The Lake District by Car
For committed walkers in Cumbria, there are such wonderful sights to see – I know – been there and done that, but last week (mid September) a short break involved pottering around the area by car. Of course that means the views are from recognised tripod hole spots, but there’s always the chance of a new perspective or some exciting light.
We were staying just three nights and the first day involved a gentle drive up, stopping off at Pooley Bridge for a fantastic Sunday lunch at the Sun Inn, followed by a short walk to the shore of Ullswater before dodging a pretty heavy downpour and driving on to our rented cottage near Ennerdale Bridge.
As it happened, HM Queen Elizabeth’s funeral was being shown the next morning. Like so many millions of people, we stayed in to watch that, perfectly aware that we only had a short holiday, but it was an absolute essential. We still had time for a walk along the shore of Ennerdale Water, a lake that is less familiar to me than many others and well worth another visit.
Already it was the morning of the third day and we were to return home the next afternoon! However, we had plans to spend the whole day at Wastwater which is, in my opinion, the most spectacular of all the lakes. Thinking back, it’s about 8 years since I’d been there. That time, the heavens opened and didn’t close again. My companions stayed in the car while I valiantly braved the deluge to get some pictures, but they were not really what I was looking for. I didn’t expect it would be so long before I could go back again.
This time, we arrived in time for some interesting morning light and spectacular views of a very calm lake. A friend of mine mentioned today that for landscape you need light and that is always so true…but also the light needs to fall attractively in places where a composition can be made. We were lucky, as the light and the clouds changed so many times throughout the day. I’ve processed a large number, far too many to show here, so I’ve picked a few of my favourites for the gallery below.
Wasdale and Wastwater Gallery
What a feast Wasdale had been. We just had one more day, including the trip home and our destination was Crummock and Buttermere. Our visit ended with a drive through Borrowdale to Keswick.
