One of the side effects of the pandemic has been a long list of postponed trips. One of these trips was our booking for Fisherground Farmhouse in Eskdale. As accommodation goes this is a tad more luxurious than our standard hostel fare, and the location is one of the quieter valleys in the Lake District. Perfect as a replacement for an Easter trip that didn’t happen.
Now the Lakes has had a very dry summer. Very dry. There was no way our luck was going to hold, so it wasn’t really a surprise when a couple of weeks before our trip the heavens opened with truly biblical quantities of rain. Luckily, after that initial deluge, the weather calmed down a bit, but it was still exceptionally squelchy underfoot for our trip. This is why goretex socks were invented.
The build up might have been a bit damp, but our week away wasn’t bad at all. We enjoyed a lovely walk to Stanley Ghyll Force, which was performing magnificently after the recent rain. As a bonus we got to try out the National Trust’s new viewing platform jutting out dramatically over the gorge – not one to try if you suffer from vertigo! Some days the weather was lovely - see below for descriptions of our adventures.
Thanks to all for a fabulous week full of delicious meals, numerous pub stops and delightful company.
Ali
La’al Ratty
The Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway opened in 1875 to transport iron ore from the mines near the village of Boot to the mainline railway on the coast at Ravenglass 7 miles away. The ore was poor quality and prices fell rapidly. Despite the railway’s popularity with passengers in the summer, it eventually closed in 1913. It was saved by the famous miniature railway engineer W.J. Bassett-Lowke who converted it from the original 3-foot gauge to 15 inches and re-opened it in 1915. The little railway (“La’al Ratty” in Cumbrian dialect) has continued to transport passengers through the delights of Eskdale ever since.
We were lucky to arrive on the last steaming weekend of the season. Having negotiated a group discount, we crammed into the tiny carriages for the scenic ride to Ravenglass. We were hauled by “River Irt”, the oldest working 15 inch gauge steam locomotive in the world, built in 1894.
George rode back with a carriage to himself, while the rest of us walked back via Muncaster Fell enjoying sunny views across the fells and coast, finishing with an equally enjoyable pint at the King George pub. A perfect day!
Dave P
The Illgill Ascent
After walking from Fisherground up the lovely and peaceful Miterdale, we parted company with those who wanted a gentler day, and carried on to Burnmoor Tarn. Great Gable and Kirk Fell came into view as we reached the head of the valley, and the steep climb up Illgill Head was rewarded by ever-more extensive views across Wasdale.
A dramatic walk on the long grassy ridge from Illgill Head to Whin Rigg brought us back to Miterdale Forest, to reach the pub at twilight. Another perfect day!
Wasdale or Bust
It was less kind the day we chose to do Wasdale Red Pike. The day started OK, in fact nice enough for Colin and Mike to tack on an extra ascent of Yewbarrow, but after lunch the cloud started dropping and by the time we were on Red Pike itself visibility was down to a few yards. It still makes for a very dramatic ridge, but rather a long, soggy descent. In fact very long. By the time we got back to the road only the most optimistic could have described it as twilight. Damp and cold, it would have been rude, if not downright dangerous, to turn down a drink at the Wasdale Head Inn.
The Devoke Expedition
A circuit of Devoke Water (the Lake Districts’ highest tarn) seemed like a good idea for a slightly grey day in November. Nick kindly took us all up there in his Land Rover, which is always a good way to start a serious expedition. Then we found ourselves in rain, wind and near-zero visibility, making the expedition rather more challenging than anticipated. But we survived the bogs and river crossings, climbed a couple of outlying fells, and spent much of the afternoon drying out in the pub.