Lake District late February

[K3ny0n]

The fiancée just booked a two night stay in a hotel near Bowness-on-Windermere late February, close to lake Windermere. Looking forward to seeing some nice "darker" skies hopefully if the weather is fine.

Looking forward to it as I have never strayed away from the lovely polluted Middlesbrough.

Rob.

[Welrod50]

Lovely place! You may need a drive away from Windermere though for truly dark skies as there is a bit of urban LP around the tourist centres. Castlerigg Stone Circle is a good spot which is easily accessible and not too long a drive away either really. Plenty of dark sites in the Lakes, but you may need a bit of a hike to get to them. Castlerigg has a road and ample parking 20 metres from the circle. I suggest it as I went with the cameras last year for a few days and whilst I did not do any stargazing, I did share the spot with half a dozen other photog's at the time one sunset and the skies around it are pretty free from LP. A really dark place is Hardknott Pass. Scary to drive around at dusk where the narrow bits are, but it is breathtakingly quiet and I imagine, truly black at night!!

[nephilim]

The best dark sky site in the lakes is Ennerdale http://www.darkskydiscovery.org.uk/dsds/gillerthwaite.html (Milky way class and you can drive right to it) good luck with the weather, my girlfriend lives up there & I'm there three times a week. Unfortunatly the weather is very hit & miss & we've had maybe 6 clear nights in the last 3months BUT it starts to get alot better at the end of Jan beginning of Feb so i'll have my fingers crossed for you.

Steve

[nephilim]

The best dark sky site in the lakes is Ennerdale http://www.darkskydi...te.html��(Milky way class and you can drive right to it) good luck with the weather, my girlfriend lives up there & I'm there three times a week. Unfortunatly the weather is very hit & miss & we've had maybe 6 clear nights in the last 3months BUT it starts to get alot better at the end of Jan beginning of Feb so i'll have my fingers crossed for you.

Steve

Whoops link went a bit funny, i'll try again http://www.darkskydiscovery.org.uk/dsds/gillerthwaite.html

[Dave-Ryan]

I live about 30 mins away from Widerrnere and there are lots of dark site not too far away. Thinking of going up there in early Feb myself.

[K3ny0n]

From the hotel I'm staying in Castlerigg Stone is 25.4 mi, 46 mins according to Google Maps. I've looked on the maps, is it outside of Keswick?

Ennerdale looks quite a canny way from where we are staying. Looks stunning though.

Rob.

[L8-Nite]

Thanks for the link.

[nephilim]

Can be a problem up there, there's not a lot of roads that go 'straight' to places, they all twist & turn & can turn 10 miles into a good half hr journey.Ennerdale is quite a way away but if you can ever get there on a clear night it's stunning, the seeing over there can be second to none. If your pushed for time just head out of Windermere on the A591 towards Ings, find somewhere to pull over and the difference between there & Boro will amaze you, I lived in Stockton for 7yrs & know just what u mean about the LP over there.

[johnrt]

I had a long weekend in Cark (about 2 miles from Cartmel) in September. We had 1 clear night which revealed the Milky way visible with the naked eye, the first time I had seen it with my own eyes. The skies weren't jet black, but they were certainly good! Much better in fact than my semi rural location in north Kent.

[Matt Scunthorpe]

I often think of doing this, as you can get the hotels which allows dogs (yes, shes all i have to go with without going on my own ), but would be very fun i thinnk.

[Jase_v2]

From the hotel I'm staying in Castlerigg Stone is 25.4 mi, 46 mins according to Google Maps. I've looked on the maps, is it outside of Keswick?

Ennerdale looks quite a canny way from where we are staying. Looks stunning though.

Rob

I used to live just down the road from Gillerthwaite in the Ennerdale valley - my Mrs is from Teesside and she'd never seen a sky as dark and full of stars or even the Milky Way (which is spectacular from there)- so can highly recommend it - but it is a fair old trek from Bowness - take you at least an hour as the roads are Rubbish. Plenty of dark sky sights as already mentioned nearer where your staying. Hope you get clear skies.

Jase

[Jase_v2]

From the hotel I'm staying in Castlerigg Stone is 25.4 mi, 46 mins according to Google Maps. I've looked on the maps, is it outside of Keswick?

Ennerdale looks quite a canny way from where we are staying. Looks stunning though.

Rob

I used to live just down the road from Gillerthwaite in the Ennerdale valley - my Mrs is from Teesside and she'd never seen a sky as dark and full of stars or even the Milky Way (which is spectacular from there)- so can highly recommend it - but it is a fair old trek from Bowness - take you at least an hour as the roads are Rubbish. Plenty of dark sky sights as already mentioned nearer where your staying. Hope you get clear skies.

Jase

sites even ! cant edit my posts yet !

[paul schofield]

I stayed near Windermere a few months back. I had a great night with my binoculars there. The skies were awesomely dark (when clear) Fingers crossed for you.