Wigtwizzle - Norman Smith's Travel Blog.: fell

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Holme Fell

It must have been twentry years since I was last on Holme Fell when I was helping a friend do the Wainwrights. I've been to Hodge Close a fair few times but have always walked down into Little Lnagdale and not up Holme Fell.

I really have missed so much. It must be one of the most beautiful fells in The Lakes; not very high but a pure joy to walk upon. There has been a lot of quarrying in the past so there are a few disused dams scattered about and the remnants of many disused quarries but these just add to the beauty of the place. Nature has done a superb job and created beauty which ever direction you look.

The views from up high are first class as well; to the west you can see some of the Coniston Fells and to the north west are The Langdale Fells. Eastwards Windermere can be seen and on a clear day, you can see right across to The Yorkshire Dales.

I didn't quite make it to the top but I'm presuming that from the summit, you can see Coniston Water and right down to Morecambe Bay.

Due to my health issues, I knew when I had reached my limit, so I just found a large boulder to plonk my behind on, sat for a while and picked another of the many paths scattering the fell to walk back down to Hodge Close and my car.

Without doubt I will be returning, as my walk on Holme Fell was one of the most enjoyable I have done for many a year.

Hodge Close Quarry

Quarry Path, Hodge Close

Disused Dam, Holme Fell

Looking towards Wetherlam

Disused Dam, Holme Fell

Holme Fell

Langdale Pikes

Holme Fell

Disused Dam, Holme Fell

A Hidden Lakeland Gem

I came here a few months ago, well before the latest lockdown began but didn't really do any exploring as the weather was appalling, plus I didn't have enough change to pay for the parking. Today the sun was out, I had a bag full of change and was ready to explore an area which was new to me. I have spent hundreds of hours over the years exploring the paths and hills of Borrowdale, but amazingly I had never been on Kings How.

Every step I took was sheer delight and it ended up as one of those days when you keep saying to yourself, "I'll just go a little further and see what's up over that next rise". As it was, I didn't have the time to do everything I wanted so curtailed my exploration at a gate in the drystone wall where the path dips down into some sort of valley and then rises up to Kings How.

The next time I come, I will get here early and bring drinks and a bite to eat and make it into a days walk. Maybe I will get up Kings How...who knows?

Leaving the Bowder Stone car park

Silver Birches

Unnamed Beck

Looking to High Spy

Path to Quayfoot Quarry

Quayfoot Quarry

Looking down Borrowdale

Across to Maiden Moor

High Spy and the Borrowdale Valley

Lower sloped of Kings How

Kings How

Dry Stone Wall

Path down to Borrowdale

View to Kings How

Path to Kins How

Path from The Bowder Stone

Dry Stone Walling

Birch Trees

Just doing what we love doing.

Sometimes days can be over planned. We had intended to drive down to Coniston and either go for a walk in to Coppermines Valley or walk up to Tarn Hows from Monk Coniston. As it turned out, we ended up driving a few miles down the road to Threlkeld, had a coffee and slice of cake in the excellent Village Hall Team Room and then walked up to Blease Gill, one of the many becks coming off of Blencathra.

The gill contains many cascades and waterfalls and is one of Wainwright's more direct routes up to Blencathra's summit. That wasn't to be our aim so we took the footpath following the intake wall to the Blencathra Centre and then followed the lane back to the village. Not a long walk but you get lovely views down St John's In The Vale to the Helvellyn range and also westwards across to the distant North Western Fells.

Later in the day, Sal got her Tern out and cycled from the caravan site to The Milll Inn in Mungrisdale where I met her for a pint.

A most enjoyable day.