Brigsteer Park, Lake District, Spring
I wanted to see a lot of bluebells one last time for this year.
A work colleague tipped me off about Brigsteer Park, a woodland south of its village namesake, Brigsteer. The village sits underneath Scout Scar, and there’s a surprising amount of woodland underneath this fell.
So, Lisabet and I parked up at Helsington St. John’s Church and plotted a route down the fell slope, through a Bee Reserve and into Brigsteer Park for a ruddy good exploration.
All photos taken on my Fujifilm X-T2 using two of my prime lenses: a Fujinon 23mm f/2.0 and an adapted Pentax SMC 55mm f/2.0. Images developed using RNI Films’ Kodachrome film profiles.
The views from the car park Helsington St. John’s church are sublime. All the way across the Lyth Valley to the Lake District fells.
The southern shoulder of Scout Scar and the small road that allows access to Helsington St. John’s Church.
As we navigate the footpaths down the fell slope, Whitbarrow commands your attention directly across the Lyth Valley.
Couldn’t resist a shot of this gorgeous old house, covered in ivy.
A delightful little cottage on Park End Lane just before you enter Brigsteer Park.
Whoever lives at the cottage is a keen gardener. We had to look up what these weird and wonderful plants were. Turns out they’re probably Chilean Rhubarb, Gunnera tinctoria. Also, not actually related rhubarb though you can apparently consume Chilean Rhubarb as you would normal rhubarb.
Looking back at this impossibly idyllic scene before we head into the woods.
It turns out that Brigsteer Park is a proper woodland, thick with growth and full of old trees.
An old tree with its own “cane”.
Look at this old yew tree with its “ligaments” and textures. Isn’t it magnificent?
Another old yew, found further into the woodland.
As we neared the exit, I turned back to snap this scene. Unfortunately, I didn’t see any sign of carpets of woodland here at Brigsteer Park. Perhaps we were in the wrong bit?
Whitbarrow Scar once again commanding our attention from across the Lyth Valley.
After carefully navigating through some young cows and bullocks, we returned to Park End Lane. The gardener’s cottage here, cosily nestled in the woods of Brigsteer.
Everywhere is exploding in colour and wildflowers.
Brigsteer Causeway, which cross the wetter and more swamp-like part of the Lyth Valley.
Brigsteer is such a bonny village.
I mean, come on.
Not a bad place to do the rounds.
As we started climbing the road up back towards St. John’s Church, the views opened to us again. Here you can see right across the Lyth Valley and even the Kent Estuary towards Arnside Knott.
Not a bad way to spend the morning.
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