Lake District- Red Squirrel Spotting and a Borrowdale Wander

Dodd Wood

Weddings are always something to look forward to. Especially when the person getting married decides to do it in the Lake District. What a fantastic excuse to head north-west and visit the dramatic scenery of Cumbria. A short trip away, but with two days available for some walking, I was particularly excited as my partner and I were travelling along the A66 towards Lakeland. I'm beginning to know the route to the Lakes quite well now after travelling there whenever I get the chance. Once I get on the A66 at Scotch Corner the excitement begins to build. On that road the sights and smells are different to the place we've left behind. As soon as you turn onto the road, out of the window are sheep penned behind dry-stone walls. The farm houses are a moody dull colour and become few and far between as you start to get on top of the Pennines. The landscape quickly changes from a rural idyll to a barren expanse as you climb higher. On the Pennine tops, a sense of foreboding interchanges with excitement like the rapidly changing weather. This road, I see as the warm up for the Lake District. A short film before the show begins.

As we only had two days of walks with the wedding in between- and because I have an injury to my knee- it was decided that there wouldn't be any scrambles or soaring heights on this Lakeland trip. More time spent observing and strolling than climbing and yomping. The first idea that I had for the trip, was to try and find some Red Squirrels. Once upon a time, not such a difficult task. But, unfortunately, red squirrels are a very rare site in the U.K after losing in competition with the non-native 'grey's'. The Lake District is one of the few places in England that you can get a chance at spotting these cute ginger fluff balls in the wild.



After a small amount of research, it was decided that our best chance lie in Dodd Wood, just north of Keswick. This piece of Forestry Commission woodland is known to harbour red squirrels, with feeders for them being left below the osprey viewing platform on the hill. Rocking up in the car park, my expectations for seeing the squirrels weren't very high. I wouldn't call myself a pessimist, I just went in with the mindset that a walk in the woods would be nice, and a red squirrel would be a huge bonus. From the car park, we headed via one of the waymarked tracks to the lower of the two osprey viewing platforms.

Dodd Wood is very much a working woodland. There are signs of forestry all around, but also signs of wildlife. Tucked between the mass of Skiddaw and Bassenthwaite Lake, the wood is full of small becks and stunning views over the lake. The wood has some of the heavyweights of U.K wildlife. Ospreys nest on the man made platform overlooking Bassenthwaite. These magnificent birds were encouraged back to Lakeland after a 150 year absence and can now be seen nesting from the viewing platform we were heading to now. Ospreys migrate during the winter to warmer parts, so we weren't expecting to see any on our visit. But, they weren't the reason we were heading to the osprey viewing platform. Its the small feeding station below it that we were really there for.

Seconds after saying aloud, 'I don't wanna get your hopes up', I saw a distinctive squirrel shaped silhouette. We immediately froze. Sure enough, it was a 'red' only a few metres away. We stepped very quietly and slowly to try and get a better view. As it turned out, there wasn't any need to be quiet because the following 45 mins was spent watching these graceful animals chase, eat and bury food right in front of us. I've seen them on television on countless occasions, but here was our very on show. Not only this, but a few feet away was a small tree with bird feeders in. Two greater spotted woodpeckers, dunnocks, chaffinches, coal tits and great tits all darted around each other looking for food. All of this took place in about five square metres, with Bassenthwaite as the back drop. I would urge anyone who appreciates wildlife to visit that spot. These animals aren't just subjects of nature documentaries and Countryfile segments. They're there for us to go out and see for ourselves.




Borrowdale

After a beautiful wedding in a beautiful location- far too much drink and an evening of dancing- we woke the following morning with surprisingly clear heads and ready to get some fresh air. Borrowdale would be the source of our fresh air for the day.



Borrowdale sits south of Keswick, with the River Derwent running through it from the high central fells, making its way to Derwent Water. Our walk would start in the heart of Borrowdale, at the tiny village of Rosthwaite (make sure you take change for the National Trust parking incase you can't find a free parking space). The village is surrounded by wind swept tops and wooded slopes. This time of year, with the Autumn in full swing, the colours in the valley were spectacular. Bracken, now an appropriate red squirrel orange. Beech trees and oaks clinging to the valley's side, contrasting their brown tones against the green valley bottom.



From Rosthwaite, we crossed a bridge over Stonethwaite Beck. We headed along the footpath, walking upstream as it were. After a short while, we came back on ourselves and slowly started to ascend the valley side. As we gradually climbed, the views across the valley were technicolour. Brilliantly, the backdrop would constantly change as clouds moved in and out of the outlining fells. Passing over small gills and through dry stone walls as we gently ascended the side of the valley. As we passed one way across the fields, a flock of fieldfares were passing the other way. Having made their way from Scandinavia and Siberia, they continued their westward journey over our heads- feeding on hawthorn berries in a group of about eight birds. Fieldfares are very much a winter bird in the U.K -escaping colder winters in the east- and meeting them on our walk seemed to suit our autumn wander very nicely.

 

Eventually, we stopped climbing and we began to come back down the valley. No more sweeping views, we now descended through oak and beech woodland. The woods at this time of the year are interesting places to be- especially in Borrowdale. Being close to one of the wettest places in Britain, lichens, mosses and ferns happily cling to the damp valley sides. Fungus sticks out from trees and the leaf covered woodland floor. All of this gives these woods a mystical quality. The odd herdwick sheep, grazing amongst the trees, seems out of place and shatter the illusion of a prehistoric wood- but they sure are cute. A steep descent led us out of the woods and to the last leg along the road into Rosthwaite.

Its no surprise that the Lake District has more visitors than any other national park. I was as happy doing small walks around Borrowdale and Dodd Wood than I was climbing the high central fells. There's something for everyone. Autumn is also a fantastic time to visit and will now be my favourite time to head to the Lakes. Quieter, more colourful and dramatic.

Please make the effort to see red squirrels the next time you are in the Lake District. Unfortunately, you need to see them while you still can. Hopefully though, the more people that see these beautiful animals in the wild, the more people will be willing to help bring them back to woodlands all over the U.K. The Lake District isn't the only place in the U.K you can see red squirrels, but it is a great place to see them.

On Foot Note

OSmaps routes
- Dodd Wood walk
- Borrowdale walk

Cumbria Wildlife Trust- red squirrels spots and information

Dodd Wood Forestry Commision leaflet