DERWENTWATER
In stark contrast to where I live on the edge of the Western Lakes, the area around Derwentwater is a place of tranquility and beauty.
For the landscape photographer the area is a very target rich environment, with many locations being easily accessible with relatively little effort. The town of Keswick is the hub, being closely located to the A66 and just 15 miles from the motorway, it’s an ideal base for anyone planning a photography trip in the lakes.
Here i’m going to offer a small selection of my favourite spots, some you will probably have heard of, others perhaps not - again the emphasis being more aimed at the fine details of each location which could help make or break your own visit here.
Crow Park
The grassy mound opposite the Theatre By The Lake (OS Grid Ref: NY 26337 22872) is probably the most popular spot for photographers coming to Derwentwater, and for good reason. Year round it provides a great spot to shoot towards Catbells and the famous house on Derwent Isle. Personally my favourite time of year to shoot here is autumn, where the foliage on the trees has turned to all shades of yellow and amber. In truth though, it can be shot at any time of year. If you manage to shoot here after a snowfall it can look particularly lovely pre-sunrise where you get those lovely pastel hues.
Shooting advice
Personally my favoured view is from further back on the bank, isolating the island and simplifying the image. Usually a focal length of between 50 & 70mm should do the trick here. You can of course venture down to the shoreline and use the fence posts and gate as foreground interest using wider angles, just be careful to make sure you separate your subjects here, a lot of images I’ve seen end up with these bits too close to the edge of the frame. The best time to shoot this spot is after a bit of rainfall so check local forecasts in the lead up to your visit. The area around the shoreline is very shallow, so the water level rises and falls rapidly. Time it correctly and you can get the fence and the gate partially submerged which looks lovely reflected in calm water. Access to this area is straighforward, pay and display car parking is located next to the theatre.
Derwent Isle from Crow ParkIsthmus Bay
This small area is located very close to Crow Park (OS Grid Ref: NY 26052 22768), and is most well known for its old dilapidated jetty. Use the path which goes directly across Crow Park down the small wooded path, go through the gate and follow this for about 200 yards, bringing you out at Isthmus Bay. Again, this area is shallow so timing is key especially when trying to shoot the jetty. If the water level is too low, the area surrounding the jetty is quite scruffy and can ruin the shot, so again check local forecasts in the days leading up to visiting. Ideally the jetty needs to be partially submerged for the shot to work.
Shooting advice
What I would suggest is perhaps moving away from the jetty and using some of the shoreline rocks as interest for a clear and uninterrupted view of Catbells as seen opposite:
Again, this location works year round, though it’s probably at its peak in autumn where the trees that line the shoreline beneath Catbells are lit up in the morning sun. Be aware that you’ll need to wait a fair bit after sunrise (maybe 90mins) before you actually get any direct light on those trees, so if it’s a cold morning make sure you wrap up as you’ll be standing around for a bit!
In winter the sun sets directly behind Catbells, so whilst you will find the trees and mountains in deep shadow, the sunset colour can make for a quite spectacular silhouette style image.
Catbells from Isthmus BayOtterbield Bay
This is an area which is starting to become more popular with photographers, who mainly visit so they can shoot the old knarled tree seen (opposite). Be warned, shooting this tree is a little more complex than it looks, as in most pictures you see they don’t quite show how high above your head it is. Separating it from the background of both the small island and Blencathra in the distance can prove more tricky than you’d expect, with many images made here failing because the photographer hasn’t given enough thought to giving all the elements enough breathing room.
Shooting advice
For me this location works best at sunrise during the late winter/spring months, where the sun rises from behind Walla Crag as you face almost directly east. Again though, any other times of the year are acceptable as well, the morning being optimal. From Otterbield Bay, you can pretty much wander along the entire stretch of shoreline right down to Manesty at the south end of the lake, taking in many of the other little bay areas which offer limitless compositions. Low Brandlehow Jetty (OS Grid Ref: NY 25236 20721) is the poorer relation to its more famous neighbour Ashness across the other side of the lake (I suspect purely because it’s next to the road) however I think this one is the more photogenic of the two jetties and offers better photo opportunities, again at sunrise.
Access to this area is best approached from one of the small layby areas near to Hawes End Outdoor Centre (be aware that there isn’t much space is here) near to OS Grid Ref: NY 24665 21172 where there’s a straigtforward path which leads past the outdoor centre and down towards the shoreline (about 10-15mins walk). Parking at the Outdoor Centre is limited to users/residents only so don’t park here as it’s off limits.
Otterbield BayManesty
The area around Manesty is a personal favourite of mine, giving you opportunities to shoot not only the Lakeside but also some fantastic woodland as well. It’s at its best without doubt in Autumn, where colour can be used to supplement the fantastic views into the jaws of Borrowdale.
If you approach from the east side of the lake, you can park at Kettlewell NT car park (OS Grid Ref: NY 26691 19508) where a 20 minutes or so walk along the roadside (you’ll pass the Lodore Hotel) and then across the chinese bridge (you can see the on approach to your right from the roadside) will lead you to the Manesty area.
Shooting advice
It takes quite a while for the trees in this area to get any direct light on them, so be prepared to wait until well after sunrise for a shot of this type in the autumn/winter months. Sunrise colour is probably best shot either towards Skiddaw or Castle Crag as seen in the examples above and right.
It’s also worth mentioning the boardwalks that are crossed on the way to Manesty can make for some interesting compositions, as well as the small inlets of water which snake between the high reeds, these help to frame the superb view northwards towards the Skiddaw range. The images shown were all shot on the same morning, in all different directions which should give you an idea of what’s possible:
As i mentioned earlier, the list of places to photograph around Derwentwater are pretty extensive, hopefully though this guide has given you a good idea of what to expect and a good base to start from. I’d highly recommend Manesty as my favourite especially in Autumn, so many opportunities there.
If you’ve found this or any of the guides i’ve written helpful feel free to leave me some feedback.
Happy shooting folks :-)
Golden hour in Manesty Woods
Looking towards Skiddaw from Manesty