Route: Circuit of Buttermere
Area: Western Lake District
Date of walk: 1st February 2015
Walkers: Andrew and Gilly
Distance: 5.1 miles
Weather: Perfect
We only had a couple of hours for a walk today, and a walk round Buttermere would just fit the bill
We parked in the National Trust car park at the edge of the village of Buttermere and walked past the Fish Inn and down to the foot of lake. It was a perfect day, though cold, which is maybe why there weren’t as many people around as we’d anticipated – this is a classic walk with wonderful scenery all the way
As usual – out of habit and for no other reason – we walked round the lake in an anti-clockwise direction. The view down the lake looking towards Fleetwith Pike was superb in these conditions
After rounding the head of the lake and passing through Gatesgarth Farm, there’s a short road section before the path heads back down to the lakeshore and then through the short tunnel carved into the rocks
The round took us exactly 2 hours, just as planned, and every minute of it was a joy
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
A pheasant on the birdbath before we set off this morning
At the start of the walk we cross the bridge over Mill Beck in Buttermere
We pass by the Fish Inn
The path to the lakeshore
Fleetwith Pike at the head of the lake
We cross over Buttermere Dubs
Sourmilk Gill
Low Snockrigg
In Burtness Wood
Looking across to Whiteless Pike and Wandope, which I’d climbed a couple of days ago
Further along the lakeshore path
Fleetwith Pike
Bonnie
The bothy at the head of Buttermere
Head of the valley
Fleetwith Pike again
On Peggy’s Bridge, looking back down Buttermere
And from the same place looking the other way
We follow the path to Gatesgarth
The bothy again, with Mellbreak in the background
Looking back to High Crag and High Stile
Gatesgarthdale Beck, flowing down from the Honister Pass
High Crag again
There’s a short road section before the path along the shore is regained
Buttermere Pines
Hassness
Looking back to Fleetwith Pike
Mellbreak
We enter the tunnel…
……and emerge from it
Red Pike
Approaching the foot of the lake
Buttermere
A view back to Fleetwith Pike and Haystacks
St James’ Church Buttermere at the end of a wonderful walk
