Lake District Walks: Rannerdale Knotts & Bluebells, Crummock Water - Wainwright Favourite

Join me on a brief but arduous hike up Rannerdale Knotts in the Lake District National Park, one of the mountains listed by Alfred Wainwright in his much-celebrated guide books on walking in Lakeland. Located on Crummock water in the vale of Buttermere, Rannerdale Knotts is a prominent mountain landmark that rises steeply from Crummock Water's eastern shore and is a much-loved climb for both novice and seasoned walkers alike, chiefly because of its good ascent paths and easy access from the road running along the shore of Crummock Water ( B5289). Rannerdale Knotts' situation within the landscape of the Buttermere valley grants those who hike to its top spectacular views of both Buttermere and Crummock Water and of a vast range of famous fells in Lakeland, Red Pike, High Stile, High Crag, Fleetwith Pike and Hay Stacks to name just a few. The valley of High Rannerdale, sitting right beneath the fell, is world-famous for its late April to May bluebell display. Uniquely, these bluebells grow on the open, unwooded fell-side rather than under a canopy of trees, creating a dramatic sea of purple-blue against the mountain backdrop of Rannerdale Knotts and Grasmoor. According to local legend, the valley was the location of a historic battle between native Cumbrians and Norsemen who ambushed and defeated invading Normans in the late 11th or early 12th century. Myth has it that the bluebells grow wherever the blood of those fallen warriors had been spilled. Rannerdale Knotts and its associated fell are heavily favoured by novice hikers, families, and dog walkers because, although accessible by a clearly marked path, this mountain affords the hiking an experience of rugged, mountainous terrain and stunning views. The route that I take in this video is a popular 4.8-km (3-mile) loop that usually takes between 1.5 to 2.5 hours to complete. The walk starts from the small ⁠National Trust car park at Hause Point; the climb from Hause Point is brief but steep, but the addition of a stone rock staircase by the Trust has made it much more manageable. From the summit, the route continues along a ridge, strewn with 'knobbly' rocky outcrops, from where fabulous views over Buttermere, the Lakeland fells that lie beyond and of the looming mountains of Grasmoor an Whiteless Pike are to be had. Subscribe to my channel,    / @ukhiking  , for more hiking and drone videos of my wanderings on THE FELLS OF GREAT BRITAIN and do feel free to leave comments here, good or bad, and suggestions for improvement in my future videos. A gpx route file of the walk covered in this video is available from me at the following email address: [email protected]. Alternatively, you can view the walk and download a gpx route file on the 'OS Maps' website here: https://explore.osmaps.com/route/3177... CHAPTERS 00:00 - Intro 01:11 - Route description 02:14 - Route map and overview 03:43 - Route stats 04:04 - The ascent 05:24 - Views during the ascent 06:26 - Wonderful vistas during the ascent 07:44 - Loweswater 08:44 - Where's the path! 11:17 - Views from the summit 14:08 - Commentary on the climb 15:28 - Walking the ridge down into Rannerdale 17:24 - The Rannerdale Bluebells 19:29 - Drone sequence [Rannerdale Bluebells - Part I] 22:28 - A bit of local history [the Norman Conquest] 26:24 - Drone sequence [Rannerdale Bluebells - Part II] 28:22 - Continuing down into Rannerdale 29:07 - Views of Buttermere village and lake 30:37 - Descending into Rannerdale 32:16 - Drone sequence [Rannerdale Valley] 35:07 - The Rannerdale Bluebells revisited 36:24 - Final pano of Rannerdale Knotts 36:42 - Outro 37:10 - Credits