Route: Circuit of Buttermere
Area: North West Lake District
Date of walk: 14th April 2013
Walkers: Andrew
Distance: 4.9 miles
Ascent: 300 feet
My plans for a fell walk were scuppered by torrential rain and gale force winds in the morning, but by mid afternoon the rain stopped and a walk was on the cards again. It was too windy to go up high and too late to go far so I decided to walk round Buttermere
The beauty and accessibility of this walk can make it too popular at times but today there weren’t many people about
I’ve done this walk many times and for some reason always choose to go anti-clockwise round the lake, and I did so again
The recent heavy rain meant that the streams and gills were in full spate. Although the weather was poor, it didn’t detract from the majesty of the surroundings
For other walks here, visit my Find Walks page and enter the name in the ‘Search site’ box
Click on the icon below for the route map (subscribers to OS Maps can view detailed maps of the route, visualise it in aerial 3D, and download the GPX file. Non-subscribers will see a base map)
Scroll down – or click on any photo to enlarge it and you can then view as a slideshow
The Fish Inn at Buttermere
Sourmilk Gill - the noise of the cascading water today was thunderous
Looking along the length of Buttermere to Fleetwith Pike
Crossing Buttermere Dubs
Sourmilk Gill
Further along the shore
Fleetwith Pike and Haystacks ahead
Some Highland cattle pose obligingly in the foreground - Haystacks is in the background
On Peggy’s Bridge, looking along Warnscale Beck.....
...and looking in the opposite direction back along Buttermere
Gatesgarth Farm and the start of the Honister Pass
Two thirds of the High Stile Range - High Crag and High Stile
The path enters a tunnel - cut in the 19th century to enable the landowner to stroll round the shore
Gusts of wind nearly blew me over here, and I was glad to have stayed at valley level to enjoy this beautiful walk
