I took on a walking challenge for May, where I had to walk 100 miles, all in aid of Breast Cancer Now. Due to the weather, the walks were done locally so the first nice day I had, I dragged the boys somewhere picturesque, somewhere with a view, somewhere I could take some amazing photos. That somewhere had to be the Lakes.
Tarn Hows and Black Crag.
Awhile ago I bought some walking books to try and get us out of the house and try and get fit. One of those books was The Lake District - 40 favourite walks. With having Plantar Fasciitis in both feet, the walk had to be not too taxing on the old feet. I decided on the Tarn Hows walk as both the book and google suggested it was easy and suitable for all levels of fitness. So we were up and out for 8am.
We arrived at the carpark at about quarter past 10 with pit stops and getting lost. The postcode we used was LA21 8DP, though be aware that this wasn't the final destination, once you arrive at the postcode carry on and follow the signs for Tarn Hows. This will bring you to a National Trust Car Park where there are toilets and are able to hire tamper mobility scooters. It was £7.50 for all day parking.
So the adventure begins...….
From research, due to how easy the walk is, this can be quite busy so would recommend getting there early to avoid the rush. As you leave the car park, cross over the road and head slightly right until you come across a path that leads you towards the water. One of the best things about Tarn Hows is that there is a walk for everyone. The loop around the Tarn is on flat level paths which are well maintained and which is the easiest. There is some inclines which are gradual and not that steep.
As we headed down the path there was an intriguing sign post for Tom Gill Falls which we had to follow, cos who doesn't love a waterfall eh? But we didn't get far, although the path was in good condition it was rubbly, full of tree roots and quite steep in places and played havoc on my feet. But we got to see some of the smaller falls before heading back. Hopefully I will get back to do this again once the feet are healed. The full walk should have only added a 45 minute detour onto the walk.
Retracting our steps, my son asked if he could go paddling but unfortunately for him he wasn't aloud as Tarn Hows is a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest, for this reason cycling, camping, fires, swimming, boating and fishing are not permitted. So we decided to see what wildlife we could spot instead. In the pool before heading down to the falls we saw small fishes and some leeches. So no paddling probably was the best idea!
Carrying on along the path that hugs the shore of the Tarn that meanders through the woodland. Some parts looking unsightly due to necessary felling of the trees due a disease that has caught hold. These trees are going to be replaced with trees that are more native to the area. But even with this going on it doesn't distract much from the picture postcard looks of the Tarn. There are plenty of benches along the way round the tarn for you to stop and take in the views.
Now the adventure takes a turn.....
When I read: "Black Fell is by far the easiest Wainwright we've climbed without sacrificing beautiful views" I thought we would give it ago. Other searches says it gives one of the best views in the whole of the lakes.
As we approached the top end of the Tarn there is a path that veers off the left off the popular circuit. It is signed posted for Arnside. The path here is not has level and the well maintained paths around the Tarn but is still well surfaced. The path winds itself gradually up until a gate appears and is what I believe is on part of Tom Heights. going through the gate we turned right up what is a steep rocky byway. One article I read about this walk said this bit wasn't too strenuous but I beg to differ. It was rocky, steep and hurt my feet.
As with any walk, don't forget to look back every now and again as you don't know what you will miss. As we climbed I looked back towards the Tarn and saw some Belted Galloway Cattle grazing at the Tarn's side. Sturdy Herdwick Sheep are also know to graze here but we didn't to see the iconic Lakeland sheep on this visit.
Continuing our climb the path winds round until we came to a National Trust Signpost for Iron Keld. through the gate to the left we continue our climb up what is classed as a bridleway which again was rubbly and had a gentle trickle of water flowing down on side. We came across another gate which we went through and saw a hint of what the views to come could be like.
Through the gate we took an immediate right up an obvious path up to the fell. It is. not signposted and so the fell is one of the quietist to visit. The path from here is easy to follow with a series of cairns that mark the path until the stone trig point comes into view. At this point I was like OMG what have I done as the trig point seemed quite steep but as you walk on the route winds its way up and so isn't as daunting as I first thought.
From here I am going to let the photo's do the talking. The views were AMAZING!
You have got to agree, those views are magnificent aren't they? You can see views of Lakes Windermere, Esthwaite and Coniston with the famous fells of Scafell Pike and Coniston Old man(both of which I doubt that I will ever climb but never say never!)
When we had our fill of the view (I could have stayed for ages but the boys were getting restless), so we retraced our steps. Back pass the cairns, down the bridleway and down part of the byway until we came to the gate where we saw the cattle. Hindsight says we could have come up this way but since we have never been before we followed the book. This took us back to the Tarn's shore line and we then made our way around the Tarn's circuit and back to the carpark.
So that is the beautiful walk of Tarn Hows and Black Crag. I still can't believe that I have bagged myself my first wainwright!
According to the book, this walk should have taken 2 hours, ha yeah right. We started at quarter past 10 and got back to the car at half 2ish. I don't know whether this was due to me walking slow because of my feet, or stopping to many times to take photo's and admire the view. But it was absolutely worth it, all 5 miles of it!
Thanks, as always for taking the time to read and hopefully you have enjoyed.
Where to next?
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