Brigsteer Park, Lake District, Spring
I wanted to see a lot of bluebells one last time for this year.
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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Warriners Wood, Lake District, Spring
A brighter weekend means a long Sunday morning above Kendal.
A brighter weekend means a long Sunday morning above Kendal.
We’ve been to Warriners Wood many times before, after we found it during the winter of 2021. As of spring this year it appears to have survived the 2021/2022 storm season rather well, and some of my favourite trees are still standing strong.
A “Warriner” is an old Scottish/English term for a gamekeeper—that is, someone who’s job is to manage game in a park. I assume this woodland was once part of a gamekeeper’s land. Saying that, Warriner has also since become a fairly popular surname. Who knows?
Even in early April we chanced upon what we think are bluebells. Already. Before the wild garlic has flowered. Crazy.
Photos taken 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 80% in-camera using the Astia film simulation, finished off in Lightroom and Affinity Photo.
Heading up Brigsteer Road, someone’s now erected an impressive wicker sculpture of a deer (I think?).
Following Brigsteer Road past our usual route up the back of Scout Scar. This farm will be full of lambs now, I imagine.
Warriner’s Wood is up to the left. The sun finally comes out to play.
How lush this will all look when the trees are all in leaf.
As the road starts winding ahead, a small opening in the drystone wall to our left gives us access down the slope to Warriner’s Wood.
Nowt in the way of daffodils in Warriner’s Wood, but the leaves of bluebells are plentiful. This place will host a glorious carpet of them in a month’s time.
My favourite tree in Warriner’s Wood. Or rather, a collection of trees sharing the same root system. I elected to attach my 9mm ultra-wide lens and make a 6-shot vertorama of this tree, from bottom to top. Pretty happy with how it came out!
Lisabet in her element, whilst also beautifully blending in with palette of the scenery.
A trio of trees in this pasture field.
Following the hedgerow back down the slopes of Helsington Laithes, with the Helm serving as a local beacon in the distance.
A Cumbrian pastoral scene.
This gorgeous cottage at the bottom of Helsington Laithes is always worth a photo or two.
I wonder how old it is…
The road back to Kendal, lined with the last of this season’s daffodils.
Pandemic Peregrinations: Helsington Barrows, Cumbria, Winter
It’s amazing the difference 24-hours can make.
It’s amazing the difference 24-hours can make.
Yesterday we were hiking through mist and fog with a landscape covered in frost and snow.
Today a lot of the frost has melted, the sun was out, and the atmosphere was crystal clear.
So this time we did one of our favourite local hikes. From the front door, up Captain French Lane and onto Brigsteer Road, then follow the road up towards Helsington Barrows. Here we came off the road to explore a new discovery of ours, Warriner’s Wood. We’ve mentally bookmarked this area for spring and summer, but we thought we’d have a wander through the woods now. It were really quite pretty.
Popping back out of the woods we crossed the road onto Helsington Barrows and began the long ascent up to Scout Scar. And it was at the summit that we were simply floored by the spectacle of the Lake District fells covered in snow. Not only were they beautifully coated in the white stuff, but the atmosphere was so crystal clear you felt you could reach out and touch the fells. Incredible.
I hope you manage to get a sense of the awe and wonder we experienced through these photos.
All photos shot on my Fujifilm X-T2 using both my Samyang 35mm f/1.2 and Laowa 9mm f/2.8 lenses. Developed using one of RNI’s Kodachrome film profiles.
Berries have been replaced with flowers made of ice.
The road through Warriner’s Woods. You can see the stile on the left; this is the way into the woods on foot.
Had to snap this moss-covered tree with some sort of vine crawling up it.
Another interesting sight. Is it five separate trees, sharing the same root system? Or one tree that’s split into five? I couldn’t say, but I know I’ve never seen owt like it. Here’s a photo of me climbing into the bowl of the trees.
Same tree, different angle.
