Rannerdale Bluebells, a Summit and the Bishop's House Garden. • Walking the Cumbrian Mountains

Name of walk	Rannerdale Bluebells, a Summit and the Bishop's House Garden.
Date of walk	2022-05-14

I don’t usually venture up a hill at weekends, but on Saturday afternoon we would be visiting the Keswick garden of Bishop James and Alison Newcome. We sat next to Alison at the National Garden Scheme lunch, and I have met James a few times at St. James in Barrow, and once at a Buckingham Palace Garden Party! So in the morning we decided to visit the bluebells at Rannerdale, climb up to Rannerdale Knotts and then have lunch in Loweswater at the Kirkstile Inn. We set off from home just after 7am, arriving at 9am, and the small car parks were already full, so we parked a bit further away than usual, but it is a nice gentle walk in. The weather was a bit dull to start, but it would soon improve.

Rannerdale Knotts. Tom and I will go and walk up to the summit from the front and come back down the valley.

Tom and Brendan head along the path. Whiteless Pike on the left.

The bluebells and Grasmoor.

View across to Mellbreak.

Our route in.

We cross over the bridge and head around the front of Rannerdale knotts.

View back.

We head for Crummock Water.

Crummock Water.

The route up to Rannerdale Knotts. We leave Brendan to return to the bluebells.

A car park had opened up in the field. Free to NT members.

Looking down the pitched path.

Summit view along Buttermere to Fleetwith Pike and Haystacks. High Crag and High Stile on the right.

View north for a glimpse of Loweswater on the left.

Me on the summit of Rannerdale Knotts.

The route ahead.

We climb down to the grassy track.

View down into the Rannerdale valley.

We take the short cut down into the valley.

We cross the bridge and meet back up with Brendan. The walk up and back down the valley had taken and hour and a quarter.

We head back along the path.

The sun coming out adds a bit more zing to the photos.

Looking up to Whiteless Pike.

We head back along the grassy track to where we parked.

Then I drove to Loweswater and the Kirkstile Inn for lunch in the garden. Brendan and Tom seen through the fence.

View to Mellbreak.

Then we drove into Keswick, parking at the Theatre of the Lake car park, and walked to the Bishop's House, which is next to St. John's Church. Most of the photos I took were of individual plants, but here are a few general ones of their superb one acre garden.