The Lake District

"No other so exquisitely lovely, no other so charming."
Article and Images by Ron Sutton

How do you describe The Lake District?

Beautiful it most certainly is and it is beyond my talents to do it justice in words.

Places to Photograph - The Lake District

Elterwater

So let’s take a visual tour around some of the lakes and of course the mountains of Cumbria.

To quote Arthur Wainwright ...

"Surely there is no other place in this whole wonderful world quite like Lakeland...no other so exquisitely lovely, no other so charming, no other that calls so insistently across a gulf of distance. All who truly love Lakeland are exiles when away from it."

That’s quite something to live up to so let’s start our trip on the south coast as we look south over Morecambe Bay before heading to Cartmel and on to Coniston Water. Incidentally there’s a lovely pub (The White Hart) with rooms in Bouth – great for an overnight.

Morecambe Bay	Cartmel


Brantwood	The Old Man Of Coniston

Coniston Water is forever linked to Sir Donald Campbell and Bluebird and overlooked by The Old Man Of Coniston all 2635 feet. Well worth a visit is Brantwood, John Ruskin’s house at the north end of the lake. Explore the house and gardens, walk down to the little harbour, and watch out for the old steam launch which plies the lake. The Lake District

Brantwood Little Harbour	Brantwood Steam Launch


Langdale Tarn	Wrynose Pass

From here we’re going to head to the more remote and less visited part of Lakeland, the Western Lakes. But first a journey past Little Langdale Tarn, over the Wrynose Pass, then the Hardknott Pass and descending into Eskdale with views of the Isle of Man on the horizon. (Assuming it’s not raining – but more of that later).

Eskdale

Next we head north to Wast Water, accessible only from its western end, and a remote and imposing panorama. Many people claim that the view along the lake to Wasdale Head is the finest in the Lakes. The village of Wasdale Head itself is well worth a visit being the spiritual home of many of the finest rock climbers and mountaineers of past generations. The outline of the three peaks- Yewbarrow, Great Gable and Lingmell, at the head of the lake has been adopted as the logo of the National Park Authority.

Wast Water	Wasdale Head


The Three Peaks	Ennerdale Water

Retracing our steps back along Wast Water we eventually turn north and head for Ennerdale Water. A beautiful location and home to a ‘re-wilding’ programme where the countryside is left to take its own course with no intervention from farmers or foresters. Nature alone manages and develops this part of Cumbria. The Lake District

From here we head to the twin lakes of Loweswater and Crummock Water separated by the village of Loweswater. I can recommend the Kirkstile Inn here – good food, good beer, and no TV in the rooms!

Loweswater

Next, for me, one of the jewels of The Lakes – Buttermere. A two hour walk will take you around the lake on a good quality path and depending on the sun decide if you go clockwise or anti-clockwise for the best light for your photos. The Lake District

Buttermere	Buttermere


Derwent Water	Keswick

So with a good walk behind us time to head over the Honister Pass which will bring us to the southern end of Derwent Water. A lovely stretch of water dotted with little islands and I would recommend a viewpoint at the NE end of the water. A bit of a climb but well worth the effort. From here there are splendid views of Keswick, Derwent Water, and in the distance Bassenthwaite Lake.

We’re finally going to head south passing near to such little gems as Elterwater and Loughrigg Tarn, before reaching probably the most famous lake of all, Windermere. The town of Windermere is not actually on the lake so if you want the lake, the boats, the swans, head for Bowness-on-Windermere. The Lake District

Loughrigg Tarn	Windermere


Snow on the Hilltops	Bowness-on-Windermere

Brief mention was made earlier of rain and one has to admit that Lakeland does get its fair share. But with variable lighting, a bit of patience waiting for the gaps in the clouds, some decent images can be obtained. The Lake District

The other obvious variable is the season of the year. Personally I like winter photography; the outlines of the trees are more dramatic, with maybe some snow on the hilltops, and the longer shadows at dawn or dusk all help to create atmospheric images.

So that was a quick trip around some of my favourite Lake District locations. There are many other stunning places to visit so apologies if I’ve not mentioned your particular photo point. I’d love to know what I might have missed so be sure to let the Editor know.

Larger sizes of these photos and a further selection taken on Ron's trip are in the Gallery of Better Photographs.

More of his work is on his Website at - Ron Sutton Images.

Why visit this place?

"Wonderful scenery and wonderfully unpredictable weather."

When is the best time of year to visit?

All the seasons have their own particular beauty but beware the summer school holiday period unless you like crowds.

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