Pandemic Peregrinations: Mosedale, Lake District, Spring
My Dad’s been vaccinated.
This is a relief for me as Dad’s a Type II Diabetic and thus Clinically Extremely Vulnerable.
As he’s in our Support Bubble we went to check in on him this weekend, spending a large part of the day in the valleys of the Northern Fells near where he lives.
The Northern Fells is an area of the Lake District Lisabet and I have barely touched but we’re still starting to get round to it. South of Carrock Fell and Caldbeck Common, on Blencathra’s eastern flank, one can find two valleys ripe for hiking. On this occasion we picked Mosedale, and what a beautiful valley it is.
Mosedale is a west-east valley that begins life underneath Knott (710 m/2,330 ft) and its subsidiary top Coomb Height. Here the two rivers Grainsgill Beck and Blackhazel Beck join together underneath Knott and flow eastward, which has historically gouged out a steep valley with a flat floor.
The main path through the valley is on its southern flank, which gently ascends before reaching Bowscale Tarn. We chose the northern track through the valley this time, just to check out the scope of Mosedale. I think Lisabet and I will definitely return to hike the southern path.
The sun was out, white fluffy clouds were in the sky, a very light wind caressed our faces… it was a glorious day for a Lake District spring hike.
Photos taken on my Fujifilm X-T2 using my three lenses: a Samyang 35mm f/1.2, a Laowa 9mm f/2.8, and a Pentax SMC 55mm f/2.0. Developed using RNI’s Kodachrome film profiles.
I agree that this photo isn’t all that interesting, but I largely shot it to record probably Britain’s smallest footpath sign. Barely knee height!
Dad, with his own Fujifilm camera setup, enjoying the glorious sights and wonderful light conditions.
Our first real sight of the full extent of the Mosedale valley. Absolutely beautiful.
A composition shot across the valley towards Mosedale’s southern flank. Hidden by the “lip” near top-centre is Bowscale Tarn.
At Roundhouse, roughly halfway along Mosedale. Here the valley starts to pinch as we near the head towards Coomb Height, the fell in the distance on the right.
There’s quite a bit of scree around the head of Mosedale, including some sizeable boulders. This one caught my eye for the unusual patch of heather growing out of it.
I went for wee scramble off the track to nab a composition of some of the scree and vegetation.
As the valley pinches tighter the track runs right alongside the river, allowing for compositions straight down the cascades towards Coomb Height.
We found a particularly powerful section of the river as it gets forced between several large boulders. I went scrambling into the river to line up some compositions featuring Coomb Height, the river, and the textures of these gorgeous boulders.
A bit more precariously close to the fast rapids but arguably a better shot as a result.
One of those moments where it feels great to be out in nature.
Here we’d reached the head of the Mosedale, where Grainsgill Beck and Blackhazel Beck meet. This is Grainsgill Beck, which cuts out a gill on the northern side of Coomb Height. The fell to the right is Milton Hill. Grainsgill Beck saw a lot of mining activity in the 19th and 20th century.
Lisabet went seeking for the perfection composition of a particularly powerful cascade on Grainsgill Beck.
Back at the foot of the valley is Mosedale village, which is rather idyllic and a true Cumbrian rural paradise.
Mosedale village is almost impossibly quaint, complete with a red phone booth and a GR-era post box.
The long back to the car, crossing Mosedale Common and entering Caldbeck Common. Lisabet pulling way ahead, leaving me and Dad flagging behind. She’s got a proper good stride on her.