T'other end of Derwentwater

I made an impromptu visit to the Lakes as the weather forecast for the entire weekend was good. Plus I had been up the previous weekend and I'd had a pretty hectic few days so the thought of a few days up their on my own was quite appealing to say the least.

This year's autumn has been the best in recent memory, not just in the Lakes but everywhere I have been. It has been helped by having more clear sunny days than normal and a lot less wind, especially over here in the west. On the downside it has also attracted more visitors and today, getting any parking in the Borrowdale Valley, was at a premium.

Also it doesn't help that Catbell's rises above this side of Derwentwater. Farther down the road there were literally hundreds of cars lining what is basically a single track road but fortunately, where I parked was off-road so there was no danger of me returning to the car and finding a wing mirror damaged or missing.

Thoughtless parking is a problem all over the Lakes and not just Borrowdale. A year or two ago a farmer at Seathwaite, (which is a popular spot for walking the Scafells and Great Gable), found the road from his farm impassable so just drove his tractor plus attachment along it regardless and caused real damage to a lot of cars. I have also travelled to Buttermere and Langdale on a fair few occasions in the past and haven't been able to get parked up there either. Unfortunately, the district has become a victim of its own popularity and I don't really know the answer.

Anyway, putting that aside, my few hours spend on the shores of Derwentwater were sheer heaven. This end of the lake is made up of four bays: Brandlehow Bay, Abbott's Bay, Myrtle Bay and Great Bay, at the end of which, the River Derwent enters Derwentwater. The first three are beautiful wooded bays which offer great opportunities for photographs. Great Bay is a bit more lacking in this respect and is surrounded by wetlands which get flooded on a regular basis. All four bays form part of the Cumbria Way as it makes its way from Ulverston up to Carlisle so there is always folk about but it never seems to get too overcrowded.

This was definitely a "feel good" walk. The weather played its part, as did the beautiful views and the relative quietness. My drive back took me through Keswick where I was gobsmacked at the number of people just wandering aimlessly around the town. They were akin to a swarm of ants, the only difference being that ants have a purpose whereas the Keswick hoards don't. Give me the quiet spots any day!