Seathwaite Fell by Grains and Taylor Gills

Thu 27 Aug 2020
The second day of our Borrowdale trip. Richard was having knee problems and was walking quite slowly so we decided to set out up Grains Gill and decide at the top whether to do Esk Pike or just to do Seathwaite Fell. Either way, we were coming back down via Styhead and Taylorgill…

Photos: a mix of my Zenith film camera and Richard’s Olympus digi-point-and-shoot.

After again taking the bus down the valley to Seatoller we walked the mile and a bit to Seathwaite. The cloud-base was quite low – Seathwaite Fell was out but Great End (similar height to Esk Pike) was in and out of the cloud…

In the end, Richard decided he wasn’t really up to Esk Pike and I think we’d have run short of time and missed our tea and scones if I’d taken him up there as he couldn’t walk very fast as he’s become a bit unfit. We settled on Seathwaite Fell and I ended up being very glad we did.

I took a few atmospheric (aka cloudy) photos of Grains Gill on the way up, including the slab part of the path where Richard fell and broke his wrist one winter! (see 3rd photo)

wrist-break boulders!

Quite fancy an explore up this section!

I think the first time I did Seathwaite Fell (probably the only time and for my Wainwright-bagging), it wasn’t great weather. This day was good weather at that level but not so good higher up. I’d forgotten what a scenic fell it is – little tarns all over the place amongst scenic outcrops. It reminded me of Haystacks and Tarn Hill in Dunnerdale – two of my favourite places to click away with my camera!

At first, Richard said he couldn’t be bothered with the fell and he’d just wait for me by the main path back down to Taylorgill and Styhead. I persuaded him to come and he had a great time too clicking away. We were both enthusing about how beautiful the fell was and saying how glad we were we’d decided to do it.

Some of Richard’s digi-photos first…

The sheep is either posing or admiring the view too!

And some of mine… First of all, we came over a much higher lump than the fell before descending to Sprinkling Tarn – I got totally different conditions for the same photo within the same minute and have included both – I like the darker, broody one best…

Sprinkling Tarn to The Band route on Great End

We went, eventually, to the main summit – as in the highest point which had a beautiful tarn in front of the rocky tor just like Haystacks has – Richard’s 3 digi-photos first…

Then my film ones…

Summit tarn to Lingmell

Summit tarn to Great End

We both took this same photo of the summit cairn in front of Great Gable but Richard’s has come out best so here it is:

And this is mine towards Base Brown over yet another little tarn:

We looked to the end of the fell and noted the little peak much lower than we were (my photo).

I was surprised to re-read the Wainwright book when I got back and see he called the much lower one the summit. I’ll probably stroll down to it next time if the ground is drier but my feet were already soaked and so we gave it a miss. I could always bash up the front of the fell as Wainwright suggests – I’d been eyeing his two routes straight up the front as we passed anyway.

The mist was coming and going on Esk Pike and I kept looking wistfully at it whenever it appeared – it’s a favourite of mine – now you see it (my film photos)…

now you don’t…

coffee-break tarn (my film photo)

Coffee-break tarn (Richard’s photo)

After around an hour and a short coffee and cake break by one of the tarns on the return journey, we headed off down the normal route to Styhead – not so busy mid afternoon.

Quick visit to the spit of land jutting into Sprinkling Tarn (my film photos):

Richard took a great zoom photo on the way back of the magnificent Piers Gill on Lingmell…

The magnificent Piers Gill!

Pretty soon we arrived down at Styhead where I immediately went for a long peer at Skew Gill as I’m interested in trying it sometime and wanted to know my chances of exiting at the top. Wainwright did it but isn’t encouraging and said he was glad of a rope. I can see one potential exit near the end of the gill but it does look pretty ‘orrid!

I took some photos to study at home!

Great End & Skew Gill

Richard’s digi-photo of Skew Gill

We then set off down to Taylor Gill. As Richard was struggling (and therefore slow) downhill, I had a good study of the far side of the gill where there is a path I haven’t dared to do yet. I think I’ll choose a dry day but must give it a go next time I think.

One of my film photos taken on a better day and in better light of the approach to the top of Taylorgill…

Pretty soon, we were down at Stockley Bridge where I chivvied him into hurrying to see if we could catch the 1600 bus back to the hotel as I wanted my coffee, scones and rum butter!

Despite the Seathwaite to Seatoller road going on forever – it seemed at least twice as long on the return – we managed to catch a Buttermere bus at 1550 – gave me longer to savour my lovely scones and home-made rum butter – delicious!

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