Ennerdale, Lake District, Winter
Compared to Buttermere’s clear blue skies, Ennerdale could not have been more different.
I think the last time we were at Ennerdale was in April 2017. Goodness. That’s coming on to 5 years now. It’s one of my favourite places in the Lake District, with a distinctly unique “vibe” compared to any other area in the National Park.
Ennerdale is a long valley by Lake District standards, measuring around 10-miles long. There are no settlements here, save for the Low Gillerthwaite Field Centre, Ennerdale YHA, and Black Sail Hut right at the head. Ennerdale Water sits at the foot of the dale, offering views all the way down the valley towards some of the Lake District’s biggest peaks: Great Gable, Steeple, and (one of my favourites) Pillar.
In 2003 the major landowners of the valley—United Utilities, the National Trust, and the Forestry Commission—joined forces to create the Rewilding Ennerdale partnership and project. The project’s stated goal is:
“[…]to allow the evolution of Ennerdale as a wild valley for the benefit of people, relying more on natural processes to shape its landscape and ecology.”
Ennerdale does have a massively different feel compared to the rest of the Lake District. It feels more Scottish in a way.
Although on this hike we didn’t see much of the sun, the low clouds did interact with the high fells beautifully, creating gallons of drama for us to photograph.
All photos shot on my Fujifilm X-T2 using my three prime lenses: a Fujinon 23mm f/2.0, a Laowa 9mm f/2.8, and an adapted Pentax SMC 55mm f/2.0. Images made 95% in-camera using Øyvind Nordhagen’s “Modern Negative” Fujifilm recipe.
Following the road from the car park, the views open up and reveal the huge Ennerdale fells tussling with the clouds above.
Across Ennerdale Water, Crag Fell slopes down to an abrupt toe known as Angler Crag, before plunging into the deep lake.
This was the most sun we saw all day. Worth it though. Caw Fell, Haycock, and Scoat Fell fight with the clouds.
A closer view of Angler Crag. It is technically possible to complete a circular hike around Ennerdale Water, but the difficulty is in navigating around this awkward crag.
The cloud cover starts to lift a little bit, with Steeple’s shadow suggesting an appearance.
Lots of trees near the lake shore are covered in thick carpets of moss. Beautifully eldritch.
Beautiful light highlights the reaching arms of this moss-covered tree.
Near the Low Gillerthwaite Field Centre, the forest cover recedes a little and we get out first glimpse of the mighty Pillar. My excitement levels build.
We followed the winding forest track towards Middle Bridge, which cross the River Liza. This would signal our way back down the other side of the valley. Pillar gets closer…
Swirling clouds wrestle with the summit of Pillar.
Like a lot of the Lake District, Storm Arwen took casualties in Ennerdale too.
These trees managed to survive…
…but these two giants didn’t, completely uprooted and tossed aside by the powerful winds of Storm Arwen. Incredible.
Middle Bridge offers beautiful views looking all the way down the rest of Ennerdale.
The River Liza tumbles down the valley here in a series of cascades and falls, each with its own sublime turquoise and azure plunge pools. The water clarity was astonishing.
We crossed the Liza via Middle Bridge, and took the official Liza Trail back towards the foot of Ennerdale. But not without another look back at the crystal clear river and its falls.
Navigating the Liza Trail alongside the river back to the Forest path was tricky, given that several chunks of it had been washed away by Storm Arwen. But views like this from the forest trail made up for it.
Ancient sheep enclosures have long been left to be reclaimed by nature.
Ennerdale Forest, growing taller everywhere.