I last walked up Gowbarrow Fell in the summer of 1992. We were stopping in a holiday cottage in Matterdale and I took a walk up in the late afternoon with my faithful border collie, Hemp. That evening, Mrs E and I watched Linford Christie win gold in the 100m final at the Barcelona Olympics. After my most recent walk up this fell I returned to the campervan to hear that Marcel Jacobs had just won Gold in the 100m final at the Tokyo Olympics. In an even more pleasing act of synchronicity, when I checked the date of Christie’s win, you’ve guessed, it was the very same day, 1st August. I’m looking forward to walking up Gowbarrow Fell on the 1st August 2050 to continue the pattern.
The walk starts from the National Trust car park at Aira Force where the NT have just recently started letting campervans stay overnight for a nominal fee. A very good idea in my opinion. In fact, the whole of today’s walk takes place on land bought by the National Trust in 1906. The path is followed steadily up through the woods, much of it planted and landscaped by the Victorians in the 19th century with some of the trees being hundreds of years old. A short history for those interested can be found here https://www.visitcumbria.com/pen/aira-force/
After a short while a stone bridge over Aira Beck is crossed followed by a steep drop down to a viewing platform where Aira Force waterfall can be seen at its best. The path then continues upward and passes High Force before heading out onto the open fell side. It continues until a wall is reached where it takes a sharp right and essentially follows the wall all the way to the summit.
As height is gained views of Ullswater start to appear. There is a rocky middle section on the way up which is quite worn but notices and great sacks of rocks, no doubt dropped by helicopter indicate that the path is undergoing some significant repair.
After the middle section the path is better and before long the summit trig point comes into view and soon after that the path curves around the summit mound and you find yourself standing next to the trig point with its distinctive National Trust plaque, admiring the views all around you.
There are good views of Ullswater and beyond that the Pennine Hills including Cross Fell and Great Dun Fell with its radar station can be seen. Closer to home Little and Great Mell Fell and the Dodd’s stand out.
I meet a couple on the top who are doing the Ullswater way and they are the first I have seen all day, surprising given the clear bright weather. After a bite to eat I descend off the summit and head East along the path that circles the Fell. The footpath here is a forest of ferns with the path winding its way through them on a thin stone thread. The Aira Force to Watermillock path is joined by what is still marked on the OS maps as a Shooting Lodge. There is not much left of the lodge that Wainwright describes as providing shelter, in fact I could only make out a few stones, knee height hidden amongst the bracken and ferns.
The walk from here back to the start is an absolute delight. Good walking follows along a slowly descending path which forms a high terrace across the south face of the Fell, along which you can amble, with hands in pockets enjoying uninterrupted magnificent views of Ullswater. The steamers, plying their trade between Glenridding and Pooley Bridge look like toy boats in the vastness of the lake, its deep blue contrasting sharply with the Green backdrop of Place Fell and the hills beyond.
Perhaps the best view is at the cairn that marks the top of Yew Crag. By now the morning sun had come out and I sit by the cairn for a while, unhurried, just admiring the natural, soul enriching beauty that is Lakeland. This is what life is about.
Passing the memorial seat, also marked on the OS map but unlike the Shooting Lodge still very much in existence I wander back down to Aira Force force, passing the 170 year old Sitka Spruce on the way to enjoy a well deserved breakfast back at the camper.
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