Lake District, March 2018. Day 5, Friday 30th March

A night of rain heralded a damp and gloomy morning, but fortunately, as the day went on, the weather improved to give a beautiful late afternoon.  Thomas arrived early for post breakfast coffee and mega hot cross buns, heavy and wonderfully rich and spicy.  The aim of today was to climb up onto Holme Fell above Tilberthwaite for the views over to the Langdale Pikes and later to explore Hodge Close Quarry, one of our favourite locations for photography.
We were soon parked up at the quarry, after negotiating the very narrow and rough lane up to it.  Climbing up through the beautiful woodlands we came out on the open fellside with views opening up over the trees to the Langdale valley.  All of the higher fells were blanketed white, the night's rain falling as snow on the tops.  Holme fell is a modest hill of only 317m but it is a lack of stature in height only as the views from it, as from many other lower fells, are superb.  The best mountain views are often not from the summits where height diminishes that of others but from mid height.  We quickly scambled up onto the summit and enjoyed lunch on our lofty perch with expansive views all around.  There was a chill in the air, however, so we didn't tarry long.  Wandering back down we paused at the disused reservoir just above the tree line fascinated by the large numbers of amorous frogs.  Spring is definitely on the way.
Back down at the quarry we enjoyed a couple of hours exploring and scrambling down into its depths.  Hodge Close Quarry is one of many slate workings in the Tiberthwaite Valley between Coniston and Langdale.  Its original depth was 300 feet and it was worked from the 19th century until closing in the 1960s.  One end of the workings are filled to half of its depth with deep green water.  It is popular with cllimbers, sporting routes of the highest grades, while the 150 feet of flooded workings and tunnels are explored by divers.  It is a beautiful and mysterious spot with silver birch woodland growing over the old spoil heaps.  Sadly it is also a dumping ground for anything from cars to domestic refuse.  Why do people want to drive miles to a remote beauty spot to dump their rubbish when there are perfectly adequate public tips.  It makes my blood boil.
Our day ended with a pint in the excellent Watermill Inn at Ings on the way back to the caravan and pork cooked in the slow cooker with cider, apples, sage and cream.  Excellent!
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May Visit to the Lakes Day 2

Although we woke to cloudy conditions this morning, we were optimistic  as the forecast was to improve steadily throughout the day, which it did.  We enjoyed a lazy breakfast and then our friends from Blackpool joined us for coffee after which we set out for Little Langdale to do a circular walk to Tilberthwaite visiting Hodge Close Quarry and Cathedral Cavern.  Spring is really upon us now; trees are well in leaf and looking spectacular.  I love to see the different greens: acid green of oaks, bright green of beeches and the slightly duller tones of silver birch looking striking against the gnarled silver barked trunks.  Bluebells and stitchwort were everywhere and in the bird world warblers were in song in the woods and swallows and house martins streaked across the sky.  Hodge Close Quarry was all I anticipated, invisible from the road, until, on walking to the edge, a dramatic water filled hole in the ground.  The sheer rock walls are a favourite of rock climbers and divers explore the water-filled depths.  I scrambled down in to neighbouring Parrock Quarry and made my way to the spectacular arch supported by a pillar left by the miners that divides to two quarries.
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From here we continued along the road until we could cross to the other side of the Tilberthwaite Valley and then returned via a broad track though the woods and past more quarry workings.  We quickly reached the River Brathay from where we scrambled up to the entrance to Cathedral Cavern which we entered through a short, but narrow mine tunnel.  Like Hodge Close Quarry, this was a thriving slate mine in the nineteenth century, but fell into disuse during the twentieth century.  As we entered the tunnel, cold air seemed to sweep out to meet us,  Although we knew what to expect, it was still exhilarating to leave the tunnel and enter a cavern, large enough to fit a church into.  It gets its name from its size and from the fact that the roof is supported by slate pillar and lit through a large window to the side.  I walked through the cavern, past the pool, complete with goldfish and out through the 'window' where it is possible to scramble up to another level and access yet more caves above.  Both Hodge Close Quarry and Cathedral Cavern are dramatic examples of man's influence on the appearance of a landscape.

We completed the walk by crossing the delightful slate built packhorse bridge, Slater Bridge, and across the fields to the Three Shires Inn where a pint of the brown and frothy awaited.  The day finished with a BBQ back at the caravan.