Borrowdale: A Walk around Seathwaite Farm

Borrowdale:

A Walk around Seathwaite Farm.

One of our favourite walks in the Borrowdale Valley in England’s Lake District starts at Seathwaite Farm.

Whilst parts of the Lake District have become very busy with tourists, the Borrowdale Valley is less developed. Whilst coffee shops are hard to find, there are some beautifully situated hotels and inns offering food and drink for the day visitor and comfortable accommodation for those who wish to stay.

There isn’t a car park with a ticket machine at the start of this walk; there is some off-road parking just before the farm though for those walkers who get there early enough. (update 2019: drive past all cars parked by side of road right up to the farm. On the right is a “CAR PARK” sign. You can park in the field all day for a small charge. The farmer has left an honesty box for payment.)

The area has been in the news recently as the 600 year-old tradition of sheep farming is very much under threat. This is explained in an excellent Guardian article entitled “The National Trust, the sheep farm and a fight for a Lakes way of life”.

And also in an article in the The Telegraph which quotes extensively from author Melvyn Bragg’s letter to The Times: “Lord Bragg attacks ‘mafia style’ National Trust over Lake District land purchase”

I didn’t know about any of this when we visited the area several times last year. Knowing now how threatened the traditional way of life is makes these photographs very poignant for me.

Seathwaite Farm Borrowdale Valley Cumbria Lakeland fells

Seathwaite Farm ©HelenBushe

Land Rover and Barn Borrowdale farm Seathwaite

Land Rover and Barn ©HelenBushe

Farm Buildings Borrowdale barn Seathwaite

Farm Buildings ©HelenBushe

sheep pen Hardwick Borrowdale Seathwaite farm

Penned In ©HelenBushe

Purple Towels ©HelenBushe

Two Herdwicks sheep Borrowdale lake district

Two Herdwicks ©HelenBushe

gate fells lakeland Cumbria Seathwaite farm

Please Close the Gate ©HelenBushe

Hardwick Sheep:

The Herdwick is a breed of domestic sheep native to the Lake District of Cumbria where winters are harsh.

The wool quality of a Herdwick has unique qualities relating to durability. Thick bristle type fibres will often protrude from garments forming a protective barrier layer in blizzards—most likely the same qualities that protect the sheep in similar conditions. They have been known to survive under a blanket of snow for three days while eating their own wool. Wikipedia

For an interesting read about how Beatrix Potter was instrumental in saving the breed, go to www.peterrabbit.com.

4 Comments

Amy · 10 February 2017 at 22:52

Thank you for the tour! So beautiful and peaceful there. Love the last capture especially. 🙂

HMB · 11 February 2017 at 07:15

Thanks Amy. Our first trip back to Borrowdale at the end of March.

elleturner4 · 7 February 2017 at 07:05

I’m ashamed to say that I’ve never been to the Lake District-it’s on my list! Beautiful photos-I especially like the purple towels shot-there’s something about it.

HMB · 7 February 2017 at 09:04

Thanks Liz. Yes, I think those towels would be dry faster than if they’d been in a tumble dryer. I would recommend Borrowdale Valley when you visit Lakes. (that’s WHEN not IF ).