Tag Archives: Lake District

Jun 10 2023
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Daily Post, Landscape

Wastwater — Britain’s best view?

Friday 9th June 2023, 8.20am (day 4,306)

Wastwater, 9/6/23

There are worse places to be at 8.20am on a Friday morning, that’s true. In 2007, the view down Wastwater to the mountains at its head (l-r: Yewbarrow, Great Gable, Lingmell) was voted ‘Britain’s Best View’ in an ITV programme (see this page); and you have to agree that it makes a good case. And I don’t even care that a car has got into the shot, in fact I quite like it — thanks to the person stood just to its right, also photographing this magnificent slice of land.

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Jun 10 2023
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Daily Post, Flora/Fauna, Landscape

Formal sheep portrait, with Muncaster Fell

Thursday 8th June 2023, 4.15pm (day 4,305)

Sheep portrait and Muncaster Fell, 8/6/23

I am fond of the genre that is the Formal Sheep Portrait. They do pose — I mean, I’m not saying they know they’re having their picture taken, but they’re quite happy to stand still and check you out while you formulate the shot. This one is taken on the slopes of Irton Pike, in the west of the Lake District: it’s Muncaster Fell that is in the background, sporting a heavy growth of rhododendrons, hence the dusting of pink.

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May 25 2023
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Daily Post, Flora/Fauna

Orange Tip, and friend

Wednesday 24th May 2023, 1.10pm (day 4,290)

Orange tip and friend, 24/3/23

A walk to the Lakes today, and there were some nice landscape shots I could have chosen, partly because I was thinking I had done the ‘nature close-up’ theme yesterday, and partly because the Lake District is usually quite nice to look at. But those who want to see more of what it looked like around Loweswater yesterday can check out my walking blog (well, one of them anyway). In the end I chose this because the light came out just right and it was not until I looked at it a third time, at least, that I noticed the companion insect hovering just above the Orange Tip. Are butterflies insectivorous? Perhaps it should be worried.

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Apr 16 2023
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Daily Post, Landscape

The Scafells, from Red Screes

Saturday 15th April 2023, 11.15am (day 4,251)

Scafells from Red Screes, 15/4/23

The summit known as Red Screes, with its substantial tarn, sits at 2,541 feet above sea level but is still considerably lower than the Scafells: left to right from the edge of the picture, Scafell, Scafell Pike and Great End. Great Gable pops up to the right. A fine day to be out walking even if the transport arrangements once again…. but what the hell, I expect too much perhaps. Read more on the other blog, if you like.

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Feb 24 2023
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Daily Post, Landscape

Walkers on Knott Rigg

Thursday 23rd February 2023, 12.40pm (day 4,200)

Walkers on Knott Rigg, 23/2/23

It was about time I paid another visit to the Lake District, having missed out on most of the winter, and I was not the only person to be thinking that it was too nice a day to stay indoors. The walkers stand on Knott Rigg, a fairly inconsequential lump that becomes the 306th Wainwright bagged on my second round, so I have 24 to go. In the background, Red Pike.

I notice that this blog, which was started on my 42nd birthday — hence the name — has now reached day 4,200. I am sure that I will think of some way of marking 6th April, which I calculate will be day 4,242.

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Nov 30 2022
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Daily Post, Landscape

Above the clouds

Tuesday 29th November 2022, 10.05am (day 4,114)

Wansfell Pike, 29/11/22

A day when it was hard to pick one single photo, but that is why — for such occasions — I have my other walking blog, where I don’t submit myself to such silly rules as one pic per day. The weather conditions for a walk in the Lake District were marvellous today, not just because of the blue skies above but the clouds below, filling up the valleys all day and allowing even the most humble of mountains to float above giant lakes of whipped cream for a while. The parts of Loughrigg Fell that are on the left cannot be more than about 400 feet above sea level, at the points where they emerge from the clouds. Wansfell Pike, the prominent rise in the background, is about 1,500 feet.

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Nov 04 2022
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Daily Post, Landscape

The summit of Brock Barrow

Wednesday 2nd November 2022, 11.25am (day 4,087)

Brock Barrow summit, 2/11/22

Brock Barrow is only about 750 feet above sea level (228m for all you metric system users) but it has a good view, including of Coniston Water below. Nice cairn too. It becomes my 303rd Wainwright on my second round: 27 to go. Tell you what though, it was damn windy and cold up there, even if it doesn’t look it. I just about got my 202nd Wainwright walk in before a storm arrived at lunchtime.

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Sep 22 2022
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Daily Post, Landscape

Skiddaw Forest

Wednesday 21st September 2022, 12.15pm (day 4,045)

Skiddaw Forest, 21/9/22

The title of this post is not ironic: despite appearances, this place really is called Skiddaw Forest. I don’t know if other parts of the world use the word or its equivalent to describe places that are as vastly treeless as this is, but we English do pride ourselves on our sense of wry humour, do we not. (For more pictures of this and nearby places, see my Lake District walking blog.)

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Jul 31 2022
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Daily Post, Landscape

The summit of Wandope

Friday 29th July 2022, 12.45pm (day 3,991)

Wandope summit, 29/7/22

On 29th July 2012, ten years ago, I was obliged to leave the rustic yet comfortable surroundings of the Black Sail hut and haul myself over Great Gable, a substantial lump of rock, in what remains the grimmest weather conditions I have encountered on any of my Lakeland walks. As today’s trip was the 200th of those — a pleasing milestone to reach — it was also pleasing that the weather was a damn sight better. (See my other blog for the full details.)

Wandope wasn’t one of the two Wainwrights bagged on the day, but this long-distance shot of its summit was the picture that pleased me the most: a case of it turning out just as was intended. The slopes in the background are those of the High Stile range, over Buttermere.

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Jun 13 2022
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Daily Post, Landscape

Grey Friar

Sunday 12th June 2022, 10.10am (day 3,944)

Grey Friar, 2,536 feet high, is one of the Coniston fells of Lakeland; this picture is taken from its western side, in the Duddon Valley. The pose of the sheep was too good to ignore, though yes, maybe this would be better still without the foliage to bottom right. But I like the composition in any case. (For more from today see my Wainwrights blog.)

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