Category: WATENDLATH

The Lakes have always been one of my favourite destinations with Derwent Water and Borrowdale being top of the list.  Not that I am alone in sharing this pleasure. Visitors and Tourism have been key to this region for several centuries. Long before Tourist Boards existed Guide Books were being written about the Lake District by folk wanting to share the delights of this ‘wild and remote’ region with others.  They also had some powerful help in the guise of Coleridge, Gray and Wordsworth describing both the beauty but the adventure that awaited visitors to the Lakes.  Then along came the Railways and the rest is history.

Keswick was one of the popular  Victorian destinations with the splendour of Derwent Water, surrounded by mountains, a key attraction.  The guides described the ‘wild adventures’ and trails were mapped.  The best ‘views’ were defined and visitors encouraged to capture them with paint, brush or pencil, some guides going as far as to suggested the suitable medium to be used for each location.  Locals soon learnt that they had a new source of income becoming tour and mountain guides.

A Trail of Two Bridges.

One of the most popular trails is from Keswick to Watendlath and is as well used to-day as it was then.  Pony and Trap and Carriages may well have been used by many but as is the case to-day walking was key activity.  The trail starts for real at Barrow Bay and heads upwards through the the Oak Woodlands that cloak the crags along the Lake Side and is a stiff climb to Ashness Bridge the first of the two Pack Horse bridges on this route.

Whilst Barrow Beck tumbling beneath the arch on its 4ooft drop to Derwent Water it is the view that drew (and still draws) the visitor.  From here you get a glimpse of Derwent Water with Skiddaw mountain beyond and Keswick nestling below.

And the Victorians were certainly ones for their views for as one continues up the valley you are diverted to the very cliff edge to take in yet another ‘Surprise View’.

Again Derwent Water and Skiddaw dominate but now a glimpse of Bassenthwaite Lake comes into view and on a clear day the Solway Firth and the Scottish Lowland Hills give a tempting glimpse.

Our walk continues through the native Oak woodland that drapes shore, scree and cliffs that surround the lake and eventually breaks into the open at Thwaite.  To-day we cross the turbulent Watendlath Beck via a wooden bridge where once walkers crossed by stepping stone.

Our walk take is up stream alongside the Beck but for many this was the point to turn and descend with the Beck.  It is also an exciting decent as the Beck soon spectacularly falls through 500 feet of the Lodore Falls.  Lodore Falls became a major attraction and soon a hotel was established at the base of the Falls where the Beck finally reaches the Lake.

For a while our trail to Watendlath is shaded by Oak but we soon emerge into a more weather beaten landscape with a rough track following the Beck upwards to its source just beyond Watendlath Bridge.

The Hamlet of Watendlath is basically a small farming community and for the most part will seem unchanged to that which will have been seen by the Victorians.  I am not sure what refreshments they would have had available to them, but for visitors to-day we can enjoy a mug of tea and a home made cake in the tea garden off the central farm.

The trail can be continue over the Watendlath Bridge with a decent to Rosthwaite and a carriage ride ( bus) back to Keswick. But retracing your steps is an equally attractive option may be even diverting down by the Lodore Falls.