A glimpse of Esthwaite Water one evening, and a whole lot of Stock Ghyll Falls - May 2015

I took so many photos during the weekend of 2nd-4th May, that I've had to split it into two blog posts. This is to save you from yourselves people... I can't have you falling asleep at your computer (or phone) now can I?!

It being a Bank Holiday weekend, we travelled up to Ambleside on the Saturday after our boys' swimming lesson. We left on the Monday evening, so we still had a good long time up there. Only issue being the weather: we were blessed with lots of weather :-/ 

Consequently we didn't get very far until the Saturday evening, when we went for a drive to Hawkshead and a mooch along part of Esthwaite Water.  We went 'en famille' with the dog and boys 2 and 3; but given that we'd not long eaten our evening meal, there were few snack-stops requested.  Although there was a toilet stop requested, and the toilets in Hawkshead cost 20p, and of course we had no money with us because everywhere was shut and we'd only gone to see the lake, and boy3 was doing more and more hopping from foot to foot, and everywhere was too open for him to find a private bush... so we sent him in to the toilets under the barrier.  We owe Hawkshead council, or toilet society, or someone, 20p. Well 40p actually because then boy2 decided to follow boy3's example.  They used the hand-dryers and everything. *Hangs head in shame*. Still, now I've confessed my childrens' sins in a public forum, I feel a whole lot better ;-)

Let's crack on with the photos shall we?

Hawkshead Grammar School (now a museum), previously attended by William Wordsworth

first view of Esthwaite Water

Of course, there is always much fun to be had with sticks, particularly large ones.

No logs to sit on today

I dunno, you ask them to pose nicely for a photo....

Back towards Hawkshead

Possibly one of the prettiest Bus Stops I have ever seen

On the Sunday morning, the Weather continued.  I have mislaid my waterproof trousers (and shall probably only find them when I buy myself a replacement pair); but decided to brave the outdoors anyway, because strangely enough, no-one was offering to walk the dog for me, and he certainly wasn't going to walk himself.  So off out we went, and it wasn't as wet as it seemed from indoors.  On and off fine rain that meant I returned to the flat coated in tiny little beads of water which glistened like jewels :-)

We went off the beaten track... (although I suppose a public footpath *is* a beaten track really... just felt a lot wilder than walking on the pavement) and down the ivy-tastically signposted path

We then found the road, which we followed down towards the town, which is where I happened upon the following sign:

"Why not?" I thought, and off the dog and I trotted.  We found these falls relatively soon: and I thought them very lovely.  

But I'm glad I didn't turn around and return then, because the falls proper were further along. We saw some beautiful things flora and fauna to entertain us on our way up (quite a steep incline actually).

A rather charming overgrown bench. Not that I would have sat on it

This dude sang to us for quite a while

There were plenty of white, yellow and blue flowers, but this was the only pink flower I saw. 

Of course the thing you can't pick up on from photos is the noise of these powerful falls.  When I might ordinarily have been in church, wincing at the sound of the piano (because of my tinnitus, I hasten to add); on this Sunday morning I was communing with God by listening to birdsong, and appreciating the fact the waterfalls were so loud that I couldn't hear the high-pitched whine in my right ear (yes, I have an inner ear whine, as well as the outer one caused by children).  

It was a wonderful, refreshing walk, and I'm glad I ventured out to experience it.