Buttermere

Buttermere is a photogenic and naturally beautiful ribbon lake, set amongst the backdrop of striking fells and picturesque countryside, with "some of the finest glacial features of the district." The 12th largest lake from our list is located at the head of the Buttermere Valley where it sits in a glacial trough along with its neighbours Crummock Water and Loweswater; the only valley in Lakeland with three lakes. The main settlement is the village of Buttermere. It was named after the lake. The civil parish of the same name encompasses a large area including Honister in the east, the southern aspect of Dale Head, the northern aspect of High Stile and Haystacks, Grasmoor and Whiteside in their entirety, and both Buttermere and Crummock Water. The countryside within this boundary offers substantial walking opportunities, which makes this a popular place for visitors. One of easiest is the casual walk around the lake, with its slightly undulating and well-maintain gravel paths.

The village and environs offer accommodation with two hotels, a youth hostel, holiday cottages, and a campsite. There is also a small church dedicated to St. James, and light refreshments are served in the local farm cafe and tea room respectively. There are three car parks, five with hotel parking facilities. One of the car parks belongs to the National Trust and provides free parking to members. Access is via the B5289 (Honister Pass) or Newlands Pass if coming from Keswick.

An easy circular walk around the lake is always appealing if a gentler stroll is preferential, with a stop at one of the many slate beaches for a relaxing rest stop or picnic. On hot days, an ice cream from the hut at Gatesgarth Farm will go down a treat whilst listening to the gentle sounds of Gatesgarthdale Beck flowing by.

Geography

The steep-sided rocks of the valley are both rugged and dramatic. The surrounding contours contain a mix of rock groups, where "strong geological contrasts appear on either side," these being volcanic, granites, and a combination of mudstones, slate and sandstones of the Skiddaw Group of rocks. Both lakes were originally one much larger lake, with the middle section created by alluvial material deposited from Sail Beck, Mill Beck, and the various tributary becks that feed into them. This now large area of land has several fields and is used primarily for farming purposes. The lake is 28 metres at its deepest point, has a surface area of 0.94 km2, and sits at 100 (328 feet) metres above sea level.

There is also substantial infill at the southern end of the lake, with Warnscale Beck and Gatesgarthdale Beck as the principle inflows. Two deltas are evident where Hassnesshow Beck and Comb Beck flow in the lake. The former is now a large field, and has a larger catchment area. This would account for it being three times larger than the latter, which is the site of a small wood. From above it is clear the extent to which alluvial deposits have increased the land, and reduced the size of the lake. If this process were to continue without human intervention, the sedimentary buildup would eventually fill the lake completely. The deltaic spread here is similar to that found between Derwentwater and Bassenthwaite Lake, where it is on a larger scale.

There are several slate beaches located around the lake, varying in size and popularity. The material from which they are made mirrors the material of the local bedrock, and what is brought down from the surrounding fells. Broken down over long periods of time, this material is washed up to form impressive bays or linear beaches of gravel, pebbles or cobbles depending on locality. At Buttermere, the beaches are made of a much finer slate, rolled and tumbled into smooth flakes. In terms of quality, the beaches here, and Crummock Water, are amongst the best in the Lake District. This comes as no surprise to the number of visitors who flock to the water’s edge, some people well equipped for a full day’s camping and water sports, such as paddle boarding and kayaking.

Etymology

The name Buttermere means the lake with good pasture-land, which comes from Old English butere (butter) and mere (lake, pool). This would make sense due to the large, fertile alluvial plains situated at both ends of the lake.

Another possible origin of the name has links with Jarl Buthar (also known as "Boethar"), an 11th century Norse Earl who'd attained lands around Buttermere, and was the leader of an Anglo-Scandinavian resistance against the Normans under Ranulf le Meschin, Lord of Cumberland. Whaley suggests that the place name interpretations of this legend are incorrect, the "legend has some basis insofar as Victoria County History deemed it 'not disputed that the family of the Scotic ruler, Bueth or Boet, held its own against the Norman intruder', with possession of the barony of Gillesland, for fifty years after the Norman Conquest."

Places of interest

The Buttermere Valley is known as one of the most beautiful places in the Lake District, and there is always plenty for the outdoors enthusiasts to do, especially if hiking is a top priority. With a variety of big fells at your disposal, anyone would be hard-pressed to visit Buttermere and not know where to explore. In every direction there are a multitude of paths and bridleways criss-crossing and ever-climbing to experience the peaks and the wider views they entice the weary traveller with.

Buttermere Fells

Here alone you could clock up some serious climbs, and tick off several of the larger Wainwrights in one range alone, such as Red Pike (755m), High Stile (807m), High Crag (744m), Haystacks (597m), and as a separate climb, Fleetwith Pike (648m), which would be better attempted along with the imposing Great Gable via Brandreth and Green Gable.

