5 Underrated Landscape Photography Spots in The Lake District
Welcome to this latest blog post, where I am going to look at what I think are 5 underrated landscape photography locations in The Lake District, and I must admit, I feel like one of them is a bit of curveball, as I think it’s popular but not rated as highly as it perhaps should be.
Grab a brew and settle in.
Gummer’s How
This is a favourite of mine as it’s so close to home and so easily accessible. Gummer’s how is one of the fells that Wainright covers in his book “The Outlying Fells of Lakeland”, and it’s a real beauty. It sits high above Windermere with views across the water and right out to the Langdale Pikes.
You can park (usually pretty easily) in the free car park (what3 words ///rated.soup.looms) which is close to the hill, or in one of the many lay-bys at this location. The lay-bys are big enough that you won’t impede passing traffic if you park sensibly. From the car park, the walk to the summit is probably about 25 minutes and the rewards for exceed the effort that you put in to getting up there.
There are some views on the way up as well, so take your time and really soak it in!
Walney Island
This one isn’t the Lake District as such, but Walney Island some incredible views of The Lake District. It’s short drive (about 20 minutes) west of the town of Ulverston, which is definitely worth a look on the way in. Walney Island itself is small island with a population of around 10,000 accessed via a bridge from Barrow in Furness. There’s some great coastline here and the waves can be pretty dramatic when the wind is blowing.
One of my favourite spots here is on the West Shore, but facing north back towards the Lake District Fells. Parking is in a small car park (///class.dent.late) near to the end of the West Shore Road. You’re on foot from here as you can’t drive much further on this road as it turns to the north; it’s been closed to vehicles for some time, so you’re feet are going to be your friend. The sunsets on this island can be incredible in the right conditions, as can the sunrises, but conduct your resarch and make sure you give yourself a fighting chance.
You’ll also find some beaches on here and a huge breeding colony of seals at the south end of the island. There are some lovely walks and bird life here too, and you can park at South Walney Nature reserve for a small fee.
Although I don’t like to use the term, Walney is really a little bit of a hidden gem in the northwest and is somewhere you should definitely consider checking out.
Kelly Hall Tarn
This is lovely little town next to the village of Torver, which you will find on your way into Coniston. There is ample free parking right next to the path that leads to the tarn (///class.dent.late) and you will find the tarn itself about a 3 minute walk from your car, which you can park on the piece of land adjoining the access to the tarn (///pinch.inspects.giggled). Parking is free, but be careful in the cold weather when the ground is icy as it can get very slippy.
I love this place; it feels a lot further away from civilisation that it actually it. Whilst your here, there is a well known composition shooting a lone tree from the far side of the water and there are often Herdwick sheep wandering around here as they graze; they’re inquisitive, but not so much that they are intimidating. The last time I was there, they were kind enough to pose for me for a few minutes and I got some the best Herdy shot’s I’ve ever managed to get.
If you’re there at the right time of the year, you’ll also be able to get a great shot of some the water Lillies that cover the water in the summer.
Coniston Water
Hear me out on this one, I know Coniston Wawter is far from hidden and'/or underrated. What I love about this place is the access to the water side, the convenient parking at the side of the road, but I also love that at night time, it’s so incredibly dark. All of the above combine to make a really great spot for astrophotography. There is plenty of foreground interest and on a still evening, the water makes for some great reflections.
I’ve not managed to get an astronaut shot that I am happy enough to share yet, but having it so close by and knowing that during the winter it is MUCH quieter, means that I will be a frequent visitor here throughout the winter as I look to nail the first one I want to share!
Wast Water
This one is my curveball; Wast Water is known for being Englands deepest lake and it is situated in the shadow of Scafell Pike, which as many of you will know is the highest mountain in England.
It’s a bit of a drive for me to get there from the South Lakes, but I am always blown away by this place. At night time it’s dark with some decent Milky Way opportunities when the conditions are favourable. The sunsets up here are awesome and the light catches the fells and the screes in some amazing golden colours.
This place also looks amazing under moody skies, and if you can get a day with some moody but patchy cloud and the sun starts breaking through, then you’re onto a winner.
It’s also really accessible with lots of parking close to the edge of the water, so a lot of shots aren’t a huge walk from your car (the availability of this parking is going to depend on a number of factors, such as the weather, the time of year and the time of day). If you’re partial to a bit of wild swimming alongside your photography, then it’s a pretty epic place for a dip - just don’t look down, the depth (almost 80 metres in places) means that it’s very dark down there. If you are swimming here, don’t go alone and let someone know where you are - don’t do anything stupid and make sure you get out in one piece!
So that wraps this weeks landscape photography blog, and I hope you have found something useful in here. I’ll keep an eye on how much this page gets viewed and if the stats are looking good, I will put another one together in due course!
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