Ullswater Routes 10-12
Beyond the Bridge that isn’t, Roger Butler explores the quiet corners on the ‘wrong’ side of the lake.
Make the most of the fells on the east, and less visited, side of the lake
In December 2015 Storm Desmond knocked out the old stone bridge across River Eamont at the foot of Ullswater. And for a while in 2019, the temporary bridge will also be removed, to make way for an elegant new steel-and-concrete construction. So once again Pooley Bridge and the hills of Howtown will be cut off from the outside world. Well, apart from anyone cunning enough to work out that there’s also a road in from the Penrith bypass...
So 2019 could see the little hills and ridges east of Ullswater even less busy than usual. Lakeland is especially good at hills in the 300-600m height range. Here on the eastern fringes, a cluster of such hills – Hallin Fell, Beda Fell, Pikeawassa – rise from the tiny valleys of Boredale and Bannerdale, Fusedale and Martindale. It’s a toytown landscape, served by little boats that chug up and down the lake to the Howtown landing stage. TRANSPORT
Penrith is on West Coast Main Line with fast trains to London, Glasgow etc. Bus 508 from Penrith to Pooley Bridge continues to Patterdale and in summer to Windermere (this service may be disrupted during construction of the new bridge). The lake ferry terminal and car park are west of River Eamont, and there should be a temporary pedestrian bridge into the village. Lake ferries to Howtown, www. ullswater-steamers.co.uk Bus timetables, www.cumbria.gov.uk Train info, 0871 200 22 33, www.traveline.info PUBS/GRUB
Several pubs and cafés in Pooley Bridge. Howtown Hotel has walker-friendly tearoom open late March, 01768 486514, www.howtown-hotel.co.uk
ACCOMMODATION Howtown Hotel, ‘best little hotel in the world’ (The Oldie magazine) re-opens at Easter. East Ullswater has several quiet campsites open from March onwards – Waterside, (also pods, tipis, glamping) www. watersidefarm-campsite.co.uk Hillcroft Park, hillcroftpark.co.uk and Cross Dormont, www. crossdormont.co.uk
PRACTICALITIES Pooley Bridge has food and gift shops (its gear shop Catstycam closed after Storm Desmond). All facilities at Penrith.
LOCAL INFO Penrith TIC, 01768 867466, www.visiteden.co.uk