Lake District, September 2023, Day 5

We sat on the short turf of the limsetone fellside watching a pair of buzzards wheeling high in the sky above the Lythe Valley laid out below us. The air was thick with swalows and house martins scything and darting through the air as they hunted insects rising in the air currents above the trees which were already taking on an autumnal tinge. We had walked from the caravan, through Rather Heath Plantation behind us and over farmland until we could climb the diagonally ascending path through Scar Wood up onto the open fellside of Cunswick Scar with Kendal on one side of us and the beautiful Lythe Valley on the other. Although late in the season the short turf was spangled with limestone flowers: harebell, tormentil, rockrose, wild thyme and scabious. We revelled in being up high but eventually we had to retrace our steps in time for our meal we had booked in the Pig and Whistle on the site.

Old post, Rather Heath Plantation

Cunswick Scar looking towards Scout Scar.

Looking down into Kendal

Stavely and Kentmere in the haze.

Flower studded limstone fellside

Cunswick Scar

Betony

Rockrose

From Cunswick Scar