326 ^uttermete district » 



land in that direction. It commands a very good sea-view. 



We will now resume our excursion towards Buttermere. 

 A carriage may be used up Ennerdale as far as the Gil- 

 lerthwaite Farm (4 miles) ; after that, the traveller must 

 ' foot it ' for the remainder of the way. The valley is 

 full of wild beauty, and deserves to be better known. 

 The traveller has, on his left, Red Pike, High Stile 

 and High Crag, and, on his right, Pillar and Kirk Fell, 

 while in front, is Great Gable. The river that dashes down 

 the centre is the J^ija, and the most interesting feature in 

 the landscape is the pillar ^Bioctt. so like a gigantic column 

 as to give its name to the mountain of which it forms part. 

 It was once believed that the rock was inaccessible, but there 

 have been adventurous tourists on the top of it, whose names, 

 it is said, are preserved in a bottle which is left in a crevice on 

 the summit. The ascent is looked upon as foolhardy by 

 some of the most experienced guides of the district. The 

 defile between High Crag and the Pillar is close and bold, 

 those mountains rising very steeply on each side of the 

 stream. In two miles and a half from Gillerthwaite there 

 is a sheep-fold and a quarry on the left, just beyond which 

 the j^cartl) ^eclt, coming down from High Crag, is 

 crossed; and, almost immediately afterwards, the sources 

 of two lesser tributaries of the Liza are stepped over. After 

 these, the path crossing the head of the valley will soon be 

 reached. Here we turn at a sharp angle to the left. If the 

 weather be favourable, a few hundred yards may be saved by 

 taking to the hill-side immediately after crossing Scarth 

 Beck. Follow the stream towards its source, and, in a quar- 

 ter of a mile the Scarth Gap path will be found. The re- 

 mainder of the journey towards the hotel at Buttermere is 

 detailed at page 297. 



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