Thursday 5 February 2015

Penrith Beacon

This is a very short walk, but neither of us had visited this oft seen landmark. Things needed to be put right! So off we strode....its only a short walk, indeed it could be done by a fit person in their lunch hour from the town centre I would say. Worth an hour of anyone's time I'd say!

The path gains height at an easy angle up thro Scots pine and scrub. Alas you are fenced in for much of the way...Lowther Estates apparently.

You don't see the tower until your almost there.
I can imagine its rather muddy up here, fortunately it was all frozen today :-)

It was built to warn the townsfolk of marauding Scots it would seem.
Today it's all locked up to keep the Neds out :-(

The veiw to the Lakes hills would be even better if some of the trees were trimmed back. The Pennines can't be seen again because of the pesky trees!

3 comments:

  1. Lovely. Hyperdog Moss and I were up there this Monday. A favourite short walk, and great views through the trees towards Ullswater and the Fells. A circular walk is possible approaching the Beacon from the rear.

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  2. PS Every year or so since at least 1989 there are letters to the Cumberland anc Westmorland Herald asking Lowther Estates to cut the trees back to keep the views clear. You can also avoid that frozen muddy area near the top by various cunning shortcuts from the main path, including the notorious South West Face Route 'Beacon Pike - The Hard Way'. :--)

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  3. I had fancied a circuit from the South, but was repelled by locked gates etc.
    We had thought of a descent by the Southwest Face route...but had left our rope, pitons etc at basecamp (the car)! Instead we forged what appears to be a little used line to the North..the main problems being Bilberry and the odd twig across the path!

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