Welcome to the first in my serious of days out without a car but with camera (of course)!…

Black Combe is Cumbria’s most south westerly fell and at 600m is a handsome hill overlooking Walney Island and Morecambe Bay.

Viewed between two of Morecambe’s bird sculptures, Black Combe.

It was described by Wainwright as the only Lakeland Fell that can be ascended in carpet slippers! I wouldn’t go that far and on this particular occasion, extreme heat and lack of time prevented me from reaching the summit.

Cumbria coast’s picturesque railway at Silecroft.

My starting point was the delightful village of Silecroft near Millom, which gives good access to the flanks of Black Combe.

If only all footpaths were this well maintained!

Turning right and right again after leaving the station I headed north along a wonderful grassed path. I then veered right over the railway and joined a signed path heading up the hill after turning briefly left along the main road.

Lonely signal waits for the next train.

 

 

It doesn’t take long for the view to become worth the climb, as you ascend and turn left up a well marked path towards the summit.

Heading towards the foot of Black Combe.

 

Common grassland butterfly the Hedge Brown.

Always on the lookout for what nature has to offer, I admire the colours on a dying bracken leaf (below) and then catch a shot of a butterfly basking on a neighbouring leaf.

Bracken borders the path; shoulder high in places

My eye was then drawn upwards to this cloud peering over the horizon, resembling a leaping dog. Can you see it?

Passing cloud or leaping dog?!

The view from the half way point looking over Millom, Walney Island and Piel Island unfolds spectacularly below, lessened only by a light heat haze which I worked at in Photoshop to reduce. From the summit of Black Combe, the view opens out in all directions and is well worth the climb (but not today for me). Even the peaks of the Isle Of Man can be seen in clear conditions from here.

The view opens out below.

Off shore wind farm through the mist.

My final shot is a rather eerie one, zoomed in on some of the turbines in the big off shore wind farm. For once I didn’t want to use software to cut through the haze. Hard to believe the two above shots were taken from exactly the same spot, albeit at a slightly different angle with a longer lens.

Why not bag more views in the landscape gallery on my website, CLICK HERE?

More Photographers Ramblings coming soon!…