For those of you that are thinking of going onto the hills I would strongly recommend that you read the advice given by the Mountain Rescue organisation of England and Wales. To read this advice, which will open in a new page please click HERE. If you would like to make a donation to the Mountain Rescue organisation which is purely voluntary please click HERE. Please make the time to read the advice page.

With a good day forecast we set off early for the Lakes. Our intended destination was Great Langdale but as we approached the South Lakes the cloud was down and as we drove past the Low Wood Hotel we couldn't see across Windermere at all. I decided to carry on over Dunmail and see what it was like further north. As we were making our way there I asked Edith where she fancied going and she said that a visit to Wythop would be nice. We have spent a couple of nice holidays there at the delightful Sty Cottage at Wythop Mill and both of us love the area. I decided to park at St Margaret's church and do a circular walk which would take in Wythop Mill, Kelswick, Lothwaite, Rivings and finally Sale Fell. A delightful walk which we both enjoyed tremendously but which unfortunately ended in a small accident when with only 5 minutes to the finish I slipped just above the church and twisted my right knee and ankle. A visit to A & E at Lancaster for X-Rays showed soft tissue damage to the ankle and some ligament damage plus a small chip of bone to the knee.

Route Map

Not sure what went wrong here. It was taken with the sun above the church. Anyway it is St Margaret's Church near which we left the car.

Rather than going straight onto the fell from the church we walked down the quiet road towards Wythop Mill with views into the Vale of Embleton.

Wythop Mill and the car park is almost full already.

The delightful Sty Cottage where we have spent a couple of wonderful holidays. There is a link to the cottage website on the Links Page if anybody wants to know more.

From Wythop Mill we walked up the lane towards Wythop Hall. Here we are at Brumston Bridge where we left the lane to take the lane to Kelswick.

Ling Fell

Ling Fell from near Kelswick. The wooded area in between is Burthwaite Heights.

Kelswick

Looking back to Kelswick as we take the track down to the old Chapel in Chapel Woods,

The path leads past the ruins of the old Chapel a forerunner of the present church.

The walk through Chapel Wood.

Emerging from the woods the track runs along Lothwaite and down into Wythop Woods. We however will leave it on a small path near its highest point.

Hazy Skiddaw views as we leave the path to head up towards Rivings.

With a little more height the Ullock Pike ridge and Dodd appear through the haze.

The path continues towards Rivings seen ahead but we will head off to the right to visit Lothwaite first.

Binsey peeks out above Wythop Woods from Lothwaite.

Looking over Bass Lake towards the Uldale Fells.....

.....and to the Skiddaw massif. 

We now walked back to Rivings seen hear with Ling Fell behind and Sale Fell to the right.

Looking into the sun towards the Whinlatter Fells.

Rivings summit and the way to Sale Fell ahead.

Ling Fell

A look back towards Skiddaw as we make our way to Sale Fell.

The Skiddaws over Lothwaite from Sale Fell summit.

A zoom in on Binsey.

The Vale of Embleton as we start our descent.

A look back towards the top.

Our return route would take us down to the wall shown on the left where we would take a right turn to return to the car.

Down to the wall and it's plain sailing from here.....

......along a delightful path with lovely view.

We were wondering where to go next and it was decided that the first stop would be Keswick.

However fate decreed otherwise. A few minutes after this picture was taken, just below the intake wall above the Church yours truly went a cropper. My left foot slipped on wet and muddy grass and as I slid forward my right leg went backwards under me and I fell on to it. Fortunately we were only 5 minutes or so walk from the car but it took me around 20 minutes to get there. I managed to drive home and got the ankle in iced water and a bag of frozen peas on the knee. A later visit to the A & E department at Lancaster Infirmary revealed soft tissue damage to the ankle and ligament damage to the knee. I was sent home on crutches and told to rest it for a week or 10 days before starting to walk on it. As I write this report up some 15 days after the fall I am back walking but only up to around 4 miles as the ankle blows up if I try more.

Next Walk:      18th March 2011 - Lake District - Tarn Hows and Coniston

Last Walk:    6th March 2011 - Arnside & Silverdale AONB - Beetham Fell via the Fairy Steps  

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