Hiking For Inspiration in The Glorious English Lake District
Today I have a wonderful guest post from the amazing Tanya Oliver. Tanya is here to inspire us with her insights on the glorious English Lake District, and I must admit she is compelling. As a hiking and travel enthusiast, I am drawn to the description and photos, and they tempt me to get off this computer right now and go discover something wonderfully natural. I have no doubt you’ll feel the same when you finish reading. Enjoy!
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There are many beautiful places in the world. I would argue the English Lake District has as good a claim as any to be amongst the best. From majestic rocky mountains to silent tarns and from clear pretty lakes and soft valleys to pounding waterfalls, it is magnificent. It also has an intimacy and friendliness about it that makes it more welcoming and enjoyable than some of the bigger and perhaps grander mountain areas.
Wasdale Valley & Wastwater
I was surprised when I first read that the mountains in the Lake District are older than their European, American and Asian counterparts – they are in fact worn down from mountains that used to be as high as the Himalayas around 500,000 years ago and were formed by glacial activity. When the glaciers retreated, they left a landscape full of beauty and promise. It is fair to say the weather is variable but for me that only enhances the textures, emotions and experiences. Beautiful blue skies and sunshine in the spring, summer, autumn and winter make for some of the most wonderful views but the mist brings an eeriness with mountains and tarns appearing and disappearing before your eyes and shadows and obscurity testing the senses. Although at those moments, watch out for bogs, crags and crevices! I have trodden in many bogs over my climbing years and it lacks glamour!
Pavey Ark & stickle Tarn
The Lake District is also an area of contrasts – there are sloping, grassy hills on the same mountains as insurmountable crags and rocky screes. Some mountains are tall and imposing and others are smaller and can even be described as “pretty”. You can walk for miles on mountain ridges or tackle an independent lone fell. You can see on many mountains the activity of past and current industry from slate mining to iron ore and on others there is little evidence of any human presence. There are long or deep lakes close to small secluded tarns. Depending on the time of year, there are so many contrasts in colours to be seen from greens, yellows, reds, greys and browns in the valleys and trees to varying shades of blue, white and green in the tarns, lakes and sky. Tiny hamlets and pretty villages separate bustling small towns. It was designated a National Park in 1951 and is the largest National Park in England, although is very compact and tiny compared to the American National Parks.
Reflections on Crummock Water
I am a life-long visitor to the Lake District and remember everything from being in a rubber dinghy on a lake with the dinghy tied by a rope to my Dad’s deckchair (as my Sister and I could not use the oars with any sense of accuracy at that age!) to eating fish and chips in a local town and from paddling in lakes and streams to being on top of the world on a mountain. I confess at this point that at that age, I was not an enthusiastic mountain-climber – that came much later! My parents must have dreaded the question “Are we nearly there yet?” (which I normally asked after about ten minutes!) When I arrive in the Lake District and see my first mountain from the car, I feel a sense of calm sweep over me and excitement about the time ahead. No other place in the world has the same effect on me.
The history and heritage of the Lakes is also special. There is still evidence of the Roman presence from the Roman road on the High Street to the remains of the Hill Fort on the Hardknott Pass. In more recent history, poets such as Coleridge and Wordsworth immortalised the beauty of the Lake District in their inspirational poems and writing. Beatrix Potter (yes, the character Renne Zellweger played in the film ‘Miss Potter’) is an iconic figure and her creation of Peter Rabbit, Jemima Puddleduck and other characters have been loved by children and adults alike and she was a key figure in the history of the National Trust and the preservation of the beautiful landscape for future generations to enjoy. Who could not fall in love with a place that has inspired such wonderful characters and beautiful poetry?
Coniston Water
The wildlife has everything from deer to red squirrels. There is a programme to reintroduce the native red squirrels into the area that over many years have been driven out by grey squirrels. I have seen more and more red ones in the last two years and I had not realised how small red squirrels are compared to grey ones. There are deer parks in many parts of the Lake District and whilst I have not managed to capture a photo of one as yet (they do not hang about!) I live in hope! There is even a village called Hartsop which translates in Old English as “The Valley of the Deer”. Until recently, there were a pair of Golden Eagles living in the Lake District, sadly, the female bird died a few years ago and the solitary male bird has not been seen for some time. It would be a real sadness if Golden Eagles did not return to the Lakes. They are magnificent birds of prey. Unlike the National Parks in America though, there are not predators such as Grizzly Bears I am relieved to say!
