Wigtwizzle - Norman Smith's Travel Blog.: keswick

Showing posts with label keswick. Show all posts

Early Morning, Derwentwater

An early morning visit to the shores of Derwentwater, timing it perfectly to get the sun starting to illuminate Catbells and The North Western Fells. Most photos were taken from the bit of shoreline between the landing stages and Friars Crag. Also a few were taken from Strandshag Bay.

The reflections were disturbed as the lake started to come to life; a group of canoeists were first to appear and then the launches kicked in to life. I don't have a problem with that, the lake is for everyone to enjoy.

Also a slight breeze developed and my stomach started to rumble so I headed back to base, stopping of at the lovely little community cafe in Threlkeld for a sausage sarnie and a cappuccino. I think I earned it.

Looking Down Borrowdale

Castle Crag, Borrowdale

Derwent Isle Boathouse

Cloud on Maiden Moor

Sunlight Hitting Catbells

Derwentwater

Sunlight Hitting Catbells

Strandshag Bay

Friars Crag

Friars Crag From Strandshag Bay

Memorial Flowers, Strandshag Bay

Sunlight on Reeds

Towards Lord Isle

Early Morning on Derwentwater

One of the benefits of winter is that you don't have to get up at some unearthly hour to get sunrise photos. These were taken between half seven and half eight on a still Derwentwater morning. Some were taken from Crow Park looking down the lake and the others were taken from Isthmus Bay which is further round from Crow Park. Some were taken hand held and some using an ND64 filter, slowing the shutter speed by 5 stops.

Met a couple more photographers down at Crow Park and one at Isthmus Bay, all were very excited about the conditions!

Derwentwater from Crow Park

Isthmus Bay

Derwentwater from Crow Park

Looking towards Catbells

Grizedale Pike

Derwent Isle

Making Waves

Derwentwater Flooding

These photos taken at towards the end of February and are of a very full Derwentwater. Lots of the lakeside path was under water to at least Ashness Landing Stage and, I should imagine, so was the vast majority of the rest of the path around the lake.

There were also terrible floods in 2005, 2015 and 2017.

In 2005 The Eden Valley and Carlisle took the brunt of the rainfall and flooding.

In 2009 over a foot (314.4mm) of rain fell in Seathwaite in 24 hours and was a new record at the time for England.

In 2015 The Storm Desmond floods were caused because rainfall fell on already saturated ground following three previous storms during November. These resulted in more than twice the monthly average rainfall for that month. Most of The Lake District was under water, as was Carlisle, Workington and Whitehaven. Many bridges were destroyed and at one point Workington was completely cut off from the rest of Cumbria due to flooding and a major road bridge collapsing. The water levels were even higher than in 2009.

In 2017 there was further flooding but this was mainly in the Borrowdale Valley and at Eamont Bridge near Penrith. I do recall Glenridding Beck bursting its banks and extensively flooding the surrounding shops both in 2015 and 2017. The unfortunate Glenridding Hotel was flooded on both occasions as well.

Carlisle and surrounding areas were also hit by flash floods in August 2019.

Ashness Jetty

Barrow Bay

Keswick Landings

Path to Friars Crag

Strandshag Bay

Derwent Isle

The Golden Hour down Borrowdale.

A few photos taken after a day of rain. I took a gamble and drove down Borrowdale, over Honister Pass to Buttermere but the lake was choppy and the light non-existent . On my way back I stopped off at Seatoller and, as luck would have it, the sun broke through.

I had a walk in Johnny Wood to Longthwaite and back and was treated to some gorgeous light plus a chorus of cuckoo calls. I counted two for sure but there could have been three. The rainy day was soon forgotten and I am now only left with memories of a great hour connecting with nature.