Rosthwaite, Watendlath and Stonethwaite

Stonethwaite Beck (passing under the bridge at Rosthwaite on its way to join the River Derwent) is typical of Cumbrian streams, flowing crystal clear over green and blue stones where wild brown trout can often be seen. From the hillside high above Rosthwaite there are fine views of the 'Jaws of Borrowdale' (where the valley splits, with Rosthwaite below and cottages near the end of the Stonethwaite valley branching off to the left, while the main valley runs past Longthwaite to Seatoller and the Honister Pass).

The rugged heights of Glaramara stand between the Stonethwaite and Seatoller valleys carved by glaciers during the last Ice Age. A gate across the path offers a great vantage point to study two insectivorous plants — butterwort and round-leaved sundew — growing in nutrient-deficient wet ground and supplementing their diet by trapping insects. Before the path climbs steeply towards Dock Tarn, wet ground supports bog myrtle with an unforgettably tangy fragrance when leaves are pinched (covered in little orange catkins in springtime).

Dock Tarn is a lonely spot where sandpipers, pied wagtails, and autumn goosanders visit the water's edge.

On the walk from Dock Tarn to Stonethwaite, superb views open up to the left: Greenup Gill running down from Greenup Edge (crossing to Grasmere), Eagle Crag between Greenup and Langstrath valleys, Langstrath Beck, and the Stonethwaite valley beneath Glaramara. To the right are Seatoller, slate quarry remains with a straight tramway line up the hillside, and the peaks of Fleetwith Pike, Haystacks, and Hindscarth.

Steep wooded slopes feature sessile oak (whose young leaves in early spring are reduced to lacework by looper caterpillars), holly, birch, rowan, and pollarded ash trees at Watendlath (cut back to provide sticks for hurdles). Hazels between Stonethwaite and Rosthwaite are coppiced, and Borrowdale is famous for ancient yew trees visible at Yew Crag above Hazelbank Hotel and near the Rosthwaite bridge.

Acknowledgment: Text derived from the Out and Out Series; Discovering the Countryside on Foot. Pictures courtesy of Wikipedia.