All of the above are considered difficult climbs, especially if tackled one after another, and would require a fair amount of time and energy to complete, but the views, partnered with the accomplishment of bagging those peaks, is reward for all the effort in reaching them, aches and pains included. If taking advantage of the different accommodation the village has to offer, a hearty evening meal and a good night’s rest will ensure the body is energised sufficiently for further exploration the next morning. Throw in some good old-fashioned Lake District sunshine (photograph it when you see as it can be rare) and you have a recipe for a perfect trip away. The fells to the east of the lake are equally impressive, with Robinson (737m), Hindscarth (727m), and Dale Head (753m) offering splendid views from the other side of Buttermere and deeper into the head of the valley.

Whilst on the subject of fells, a spring time visit to the smaller, but no less impressive, Rannerdale Knotts (355m) and the Secret Valley is a must to enjoy the plethora of Rannerdale Bluebells carpeting the gentle slopes with their beautiful hues of purple-blue. These bluebells are indeed special and need to be protected as trampling can cause irreparable damage from which they cannot survive. The National Trust's message reads: "The Bluebells are an historic feature of Rannerdale. Please leave for others to enjoy. Avoid trampling or picking the blooms." It's fairly common sense stuff – please ensure that when visiting you keep to the waymarked paths at all times.

In reality there are more peaks to explore along many miles of paths. It just depends on what your plans are and how far you wish to walk.

Tarns

These come in all shapes and sizes as discussed on Tarns of the Lake District. Some are quite large, others nothing more than mere pools, glistening in tranquil ripples on a gentle breeze. On the southern fells of Buttermere there are three main tarns:

• Bleaberry Tarn, an oval-shaped cirque tarn with complex features and several basins. At an elevation of 497 metres, it is already a hefty climb to reach, but it looks particularly impressive from the summit of High Stile with its familiar, but not entirely distinct cirque shape, and dark blue waters.
• Innominate Tarn, also known as Loaf Tarn, is one of a multitude of small bodies of water on the heights by Haystacks, the result of areal scouring leaving numerous depressions, some of them no more than a metre deep.
• Blackbeck Tarn is pear-shaped and the largest of the tarns around the summit area of Haystacks.

There is a fourth unnamed tarn on the Haystacks summit, elongated, narrow and perched on the edge of the summit with unsurpassed views down the Buttermere Valley. There are many more small and indistinct pools and ponds that are not named on the Ordnance Survey maps. This is one Alfred Wainwright's favourite places in the Lake District, and as he wished, his ashes were scattered here, blown on the winds and becoming part of the very landscape he so loved.

Waterfalls

Further north-west is Scale Force, Lakeland’s highest waterfall at 51.8 meters (170 feet). An impressive narrow falls set back within a large fissure eroded into the fellside. After periods of rain this waterfall will provide a suitable scene for interesting long exposure photography, some quick snaps, and everything in between.

• Moss Force
• Holme Force

Permissible activities

Buttermere is owned by the National Trust, which was purchased in 1935 along with Crummock Water and Loweswater. It comes under the smaller lake bylaws, one of several sets of bylaws established for the protection of the Lake District National Park, made under section 13 of the Countryside Act, 1968. This means that there are certain prohibited activities.

Swimming is allowed with no restrictions. For the adventurous swimmer, lake and tarn bagging is a favourite amongst enthusiasts keen to "bag" as many lakes and tarns as possible, something that is done for fun, social events or a personal achievement. The waters here are cold and refreshing, although caution should always be advised, especially in the cooler months of spring and autumn when the waters may be colder than expected. If this is the case, then wearing a wetsuit is a precautionary measure. During the height of summer, and during school holidays in particular, the beaches at Buttermere can become a hive of activity.

Canoes, kayaks, paddleboards, and rowing boats are allowed with a permit. Sailing boats and powered craft of any kind are not permitted. The National Trust should be contacted to obtain permits.

Sources

• Smith, Alan (2012). The Big Lakes of Lakeland. The Landscapes of Cumbria No.5. Keswick: Rigg Side Publications.
• Victoria County History (1901). The Victoria History of the County of Cumberland. Vol.1. London: Constable.
• Whaley, Diana (2006). A Dictionary of Lake District Place-Names. Nottingham: English Place-Name Society.

The English Lakes

Lakes

Lakes > 1km²

Bassenthwaite LakeConiston WaterCrummock WaterDerwentwaterDevoke WaterEnnerdale WaterHaweswaterHayeswaterLevers WaterThirlmereUllswaterWast WaterWindermere

Lakes < 1km²

Brothers WaterElter WaterRydal WaterLoweswaterGrasmereButtermereEsthwaite Water