Pottering about Near Sawrey

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Saunterings: Walking in North-West England

Saunterings is a set of reflections based upon walks around the counties of Cumbria, Lancashire and North Yorkshire in North-West England (as defined in the Preamble). Here is a list of all Saunterings so far.
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220. Pottering about Near Sawrey

We had hardly set foot in Near Sawrey when a woman asked if we knew our way. And we had hardly replied before she’d told us that she was 81, that she used to live in Near Sawrey and had come back to see old friends but there were none still here, all the houses now being holiday lets. We talked about where we planned to walk and she obviously knew the paths well. In due course we were able to set off but perhaps it would have been better to have heard more of her reminiscences, because Near Sawrey has changed greatly since she lived here.

Above right: Beatrix Potter (in the middle).

Nowadays Near Sawrey is swamped by visitors to Hill Top, once the home of Beatrix Potter (1866-1943). Its car park looks too small for the numbers of visitors (even Google street view shows cars strugglng to get in!) and in peak periods the narrow lanes must be choc-a-bloc. Potter self-published her first children’s book The Tale of Peter Rabbit in 1902, shortly after which she was able to buy Hill Top Farm. She was an entrepreneur too, the stuffed toy of Peter Rabbit being the first licensed fictional character. After moving into Hill Top in 1913 she developed some expertise in Herdwick sheep farming and bought much nearby land which was later donated to the National Trust.

We aimed to walk across the region of Claife, which lies between Windermere and Esthwaite Water, as far as Latterbarrow, and then back. The undulating land of Claife, at about 200 metres, has sheep pastures, open natural woodland plus extensive conifer forests (or the remains thereof). Our path north took us to Moss Eccles Tarn, a pretty lake once owned by Beatrix Potter, for whom it was a favourite picnic spot. Beyond the tarn the path goes on, with a breathtaking revelation of the hills ahead:

A view of Wetherlam, Crinkle Crags, Bowfell and the Langdale Pikes

We walked on to Wise Een Tarn, which is not as attractive as Moss Eccles Tarn but has the advantage of the backdrop skyline of the Crinkle Crags, Bowfell and the Langdale Pikes. At the small tarn to the east of Wise Een Tarn we heard a distinctive call identified (not by us but by an app) as that of a reed bunting. We were lucky to hear it in a period of silence because on this walk we were frequently assailed by jets. I suppose we must accept that these flights are necessary but what is learned by repeatedly booming along Windermere?

Wise Een Tarn

Otherwise this is a delightful walk, easy-going and with open views. To the north, however, we entered forestry, where there are many public footpaths and forestry tracks, not all of which are easily relatable to those shown on the map. Nonetheless, we skilfully weaved our way through to Latterbarrow (244 metres) which the OS map dignifies with a viewpoint symbol. And it deserves it, as this modest height provides an excellent panorama to the west and north, to the Old Man of Coniston, Wetherlam, Crinkle Crags, Bowfell, the Langdale Pikes, Fairfield, Red Screes and the Yoke-Ill Bell-Froswick ridge. I didn’t inspect the impressive obelisk to see if it commemorated some significant event or person: I assume that it just marks the viewpoint. The structure is always called an obelisk but an obelisk is defined to have a pyramidal top, coming to a point. Perhaps there was once a pyramid?

The view north from Latterbarrow, towards Fairfield, Red Screes and High Street

The view west from our lunch spot on Latterbarrow

There isn’t a view of Windermere from the top of Latterbarrow but there is from the path down to the north-east (which turned out to be the only real view of Windermere that we had on this walk). We then tackled a path south-east through woodland across Nor Moss and Scab Moss before reaching a crosstracks, where we had a decision to make.

Windermere from the path down from Latterbarrow

We had thought about returning south on the path across The Heald, which may provide views of Windermere – but may not since it may be through woodland. But we were feeling physically and mentally tired. The novelty of the challenge of navigating through woodland paths wears off, as the trees and the tracks all seem much the same after a while and the views are disappointingly limited.

So we decided to return the way we came. We knew then that we could put the map away and just enjoy again the fine path past the various tarns. And so we dawdled back, feeling that we had walked more than far enough, and eventually dropped and drooped into Near Sawrey. We thought about having tea at the Hill Top café (if there is one) but I didn’t really fancy roly-poly pudding with freshly foraged feline. Nor did I fancy paying “only £22.95 per person” for afternoon tea at the adjacent Sawrey House. We settled for a piece of cake offered on a table on Stones Lane plus tea from our flask.

We didn’t see our 81-year-old friend again. Perhaps she was Beatrix Potter's ghost, who would now be 81.

    Date: April 1st 2025
    Start: SD368957, Near Sawrey, by the phone  (Map: OL7)
    Route: SW, N along Stones Lane – Moss Eccles Tarn – N – Wise Een Tarn – N, NE, NW, N, W, N, W, NW, N (!) – Latterbarrow – NE – Basecamp – SE – Scab Moss – SW – Wise Een Tarn – S – Near Sawrey
    Distance: 7 miles;   Ascent: 190 metres

The two following items:
     222.   What’s Great about Great Knoutberry Hill
     221.   Small Water with Little ‘Uns
The two preceding items:
     219.   Sedbergh, Brigflatts, the Waterside Viaduct and an Elephant
     218.   A Lowland Bowland Walk from Dolphinholme
Two nearby items:
     137.   Bowness, Empty and Full
       28.   Broughton Moor, or What's Left of It
A list of all items so far:
               Saunterings

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Top photo: Rainbow over Kisdon in Swaledale; Bottom photo: Ullswater