Still some nice pops of colour about in Warriner’s Wood.
Out of the woods we cross the road and up onto Helsington Barrows, following the trail up to Scout Scar.
The views open up the higher we climb. Looking back at the way we came, I frame this shot of Lisabet with the wonderful snow-covered shapes of the Howgills in the distance.
This was the view that made both me and Lisabet cuss in awe. Probably the clearest I’ve ever seen the Lake District fells from Scout Scar.
Life… finds a way.
Once we arrived at the cairn we followed the edge of Scout Scar northwards towards Hodgson’s Leap, snapping happily along the way.
I whipped out my 9mm ultra-wide lens for some vast and expansive compositions.
Probably my favourite shot from the day: a little tree growing out of the limestone crags of Scout Scar, still with some frosting on its branches.
Near Hodgson’s Leap with a sheer drop down to the Lyth Valley below.
Looking back the way we came. The atmosphere was so clear we could see all the way out to Morecambe Bay, which seemed to be experiencing a more overcast day.
Heading back into Kendal, down my favourite road: Beast Banks.
If I’ve got my 9mm ultra-wide lens with me I rarely resist a composition of Kendal town hall.
Pandemic Peregrinations: Brigsteer, Cumbria, Winter
After the recent wonderful wintery scenes of snow in and around Kendal, things have somewhat changed.
After the recent wonderful wintery scenes of snow in and around Kendal, things have somewhat changed.
Storm Christoph has arrived over the British Isles, as well as all the flood warnings. Whilst we’re not expecting Storm Desmond-levels of rain, there will be enough to induce mild panic and anxiety within us Desmond-survivors.
Thankfully, before the storm arrived, we had a clear day on the 17th so Lisabet and I gleefully utilised it by enjoying a 12 km hike.
We took the quiet country lanes from near the Westmorland General towards the delightfully idyllic village of Natland. Then we carried on towards the River Kent, crossing it at Hawes Bridge (and stopping for photos of the gorge, of course), carried on over the A591 and back up the fellside towards Brigsteer.
This was a part of the local area we’ve nearly properly looked at before and we were happily surprised. We essentially tracked the road that scanned northwards alongside the back of Scout Scar, with some beautiful scenes along the way. We mentally bookmarked this area for when spring and summer finally arrives.
I hope you enjoy this walk too.
All photos taken on my Fujifilm X-T2 using a Samyang 35mm f/1.2 lens. Developed using one of RNI’s Kodachrome film profiles.
I always enjoy this view down Kirkland from Highgate in Kendal, and rarely resist an opportunity for a photo. The scene almost has a timeless quality to it.
Some yarn bombing alongside the River Kent has definitely seen better days.
All in a row…
Arriving at Natland we slowed down for photos of the idyllic village and its old buildings. This big old building was once Natland Hall Farm, a relatively large farmhouse.
Riders and their horses near Hawes Bridge enjoy the lack of rain.
The River Kent was full and raging at Hawes Bridge, where it turns on its side and gouges out this little limestone gorge.
As we ascended the fell side towards Brigsteer and the back of Scout Scar, we passed through Low House Farm and snapped a few photos. I saw this old barn door and pondered the passage of time.
Once we ascended Whetstone Lane we joined Brigsteer Road and followed it northwards back towards Kendal. Here the views really opened up, including this scene of the winding dry stone wall. And you know what I’m like we a good dry stone wall…
Another variation of the above composition, picking out some of the flora in the hedgerows.
A beautifully wooded lane. One to come back to in spring and summer.
Following along the back of Scout Scar we came across these rather noisy cows, bellowing at each other.
I love her hair…
Heading back into Kendal. It’s hard to make out in the photo but in the distance we could see the snowy tops of the Kentmere fells.
Another one of my favourite Kendal scenes, heading down the steep Beast Banks back into Kendal town centre.
Kendal clock tower, still being repaired and thus still stuck at 12pm.