Our first trip out in the Lakes was something leisurely and somewhere we had been before back in 2021. It was Aira Force.
About Aira Force
Aira Force is a National Trust site with a woodland you can enjoy wandering around beautiful woodland with a tall and spectacular 65-foot waterfall called Aira Force.
The site has lots to offer – as well as the woodland and waterfall, there’s Gowbarrow Fell is you fancy a reasonable and straightforward hike up where view of Ullswater await you.
Photos from the visit
We parked up and enjoyed using our NT card to save the £9 car park fee.
First, we walked over the road and along a short path to see Ullswater, and watch steamboat boats arriving and departing.
You can walk along the pier if you fancy a closer view – reminds me the saying “taking a long walk off a short pier…”
I would’ve got an image from the shore but there were multiple groups of people with dogs trying and failing to control their pets, and the shouting was somewhat loutish.
How dare these people be out enjoying themselves exercising their animals without a care in the world?
We walked back up the path, over the road and onto the woodland, where we spotted the first of many Herdwick sheep.
I do enjoy the persona of sheep – aside from the obvious jokes being from Norfolk, they do appear to me to be the animal versions of grumpy old man, so I can appreciate the “I am not amused” look!
I particularly enjoyed this look from one of the lambs.
There are a few seats dotted around in the woodland where it’s nice to sit down and enjoy a snack and drink, which we did then it was off to visit the waterfall.
In 2021, a large tree had fallen and taken out the route to view the waterfall close up – it has since been rebuilt with steps, a metal supported bridge and walking platform.
I took quite a few photos here, all handheld without filters just to experiment with different shutter speeds to see what I could get in terms of detail in the water.
The height of the waterfall means that the water falls super fast so it is very easy to get a moving water shot even with your smartphone.
We wandered back to the car through the woodland and observed lots of lovely plants from violets to fir-like trees.
On the way back, another sheep-shot was too cute not to capture – this one of a mother and one of her lambs.
Aira Force is a lovely place to visit and recommended – worth noting that the car park will present a challenge at busy times.
Ullswater shore and Silver Point walk
Next day, it was another local one, a walk we did in 2021 and really enjoyed it. It’s following the Ullswater shoreline around Silver Point – a great guide to this can be found here.
Starting at Patterdale, this walk takes you across a field, through a farmyard and along the Ullswater shoreline (actually it’s a path further inland) and up to Silver Crag.
I got another shot of a steamboat and there would be a few more later on.
Silver Point on the end is a lovely location for a sit down and a picnic which is exactly what we did this time, and last time too.
The view overlooking Ullswater from here is amazing and so quiet and relaxing.
The first shot was straight across the water catching some reflections.
I grabbed one of my favourite shots of the day of one of the steamboats travelling up to Glenridding.
Not long after this shot, I got a boat moving t’other way and I really like the water trails they leave behind.
I grabbed another shot as the patterns the boat was creating in the water intrigued me.
It was time to put the drone up and explore a little – I checked the apps and decided I would fly over land only and at a low altitude as this area is well-known for low flying jet aircraft training.
I got some good video footage, and two drone shots I’m very pleased with, the first being of Ullswater itself showing the sheer expanse of the water.
I then grabbed a shot of another boat passing which I really like, and if I ignore the ‘noise’ in the shot, it’s better than the camera shot shown earlier.
Same as we had done in 2021, we were now going to head back in the direction from which we came, but ascending up Birk Fell on our left and Silver Crag on our right.
Below is the view looking back.
I couldn’t help but zoom in and take a picture of the boats and the pattern the steamboat was making in the water again.
The view down through Place Fell was amazing and had to be shot, but I found composition tricky, and I remembered this being the case last time.
It was time to put the drone up again and I was quite pleased with the shot below, although I wish I had thought to do a panoramic shot.
Towards the end of the path, there was some running water down the fell for which I couldn’t resist a shot. However, this was a nightmare compositionally, as I persisted in trying to get the two trees in the shot as well.
The final shot was at a moment when the sun rays were shining through the clouds on the fells, which looked fabulous.
And that was a wrap.
We made our way back to the car chatting about how much we enjoyed this walk, and it would be on our regular list each time we revisit the Lakes.
Aira Force and Silver Point are two superb locations, but this is the Lake District and everything is superb!
Onwards and upwards…