Back O' Skiddaw

Friday, 29th October

Bowscale Tarn

The valleys at the back of Skiddaw fell are totally different from the rest of the Lake District. They are remote and bleak. Large stretches of moorland interspersed with cold mountain streams (becks as they are called around here) with dark craggy fells rising at each side. Heather and juniper bushes cover the lower slopes and now that we are into autumn, there is the added dark russet of dried braken spread across higher reaches. Occasionally in gravelly clefts hewn up the fellside, you can see the remains of old mines. The buildings, roofless and without glass or wood, remain as a casual reminder of times past when these fells wrought a harsher existence than the farms and holiday cottages give rise to today.

Unfortunately Marcus has taken the camera to work so I am unable to snap up a picture of the Caldrew valley weaving its way to the centre of the Skiddaw massive.

Bowscale is a small hamlet between Mungrisedale and Mosedale and consists of one small farm and three or four cottages and barn conversions. There is a track that leads to Bowscale Tarn which is supposed to be haunted. Apparantly faces have been seen in the water. But not today I am pleased to report.