Buttermere - Lake District Walk
Sunday 12th October 2025
We woke up to a valley full of mist and spent the morning watching it slowly disappear. In the afternoon we set off for a walk around Buttermere in order to assess how well John had recovered from his calf injury.
Start: Wilkinsyke Farm (NY 1756 1695)
Route: Wilkinsyke Farm - Pike Rigg - Dalegarth - Gatesgarth Farm - Peggy's Bridge - Burtness Wood - Buttermere - Wilkinsyke Farm
Distance: 4.25 miles Ascent: 139 metres Time Taken: 2 hrs 33 mins
Terrain: Good paths
Weather: Sunny and warm
Pub Visited: Bridge Inn, Buttermere Ale Drunk: Keswick Brewery, Keswick Chestnut Bitter
We are stopping at Wilkinsyke Farm for the week so a short walk out of the door and we can look down the valley to Mellbreak.
Sat in the cottage we had been able to observe everyone walking through the farmyard so we knew it was busy.
Now that the mist has finally lifted it is turning into a beautiful sunny autumn day.
Looking across to High Snockrigg as we follow the path towards the lake.
We have never walked around Buttermere before so the path is new to us.
Looking across the lake through the trees we get the feeling
there might be some great reflections to be seen
when we are clear of the trees.
Haystacks reflections as we head around the lake.
Having seen the tunnel on numerous other websites it was nice to finally visit it.
Finally clear of the trees and we get to enjoy the view across the end of Buttermere to Warnscale Bottom.
Looking back along Buttermere towards Mellbreak and the cloud is still touching the tops of Hen Comb.
Looking across at the classic view of the end of Buttermere.
A quick shot of the Buttermere Pines as we hoped to be able to return later in the week with our tripods, although the weather despite all the promises, didn't co-operate with that plan.
Looking down the length of the lake to Mellbreak before the road takes us away from the lake to Gatesgarth Farm.
From Gatesgarth we take the track across to the other side of the lake and enjoy some close-up views of Fleetwith Pike.
Looking towards Warnscale Bottom as we head for Peggy's Bridge.
Looking in the other direction Rannerdale Knotts is now in view.
Having crossed Peggy's Bridge we are now in shade but Hindsgarth Edge is still in sun.
Looking across to High Snockrigg before the views are lost in Burtness Wood.
The path on this side of the lake was much wider and less rocky than the one on the opposite side of the lake.
Looking across to Robinson which is also reflected in the lake.
Hasness House sitting below High Snockrigg as the reflections turn out to be as good as we had hoped they would be.
We had to head off the path to get this shot of Fleetwith Pike.
Walking along through Burtness Woods and looking up to this unnamed
stream coming down from Bleaberry Tarn, high above us.
Further down we also got some great reflections of Rannerdale Knotts.
A short distance further along the path and the reflections and views across the lake just kept on improving.
We soon found ourselves approaching the end of the path through Burtness Woods.
As we approach the end of the lake, with the light starting to fade, there is just one more chance to enjoy another set of reflections.
Before we head back to our cottage, which turned out to have some very noisy neighbours in the form of a shed full of cows, there is just enough time to call in on another of our neighbours for the week and see what beverages they have on offer this evening.
All pictures copyright © Peak Walker 2006-2025