David on the summit of Ill Bell (757 m / 2,493 ft)
Lawrence, Jake and Jonathan at Wilf's Cafe in Staveley
Setting off from Kentmere Village
The Kentmere Horseshoe is one of the longest and most remote walks in the Lake District. Jake, our leader, chose the walk because of its quiet location. The plan was to traverse all the fells bounding the upper Kentmere valley and its reservoir. We started walking from the hamlet of Kentmere some four miles north of Staveley. We decided to do the horseshoe in an anti-clockwise direction.
David at the start of the walk with the fells of the Kentmere Horseshoe in the distance
Hawthorns in blossom as we ascended to Shipman Knotts
David, Jake and Jonathan on Harter Fell 778 metres (2,552 feet)
Looking down on Small Water, Haweswater Reservoir and across to the distant Northern Pennines.
View south to the fells of Froswick, Ill Bell and Yoke
Lawrence, Jake and Jonathan beside the beacon on Thornthwaite Crag
From Thornthwaite Crag we turned south to cross the summits of Froswick, Ill Bell and Yoke. Windermere came into view as walked along the ridge with Coniston Old Man and the south western fells visible in the distance. We stopped for a snack and drink on Froswick at 720 metres (2,362 feet). As we looked back across the valley to Harter Fell and Kentmere Pike we could see a low rainbow between their summits. It was amazing to look back at the distance we had walked since earlier in the day.
Windermere, the Troutbeck Valley and distant Coniston Old Man as we descended from Yoke Fell
It was the end of a wonderful walk of over 12 miles. Many thanks to Jake for leading us on the spectacular and isolated Kentmere Horseshoe. We ended the day with a meal at the Hawkshead Brewery back in Staveley.
Of course throughout the day I was thinking about my wife Lynne. I was pleased she was able to go out for the day to Ilkley with her sisters. Lynne continues with her chemotherapy regime in her on-going battle with cancer. She is an amazing and inspiring woman! I really appreciate the opportunity Lynne gave me to be out in the great outdoors for the day. Although a few months have gone by between walking the Kentmere Horseshoe and uploading this blog I often look back to a super day in the south-eastern fells of the Lake District.
Recent scrapbook page I completed on the Kentmere Horseshoe
Regards
David