Stock Ghyll Force, Lake District, Summer
We’re doing lots of rain dodging at the moment.
But that’s OK, because lots of rain means thunderous waterfalls.
Lisabet and I decided to head straight out after work for a hike around Stock Ghyll Force in Ambleside, before the rain arrived. We timed it well. Five minutes after getting back in the car to head home, the heavens opened and our car was washed.
Stocky Ghyll begins life where Kirkstone Pass meets The Struggle. It’s here that Snow Cove Gill and Grove Gill combine below Kirkstone Pass and head southwest towards Ambleside. Just outside the town Stock Ghyll splits into two (or three, if it’s been raining heavily), drops 70ft down Stock Ghyll Force and merges together again at the bottom of the falls before draining into Ambleside.
Photos shot on a Fujifilm X-T2 with a 16–50mm f/3.5–5.6 lens using a customised Velvia film simulation.
Stock Ghyll Lane, the road towards the falls, with some lovely soft light.
The day was wonderfully overcast, lending some beautiful pockets of highlighting at various points in the ravine of Stock Ghyll Force.
The upper part of Stock Ghyll Force. This composition was made from 5 shots at 16mm (24mm full-frame equivalent), stitched together from top to bottom.
Just above the falls Stock Ghyll cuts a deep groove before dropping 70ft as Stock Ghyll Force. My lovely Lisabet providing a sense of scale here.
One of the more popular and accessible views of Stock Ghyll Force. It’s classical profile is in view here, showing two falls becoming one, but after enough rain there’s usually a 3rd waterfall to the left. You can just make out its trickle here.
A less-visited view of Stock Ghyll Force, with some soft light breaking through the canopy.