Day 2 - Friday 13 August 2021
Coniston to Elterwater (8.6 miles)
All quiet at The Britannia Inn in Elterwater as we wait for our taxi to take us back to Coniston to start today's shortish leg. I wonder whether it will be this quiet when we return here in a few hours?
The Memorial Seat on the green in Coniston to Donald Campbell & Leo Villa. Both men were instrumental in establishing water speed records, notably on nearby Coniston Water. Campbell sadly crashed and died in January 1967 whilst attempting to raise his own water speed record on the lake. Leo Villa was Campbell's Chief Mechanic who died in 1979.
The Parish Cemetery in Coniston, the last resting place of Donald Campbell. Whilst Campbell died in January 1967, his body was not recovered from the lake until May 2001 and buried here in September of the same year. Campbell's grave is to the far centre left, roughly in line with the middle of the left hand house.
The grave of Donald Campbell
We started the walk from the centre of Coniston and headed east along the B5285 towards Shepherd's Bridge.
Just before the bridge is Shepherd's Bridge Lane and we turned left to head along it north in the direction of Ambleside.
Just before the bridge is Shepherd's Bridge Lane and we turned left to head along it north in the direction of Ambleside.
A few hundred yards along the lane just past the Sports Ground is a footpath which leads on to open farmland
Leaving Coniston on The Cumbria Way.
The building here is actually a Dog House and was built by the owners of the Monk Coniston Estate to provide the Coniston Fox Hounds with a home.
The building here is actually a Dog House and was built by the owners of the Monk Coniston Estate to provide the Coniston Fox Hounds with a home.
Clutch in and Fudge engages "trundle mode" as we pass through Back Guards Plantation
Emerging from Back Guards, the route heads over farmland towards Low Yewdale
Fudge appears be mocking our progress as we continue on towards the road - Holme Fell is to the left
A panorama of the beautiful Yewdale Fells with Yewdale Crag to the right
Yewdale Crag above Low Yewdale
Tarn Hows Cottage
Once past Tarn Hows Cottage the route heads up steeply towards Tarn Hows on the Coniston to Hawkshead road which can be seen centre right.
Arriving at Tarn Hows - we have been to this popular Lakeland beauty spot many times.
The beautiful Tarn Hows which was fairly busy today - the Cumbria Way follows the left hand side of the tarn. Tarn Hows is man made and was created in 1914 from a number of small pools and marshy ground as a landscape garden by the Marshall family of Monk Coniston Hall. In 1929 the 4000 acre estate was put up for sale and bought by Beatrix Potter who in turn passed the estate on to the National Trust - it is best visited when the crowds have gone home.
The popular coin tree at Tarn Hows
At the northern end of Tom Heights plantation the Cumbria Way turns left off the main path in the direction of Skelwith Bridge
Turning left to Oxenfell - now that we were off the main path we hardly saw a soul until we reached Skelwith Bridge
We had never walked this stretch before and it was an absolute delight
Oxen Fell with Wetherlam towering beyond
Reaching the A593 the road is crossed and heads to the right, hand railing a path to the left of the wall on the opposite side of the road
Approaching High Park Farm with Lingmoor Fell providing the backdrop
From High Park Farm a good track heads over farmland towards Colwith Force
It always amazes me how simple contraptions like this require instructions
Passing through Elterwater Park we noticed this carved alphabet stone housed on the corner of a barn used to house livestock feed. Intrigued as to its origin I e-mailed Elterwater Park who think that the carving was used by a stonemason as part of an apprenticeship task.
Crossing the Trevor Woodburn Bridge over the River Brathay near Skelwith Bridge. The bridge was made by Chris Brammall who also made the obelisk sited at the start of The Cumbria Way. The bridge links to a footpath through ancient woodland on the Coniston side of the Brathay, creating an alternative pedestrian route away from the road. Known as a "miles without stiles" route, it is also suitable for wheelchairs and prams. The bridge is named after local man Trevor Woodburn who suggested the original idea for the route in 1998.
Heading for Elterwater with the Langdale Pikes now visible in the centre of shot
Elter Water - the walk from Skelwith Bridge to the village is another lovely amble
Elterwater Bridge over Great Langdale Beck - an ideal place to wash off a dog!
And here we are back at The Britannia Inn - just a few more people here than there were this morning. Time for a beer I think.
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GPX File
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Day 2 Data
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Mileage
Cumulative Mileage Time Total Ascent |
8.6 miles
24.8 miles 4hrs 1332ft (406m) |