High Dam & Finsthwaite Tower • Walking the Cumbrian Mountains

Name of walk	High Dam & Finsthwaite Tower
Date of walk	2023-01-18

On Wednesday Sue and I had planned to drive to Finsthwaite and walk to Finsthwaite Tower and High Dam, a walk of just under 6 miles. (Walk 7 ‘Finsthwaite Tower and The Knott’ from Greenwood Trails, www.ruslandhorizons.org, adding a detour to High Dam) We had decided not to set off from Sue’s until 9am, as the side roads were very icy, but the main roads were fine.

As the road to Finsthwaite was covered in snow and ice we parked in the spaces in the turn off, just past the Swan Inn, opposite the weir. We would start the walk from here instead.

We then returned to the main road and took the footpath on the left, just over the railway bridge, into the woods.

This then meets the main track to the ladder stile and the route across four fields to Finsthwaite Church.

Good view out towards Caudale Moor, Thornthwaite Crag, Froswick, Ill Bell and Yoke.

The church is peeking out.

Finsthwaite Village Hall.

St. Peter's Church, built in 1874.

We walk up to the main road and turn right. The route to High Dam is signposted and actually goes through someone's driveway! Then through this little ginnel out in to fields. You then pass some caravans and ahead is the little footbridge that gains the route up to High Dam.

High Dam. We do a clockwise circuit.

Lovely contrasting colours with the snow.

At the far high point we sit on the seat and have a coffee.

Alas we have no food for this hungry and very tame Robin, who just flitted around my boots.

We head down and across the boardwalk.

This end is iced over.

At the top dam.

Lovely reflections.

We return to Finsthwaite and take the new path across the fields to High Knott Wood.

The farmer and his excited sheep dogs.

The old stile is now a gate. Storm Arwen in November 2021 caused massive devastation to the woodland. The process of clearing is still ongoing.

The Bobbin Sculpture.

Sue's photo from 2020.

My photo from today! The irony of 'See the Difference'!

The combination of storm damage and the mess from heavy equipment is awful.

Sue records the scene.

The view down Windermere.

And in close up. The track we should take is closed off, we head further down the main tracks, but then that is closed off too. A 30 minute detour for nothing!

As there is actually no one working in the forest, and no machinery, we return to our original blocked route through the old wall up to Summer House Knott. Seen in the photo once we had gone through it via another gap in the wall further along.

Within a minute we were back on the main track for Finsthwaite Tower. If the contractors are going to block walking routes they should sign the safe alternatives!

Looking up to Finsthwaite Tower from the main path.

The tower was built in 1799 by James King of Finsthwaite House as an ornament to the landscape, and as a monument to naval prowess.

Just by the tower three new memorial stones have been erected, each commemorating a great naval battle: Cape St Vincent (1797), Camperdown (1797) and the Nile (1798).