Route: Buttermere from Hassness
Area: Western Lake District
Date of walk: 7th May 2023
Walkers: Andrew
Distance: 0.5 miles
Ascent: negligible
Weather: dawn mist and blue skies
Following my recent knee operation I’m still unable to undertake long walks, but short ones are no problem. Today’s walk was so short that it hardly merits being described as such, but the scenery and conditions were so good that it’s worth sharing a few photos
I’ve visited Buttermere on countless occasions and was last here in January. On that occasion the fells were covered in a dusting of snow, today it was a low lying layer of mist which provided the magic ingredient. Just beyond Hassness Country House on the west side of Buttermere there’s a small layby with room for about three cars. This provides easy access to the lakeshore, but you need to arrive early or out of season to bag a place. It was dawn, around 6am, when I arrived and so I had the place to myself
I followed the signed path through Hassness Crag Wood and crossed the footbridge over Hassnesshow Beck. A couple of minutes later I arrived at the stony beach at Hassness. This is a wonderful vantage point as it juts out into Buttermere, affording views to both the foot and the head of the lake. The mist was moving constantly as I walked along the beach towards the head of the lake, enjoying views of Fleetwith Pike and Haystacks as well as the iconic white hut bothy known as Char Cottage. It was a wonderful scene
All too soon it was time to retrace my steps back to the start
I haven’t provided the usual route map as the walk is so short and simple that navigation is not an issue. The Maps Page does however link to a Google Map showing the start
Scroll down – or click on any photo to enlarge it and you can then view as a slideshow
One week ago, and it's worth sharing a few photos taken on another short stroll in North Cliffe Wood, East Yorkshire
Back in the west, and a promising layer of mist over Buttermere as I approach Hassness
The start of today's very short walk as I follow the path through Hassness Crag Wood and cross the bridge over Hassnesshow Beck
A couple of minutes later I arrive at Hassness, here looking towards the foot of Buttermere...
Looking back to Mellbreak above the mist as I walk along the stony beach
Hassness is a wonderful place to view the head of Buttermere, and the conditions are perfect today
The sun rising over Haystacks
The little white bothy is called Char Cottage and was intended only for fishermen, with no overnight stays. It was named after char, the rare arctic fish left in the lake after the glacier retreated
A pair of Canada geese paddle by serenely
High Crag
I retrace my steps back to the start
