 students will return to schools, colleges, and universities, and there will be a small loosening of social contact restrictions. Then from 29th March 2021 there is a further easing of social contact restrictions, primarily around meeting people outside. Outdoor sporting recreation will be allowed again, and you can start to travel within the country.
Step 2 from the 12th April 2021 sees non-essential business opening once again.
By 17th May 2021, Step 3 reduces even more restrictions on social contact, with most legal restrictions on outdoor meetings being lifted (except for gatherings of over 30 people).
And finally, by 21st June, all social contact restrictions will be lifted and all remaining businesses will be free to trade again.
At least, that’s the plan. Apparently guided by “data not dates”. Let’s see what happens.
In the meantime, Lisabet and I drove 9-miles north for a wander down the lovely Lower Borrowdale valley. We had intended to ford the river and take the public bridleway up and over Borrowdale Edge into Bretherdale, a valley we’ve never explored before. In any case, that didn’t happen; the stepping stones to ford the river had a sizeable gap right in the middle, and there was no way we were jumping across.
Instead, we simply enjoyed a valley bottom walk, all the way from the head of Lower Borrowdale to where it joins the Lune Gorge and the M6 motorway that runs through it.
All in all, about a 16 km hike, 24,000+ steps.
And lots of photos.
Photos taken on my Fujifilm X-T2 using my Samyang 35mm f/1.2, Laowa 9mm f/2.8, and my new Pentax SMC 55mm f/2.0 lens (a vintage lens from the 70s that my Dad recently got me). All developed using RNI’s Kodachrome film profiles.
Our arrival at Lower Borrowdale saw misty fells, with cloud cover clinging to the fell tops. Fortunately these conditions didn’t last long and the sun soon started to burn away the morning mist.
A local farmer making his way back out of the valley after feeding some his flock up on Borrowdale Edge.
The way down to the bottom of Lower Borrowdale. The rather vertiginous looking fell in the distance is Greenside Crag (485 m/1,591 ft).
Plenty of Swaledales about, giving us The Look.
Looking back at Greenside Crag as the sun finally breaches the cloud cover and strikes across the face of the fell.
Still plenty of water about in the valley, with lots of puddles giving me an opportunity to snap some reflections. Here’s one of Winterscleugh (464 m/1,523 ft).
After an unsuccessful attempt to find a way to the Bretherdale public bridleway via the northern side of Lower Borrowdale, we decide instead to simply walk the valley all the way to its exit at the Lune Gorge.
At least the smaller becks were full of water.
A dilapidated old barn next to trees covered in unusually bright lichen.
Swaledales wearily guarding their food. The sweet summery scent of hay was wonderful.
Swaledale higher up the fellside.
There were some wonderfully gnarly trees up the fellside of Lower Borrowdale.
These two trees had some wonderful shapes to my eye, so I got my ultra wide 9mm lens out for a more unusual composition.
A dead tree providing some wonderful textures.
Down the green lonnin (lane) to the Lower Borrowdale farm. Glorious sunshine.
Plenty of chickens about at Lower Borrowdale farm. Very friendly and inquisitive creatures.
A farm “shop”.
A male mallard and his harem head back to the safety of Lower Borrowdale farm.
That’s right. A curving drystone wall. I can’t resist.
Up the wooded lane where the Lower Borrowdale valley exits out into the Lune Gorge.
The Howgills in the distance finally make an appearance, our signal to turn back.
A pretty bridge with the Whinfell Common fells in the distance.
A proper idyllic farmyard scene.
Probably my favourite shot of the bunch. Swaledales enjoying the hay feed, my lovely Lisabet striding ahead, and the fells beyond. Lovely. Spring is coming.
Lower Borrowdale, Lake District, Spring
Travel restrictions for outdoor exercise have eased, but we still didn’t want to take the piss.
I mostly shot this photograph for the trees on the fell. To me it looks like some ancient woodland god has scribbled her signature across the fell and trees have sprouted in the wake of her pen.
Travel restrictions for outdoor exercise have eased, but we still didn’t want to take the piss.
So, rather than head right into the usual honeypots of the Lake District, Lisabet and I drove less than 10-miles north on the A6 to hike down a quiet little valley. This is Lower Borrowdale; the “lower” prefix more to distinguish it from its famous namesake south of Keswick.
The area around Lower Borrowdale, sometimes called Westmorland Borrowdale, only recently became included in the Lake District National Park, back in August 2016. Since then work has been done on the paths through and around the valley, although more needs doing. The valley is quiet, lined on its southern slopes by the Ashstead Plantation, and more trees are being planted across the northern slopes.
We enjoyed a long hike through the valley and back, noting the dry rivers and becks, and saying hello to all the Swaledale and Kendal Rough Fell sheep with their new lambs.
A gorgeous view of Lower Borrowdale from the A6 above it.
A Kendal Rough Fell ewe chilling with her little lamb.
A drystone wall snaking its way up the fell.
A delightful little scene Lisabet and I came across: an egg-like boulder with a tiny sapling resting on it.
Borrow Beck, which runs through the valley, looking thoroughly parched. England could really do with a good week of solid rain.
Clouds building up, looking back the way we came.
One of the numerous becks that criss-cross the valley, totally dried up.
Another lovely scene we stopped to explore and photo; this old barn with its own little woodland.
A slither of light catching the top of Castle Fell (478 m/1,568 ft), with Swaledale ewes and their lambs grazing below.