Route: Gowbarrow Fell
Area: Eastern Lake District
Date of walk: 28th October 2016
Walkers: Andrew
Distance: 5.0 miles
Weather: Mostly sunny
I parked in the main National Trust car park below Aira Force and followed one of the paths up Aira Beck. There are good paths on both sides so it doesn’t matter which side of the beck you walk along, as there are several footbridges along the way
Aira Force was on good form, though it was half term and there were a lot of other folk about. I soon left the crowds behind me as I walked further upstream, passing several smaller waterfalls and eventually emerging onto open fellside
After an easy climb beside a dry stone wall I reached the summit of Gowbarrow Fell. The views from here are not particularly good, but the great glory of this walk is the views of Ullswater from the terraced path above the lake – one of the best miles in lakeland – and which I’d saved for last by walking the circuit in an anti-clockwise direction
I passed by the Memorial Seat and Yew Crag admiring the fabulous panorama as I did so, then made the gentle descent back to the Aira Force visitor centre
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The start of today’s walk as I head upstream with Aira Beck on my right
Aira Force
One of many smaller waterfalls along the way…
…and another
I leave the woods to enter onto open fellside
Looking back towards Ullswater
I leave the path here and join another one uphill beside the dry stone wall
Ullswater
Looking back to Parkgate Farm and Dockray
Blencathra in the clouds
Dockray again
The last section to the top is over open moorland
Summit of Gowbarrow Fell
I head down towards Ullswater across rather featureless terrain
The start of a short walk in heaven along the terraced path above Ullswater
Gowbarrow Bay…
A new vista around every corner - this is looking towards Sandwick
The path continues to snake its way around the fellside
Hallin Fell on the right
Sandwick on the far side of the lake
Gowbarrow Bay again
Looking towards the head of Ullswater from the viewpoint cairn above Yew Crag…
…and now looking towards the foot of the lake from the same spot
One of the Ullswater Steamers sails by
Aira Point
…and again, with Lyulph’s Tower coming into view
Aira Beck is below, hidden by the surrounding woodland
I re-enter the woods and follow the course of the beck back to the start
The end of a wonderful walk
Back home, a red squirrel in the garden…
…and a spectacular sunset over Lorton Vale
