Lake Derwentwater

The forecast was for rain and there was heavy rain overnight, but the day looked promising. Before we left on this trip, we saw the forecast and were dubious but our neighbor in Catslip, Lou, told us to "just bundle up and get on with it!" That exemplifies the British attitude! Lake Derwentwater is a small lake with Keswick at it's northern end. It is ringed with hills and hiking trails.

After putting on our rain coats and hats, we got tickets for the launch that circles the lake (the trip only takes fifty minutes). There are a number of stops at rickety docks, but several were closed due to low water. We went as far as Hawse End to hike up the ridge to Cat Bells (1480 ft.). This is a 1-1/2 mile, 2 hour hike which gains 600 feet in altitude. The guide book made it sound easier than it is; Claire's hip did quite well, Bill's knees were another story. Going up was easy (except for the part where you had to scramble up the rocks); getting back down was tougher.

The view from on top was fantastic, well worth the climb; we were able to see the entire lake and green hills and valleys for quite a distance. The sky changed constantly (black clouds alternating with blue patches and fluffy white clouds, some bright sun, sometimes everything at once) and the varying light produced some dramatic effects on the landscape. The trail back down took us through hillsides of solid bracken, interrupted only by the occasional foxglove poking through. At the bottom we walked back to the dock through the woods, along the lake.


When we finally got back to Keswick, it was 3 PM and we'd not had lunch. Fortunately, the Dog and Gun wasn't crowded and we had a very good lunch; its reputation is well-deserved. A pint of Old Peculier really hit the spot. Quite a few of the patrons had well-behaved dogs with them at their tables (that wouldn't fly in the US). Last week in the Red Lion, I asked some of the dog owners about a European Union effort to ban dogs in eating establishments and they said, "never in England!". The Brits love their dogs, walking (rambling) and beer--not necessarily in that order.

After a little shopping, we returned to our B&B. Dinner was a simple gyros-style sandwich (a doner from a Turkish deli). We went to bed with sore legs and feet, and aching muscles.