A Lakeside Evening Stroll

It rained on Thursday 5th June, but not too heavily. After a lazy start and some essential shopping in Keswick, we drove to see the Catlerigg Stone Circle above Keswick and then on to Ullswater, stopping for an early dinner in a traditional pub, The Horse and Farrier,  in Dacre on the way back. On reaching Keswick it had turned into a lovely evening, with the sun shining and the air warm. Time to take another stroll around the lake – OK, not ALL the way round – just a short circuit past the Keswick launches, along the foreshore and up to Friar’s Crag then around a beach full of lambs playing tag and hide and seek, skirting Cockshut Wood, up towards Castlehead Wood and back into the town. About an hour’s gentle stroll.

Head on down to the lakeside from the town passing through Hope Park where the flower beds are full of pretty blues like these geraniums and irises.

Hardy Geranium
Ink blue bearded-iris

alongside the new Theatre by the Lake

theatre-by-the-lake

with a glance across Crow Park where sheep roam and people gather for picnics and the 360 degree views of the surrounding fells – Borrowdale to the south, Catbells to the west, Skiddaw and Blencathra, north-east.

sheep

Carry on along to where the road terminates at the Keswick Launch jetties. There are lots of benches to sit on and watch the sun set over Derwentwater

keswick-launches

And it continues as a broad pathway which follows the lake shore through shady trees to Friar’s Crag

path-to-Friar's-Crag

which is named because the craggy headland is said to have been the launch point for monks making a pilgrimage to St Herbert’s Island.

(St Herbert’s Island was the setting for Owl Island in Beatrix Potter’s book ‘The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin’. )

Bear left to visit a memorial to John Ruskin in amongst the trees, then head down some steps to another path which leads through a gate and onto the shoreline.

P1170425
Catbells
P1170421
Views south to Borrowdale

Where a group of young lambs were play-fighting and chasing one another along the shore.

At this point you can continue around the lakeside through another gate leading to Calfhouse Bay, but we left the shore and headed back towards Keswick via Cockshut Wood.

Footpath to Cockshut Wood
A Gaggle of Geese
Lonely Tree
View to Derwent Isle
Path along the foreshore
Sun going down
Boardwalk through the meadow

Through another gate into the wood, watch out for deer and red squirrels, then at a clearing, exit right through a gate towards Castlehead Wood, up on a hill in front of you.

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We didn’t go up there on this evening as we’d been up before and it’s a rough scramble at the top to a view-point. That’s another walk!

At the road, turn left along a path which runs parallel to the Borrowdale Road and back into the town. We left it at the churchyard and cut through the lane beside the church back to our apartment.

watercolour
Looking Back at the Lake
A fine evening with a crescent moon
St John’s Church

Where we had a lovely cold G&T.

If you enjoy a walk, short or long, then you may enjoy visiting Jo’s Monday Walk where you are in for a treat.

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Heyjude

I have lived in the UK for most of my life, but when young I definitely had wanderlust and even ended up living in South Africa for several years which was a wonderful experience. I now look forward to a long and leisurely retirement doing what I like most - gardening, photography, walking and travelling.

48 thoughts on “A Lakeside Evening Stroll”

    1. It was. We didn’t see anyone else during the entire loop! Just those naughty lambs, head-butting each other.

  2. A great walk Jude, and no rain again. You are very lucky indeed!
    This is all making me want to go back to the lakes, but I would still pack an umbrella…
    Regards as always, Pete. x

    1. Well it rained during the day, but cleared up nicely during the afternoon. I guess we were lucky, no complaints from me 🙂

    1. They were like naughty school-children Sue. Chasing each other, head-butting one another, pushing each other off logs! And all the while running around in circles and daring each other to come closer to us! They were a delight.

      1. I would have LOVED to be there with you Jude. Thank you for describing it to me. I have a big grin from ear to ear at the vision of it. 🙂

    1. It was even darker than my photo shows Tish. Almost black. I tried several shots, but the light was low.

  9. You find the best places to visit Jude. I agree with Jenny! Your photos are stunning with the way you capture the lighting is glorious. Nothing beats a traditional pub does it and as for a nice cold G&T to round the day off with, well, it all sounds positively idyllic 🙂

    1. I do enjoy my holidays Sherri – I love exploring new places, which is why I rarely go back to the same place, unless there are other reasons for visiting. Thank you for the lovely compliment about my photos 🙂

  10. Oh, I did enjoy that evening stroll, Jude. 🙂 I’ve done that walk before but not for a lot of years. The views across the lake are beautiful, and Sherri is entirely right about your photos.
    I love that scintillating iris too. Many thanks for joining me again. I really appreciate it.

    1. How wonderful that you have done this walk Jo! That iris was so much darker than my photo indicates, almost black. There were some lovely irises ‘up north’.

      And I’m so chuffed you like the photos 🙂

        2. That’s all. The problem is, as always, persuading the other half. Because I don’t drive the only alternative is a coach trip, which I might well do later in the year. 🙂

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