~Easedalers~
3rd December 2013
Refreshment Hut (disused)
Scroll down for photos and a description of the walk....
The Borrowdale Hotel
Built in 1866, this hotel has many original features. The Victorian era saw the initial significant growth in tourism. The Penrith to Keswick (and Cockermouth) railway line opened in 1865. Perhaps horse-drawn charabancs brought the well-healed guests from the railway station? We stayed for two nights and had no complaints.
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Graysmere |
To Easedale |
Another grey day and after a little debate about the virtues of heading above the tree-line in dubious weather conditions, we chose to retrace the steps of many, many thousands of tourists and take a walk up to Easedale Tarn. Looking at the photo on the right, circle the accoutrements which would not have been there 150 years ago.
Tarn Crag
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House for Sale |
Lane into Far Easedale |
"A splendid quintessential Lakeland detached country house occupying a delightful secluded position on the southern flanks of Helm Crag with commanding views of the surrounding fells. Rarely do such properties come on to the market in this highly sought after locality." Says the estate agent, preparing the viewer for the guide price of £1.45m !
Sour Milk Gill
Pretty much as the visitors from the 19th Century would have seen it, it's sometimes easy to forget that their views were in colour, not sepia! Hang on! There's something here that is very much of our era, can you spot it?
The Route to Far Easedale
This route could be followed for a walk up Calf Crag, or maybe a wander over to Borrowdale.
Rescue Helicopter
Did you spot this in the "Sour Milk Gill" photo? Just below the skyline, well above the waterfalls, maybe hovering above Easedale Tarn. No known drama either at the time or by subsequent searches.
Stythwaite Steps
Clearly a bridge, you can tell by the woodwork and handrail; but in AW's day it would have been stepping stones.
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Tarn Approach Route
On the left, Cockly Crag sits above the pitched path route to the tarn. The tarn is soon found. If I'd been on my own, I would have ascended Tarn Crag, but I wasn't, so I didn't.
Karen & Katherine at Easedale Tarn
I suspect that they didn't have Karen's back then, so our friend today has been called Katherine. She is on holiday from Rossendale, her family are locally well-known in the textile trade. She can have a brew at the refreshment hut, we cannot and look on somewhat enviously. We have no mobile signal and feel out of touch, she has no such worries.
The Refreshment Hut - abandoned and destroyed
Have a look at the foot of the page for a link to some photos of the hut.
Heading Down
On the way down we see youngsters in the care of staff from the Blencathra Centre.
Students
Using their mobile devices, they were taking "pickcharrs", perhaps they were from the south. Not to worry.
Main Waterfall, Sour Milk Gill
A great sight when it is frozen over ....
23rd December 2010
Sour Milk Gill
Roche moutonnée
Within the photo is a sheep's back, which translates to roche moutonnée and is also a geological feature, whereby the flow of a glacier affects the underlying rocks - and maybe, just maybe the rocks on show are part of such a feature.
Easedale Bridge
Walkers: Karen and me.
Time taken: 2hrs 30mins over a distance of about 4 miles.
Route: Grasmere, Easedale Road, Stythwaite Steps, Easedale Tarn, back via Sour Milk Gill.
Weather and Conditions: Dull, calm. The completion of a dull, but enjoyable short break in Lakeland.
Greetings Count: Many
Refreshments: There is a little gem in Grasmere - Baldry's. You must take tea here, if it's the last thing you do. And, at last, I get my tiffin. Other cafes are available in Grasmere, but I tend to go to Baldry's, so I don't know much about the others.
All photos copyright Richard Ratcliffe 2013 ©
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