It was silent on Holme Fell except for the buzzing of bees in the heather and the occasional sound of a meadow pipit from the air. Painted Lady butterflies fluttered around, sometimes landing on a rock to sunbathe. A dragonfly whirred past like a tiny helicopter. What a place to just sit in the sunshine and do nothing!
It's too warm and humid to blog - or do anything really. Instead of a stuffy office, here is where I would rather be. It is the cafe at Ruskin's house, overlooking Coniston Water and the Coniston Fells. Lucky Ruskin. If you are energetic enough, you can explore his garden, which climbs uphill. If not - this is the place to be.
Muncaster Castle was a perfect destination today. On the return journey dark clouds hung ahead and eventually wet roads gave an indication of weather elsewhere. But the sun shone on Muncaster, and lit up the view of Eskdale from the terrace. The owls in the Owl Centre looked rather too warm - maybe the feathers feel like a duvet. A notice invited us to watch nesting Israeli barn owls over the internet. They probably look more cool and relaxed. They’re used to sunshine.
I had never noticed it before. Usually when I climb Helm Crag near Grasmere I descend via Steel Fell (pictured) but this time did the route in reverse. While walking along the flower-lined lanes towards Steel Fell the small plaque caught my eye. “Joan’s Field” was bought by her husband as a memorial to her after she died, and presented to the National Trust. A stream runs through Joan‘s Field, crossed by a small bridge. Currently it contains many buttercups and a few sheep and lambs. The sound of traffic beyond the trees, rushing along the road over Dunmail Raise, only serves to increase a sense of tranquillity there. I wonder how many people know it is there? I hope Joan didn’t mind, but I stopped there for a cup of tea, and to enjoy the peace.
"Hot Herdwick lamb baguette" it says on that menu board. But what's that, standing in front of it? A hot Herdwick lamb? Or at least a warm one in that woolly coat. Oh dear. It's a good job it can't read.
It was hard work climbing up Wetherlam in the warm weather at the weekend, but worth it for the view from the summit. There are the central fells beyond the long ridge of Wetside Edge, with Scafell, Scafell Pike, Crinkle Crags and Bowfell dominating the view.
It is rather surprising to discover that John Ruskin, who so loved the Lake District, declared that there is "no better walk than from Barmouth through to Dolgellau other than from Dolgellau to Barmouth". It is indeed a beautiful area of Wales, but something similar might be said about the walk between Elterwater and Skelwith Bridge. Or Skelwith Bridge and Elterwater. This walk also has the advantage that it is shorter and more accessible to older and less able walkers, and the very elderly or very young might manage it. And, of course, there are eating places at either end.
The gardens at Holker Hall, near Cartmel in the Lake District Peninsulas, are full of colour just now. There are plenty of rhododendrons, and I wish I could grow those blue Himalayan poppies but they don’t survive in my garden. The sun shone for a short time before heavy rain attacked but, fortunately, there is a nice café offering refuge from downpours. The staff at Holker are friendly and helpful and the food is good so it is a place to visit in all weathers.
It’s a great time of year for colour - many shades of green and pale gold, punctuated by the occasional pink-brown of - what? Copper beech? Ornamental trees? They were all reflected in the lake at Grasmere, at least until a couple of ducks took a swim across the water and their wake broke the image up a few minutes later.
We used to have a children’s rhyme when I was little - “Blue and green should never be seen, except when worn by a gypsy queen.” Well, here’s that gypsy queen, the Lake District, wearing the two colours very successfully. This is another, closer view of the bluebell field near White Moss Common, with Silver How in the distance.