Skiddaw Range & Derwent Water
My first memory of climbing a fell in the Lake District was one called High Street, near the home of the last Golden Eagles and it was in the summer 1984 when a drought had swept the country. Reservoirs were extremely low and there were hose-pipe bans and water restrictions in many areas. This included the Lake District, which given it includes the wettest inhabited place in England, is rather surprising! The mountain High Street climbs from a reservoir called Haweswater. This reservoir was created in the 1930’s to provide water to the city of Manchester and other urban areas. The village of Mardale was flooded in order to create the reservoir. This caused much controversy but the Manchester Corporation were successful in their campaign and secured an Act of Parliament that meant the dam was created and the village duly flooded. A final service was held in the local church with over a thousand people present (mainly outside the small church) and the dead, buried over the centuries in the graveyard, were interred and taken to the village of Shap for re-burial. Walls were taken down and the local pub, church and houses dismantled, with some of the stone being used in the construction of the dam. The village was deserted and then flooded.
Haweswater Reservoir
I remember climbing High Street – it was a long grind for someone my age although I do recall enjoying the views at the top as it was a beautiful day, but my over-riding memory of that day was the drought. With the exception of the odd puddle, Haweswater Reservoir was empty where the village had been (there was still water nearer the dam). I walked with my Mum, Dad, brother and sister around the ruined walls, saw what remained of the church and it was fascinating to see this ruined village re-emerge. We even walked over the old bridge that had remained largely intact. I have never done that before or since and it was like being in a desert except rather than sand, there was cracked earth. An amazing sight! The contrast between that memory and the more recent views of snow-capped mountains basking in the sunshine like an enormous smooth meringue, just adds to the magic of the Lake District. It is a special place.
Icy Rocks on Scafell
About the author: Tanya Oliver is an outdoor enthusiast with a knack for discovering great locations and taking beautiful photos. You can find out more about her on her Heelwalker1 blog and by following her on Twitter at @heelwalker1.
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Tanya, I enjoyed this post very much and thank you for the effort you made with the wording and photos. Come back and post anytime you want! 
What is the most beautiful place you can think of? Tell me in the comments.
If you liked this post, I invite you to read the previous one: Most Beautiful Lighthouses in The World. Before you go, please subscribe to this blog through the available RSS options or via email. I’d be grateful if you took advantage of the sharing buttons located at the bottom of the post. Thank you for taking the time to read and comment on my posts.
Feature Images courtesy of Tanya Oliver.
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Those pictures are so pretty. I love lake, ocean and river pictures. I used to live in California and just loved being on the beach when the sun was going down, the sand would get cool under our feet and the mountains and rocks would get darker and the shadows from the mountains would drop over the beach. It was really cool.
Hi Mary – there are plenty of lakes and rivers to be seen in the Lake District and many more beautiful places. Thanks for commenting.
Tanya
What a beautiful post. I love the Lake District – it always reminds me of Wordsworth. Great pubs… beautiful walks – even in the rain.
I always wondered why the hills looked so barren and treeless. I never realized how old geologically that region is. Very interesting tour. Thank you.
What a wonderful post. Makes me want to get off my butt and explore! I believe there is beauty everywhere (sometimes you just have to look really, really hard), but one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been is the Borders region in Scotland. My husband and I went there on our honeymoon and it was so stunning it made me cry. Thanks, Amberr and Tanya!
What a beautiful post with stunning posts! I got engaged in the Lake District and it is very close to my heart. Thanks for sharing:)
Thank you everyone for your lovely comments! If you haven’t been to the Lake District before then I hope you have an opportunity to visit one day. It is superb!
Have a wonderful day.
Tanya
What a lovely post and Heelwalker’s passion for the Lakes shines through. And in all weathers too. Bravo!
I agree with Intricate Knot – definitely makes me want to put on climbing boots and try those walks.
Thanks Chloe
Those boots are made for walking!
Gorgeous scenery, looks like a heck of a hike!
Dee, if you come back leave a link to your blog so I can come visit you there!
Thank you to everyone who left comments for Tanya. I know she is delighted, because she worked really hard on this post. Have a great weekend, folks!
Beautiful photos! I love the Lake District too, although I must admit that almost every time I went there it rained
Still, amazing place and great for walking and enjoying the nature beauty.
Thanks for the lovely post!