Silver How and Loughrigg Fell from Grasmere Village

It’s summer, or at least that brief moment in time that passes for summer these days. It’s also a Sunday on one of the hottest days of the year so I know today’s walk up Silver How and Loughrigg Fell, two of the lower lying and popular fells around Grasmere is likely to be a busy one.

Before leaving the village I pay my respects as I do on most visits to Grasmere to William Wordsworth  who is buried at St Oswald’s Church. Wordsworth was one of England’s greatest romantic poets and author of that quintessential Lakeland poem, I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud.

Following the lake road out of the village there is a good view of my first hill Silver How straight ahead. The road is soon left and a walled lane is followed up through woodland onto the open fell side.

The path follows the wall upwards through a sea of bracken and views of Grasmere start to appear. A junction is reached and loins are girded for the short haul up to the top of Silver How. The path is good with some steps and heads into a natural ravine to the right of the summit before curving round and approaching the top from the rear.

It’s a clear day and there are very satisfying views all around. Grasmere and Rydal Water lie below and a stretch of Windermere can be seen appearing from behind Loughrigg. The Coniston fells, Crinkle Crags and Bowfell, the Langdales and the whalebacks of the eastern fells all complete the 360 degree immersive experience.

As expected the top is busy with people and dogs all enjoying the sunshine and views, the dogs don’t seem too fussed about the views, preferring the smell of sheep droppings instead.

I make my way back down to the junction and continue along the path that undulates through the bracken and copse covered hillside, traversing across occasionally boggy patches high above Grasmere, heading in the direction of Loughrigg Fell.

Looking back, Silver How has a mini Great Gable look to it with the ravine resembling Windy Gap. At Huntingstile Crag there is a rocky drop down into a small valley and then more dry stone walls are followed to the road at Red Bank.

Loughrigg Terrace is joined here and the first section through Deerbolts Wood is a little fairy glen of delight. Sunlight dapples through the tree canopy, dancing on the path and a centuries old track, enclosed by moss caked dry stone walls leads through the woodland.

The stillness, the earthy aroma of spongy green moss and wood, the sunlight and shadows and sense of calm would be perfect for some slow mindful forest walking. Another day perhaps, but not today when the paths are busy with grown ups and children, bikes, trikes and dogs.

Coming out of the woods the path up Loughrigg Fell branches off from the terrace path and like Silver How it’s a short steep pull up to the summit. For most of the way there is an excellent stone laid path and I see large rubble sacks of rocks waiting for the Fix the Fells team, (‘make a donation and be part of the solution‘) and others to carry on their excellent work of maintaining Lakeland’s paths.

Grasmere looks quite spectacular in the sunshine, a flat expanse of marine blue surrounded by rising greenery. It’s sole island, unimaginatively called Grasmere Island stands out like a reverse oasis of greenery in a desert of blue.

The summit trig point sits a little back from the main climb so doesn’t have the best view of Grasmere but by some magnetic power it draws everyone within a hundred yards to gather around its summit rocks and gaze at the view.

Loughrigg Fell, like Silver How has surprisingly good all round views of Lakeland from its modest summit. I get a picture from the top (full disclosure: I edit some people out) before heading to a nice little mound to have something to eat.

After a bit of time people watching and admiring the view I retrace my steps back down to Loughrigg terrace and follow this down to the little shingle beach at the southern end of the lake.

The beach is full of holidaymakers and I feel slightly disconcerted by the sight of bikini/swimming trunk clad young things sunbathing, swimming and playing beach games on the shingle. Is this a sign that the Lakes is attracting a younger, different demographic of holidaymaker, one less interested in hills, history and culture and more interested in leisure and pleasure.

And is my unease really just my own unconscious bias and prejudice about who I think should be allowed to enjoy ‘my’ Lake District. ‘The only constant in life is change’ Heraclitus said millennia ago and Wordsworth himself with his publication of ‘A Guide through the District of the Lakes in the North of England‘ in 1820 was partly responsible for the introduction of mass tourism to ‘his’ Lake District back in the 19th century. Plenty to ponder on the way back to Grasmere.

Now I did happen to mention in my last post about the struggle to resist the plentiful cafe’s and restaurants of the Central Fells. As I tuck into toasted tea cake and tea at Grasmere Tea Gardens I can report that although the struggle continues, the enemy is at the gates.

Route Map, Walk Stats, Geolocated Pictures and 3D Flyover Video Below.

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