Time for proper winter scenery.
Happy 2026 everyone! May you have the clarity to focus on what you can control and the composure to let go of what you cannot.
The dawn of 2026 brought with it subzero temperatures. Winter has truly gripped the British Isles in her chilly grasp. With a dry day ahead, we got up early for a hike around an area we’ve never stomped about before in the Lake District: Coledale.
Located west of Bassenthwaite Lake and the village of Braithwaite, Coledale is home to some crackin’ fell scenery and historical heritage, as the head of the valley is home to the abandoned buildings of Force Crag Mine.
Low winter light meant that the fells were looking especially beautiful.
All photos taken on my iPhone 17 Pro Max with a Magwink polariser. RAWs developed in Lightroom, merged in Photomatix, then edited and finalised in Photoshop.
After clambering up a track that wound its way up the dale side, we made it into the maintained miner’s track, where the view back to Skiddaw’s form was impossible to ignore.
Using the iPhone’s 8x zoom to really showcase Skiddaw’s fantastic crags.
Our destination ahead. The dark Force Crag centre-right, with bulk of Crag Hill (839 m/2,753 ft) looming above Sail (773 m/2,536 ft) just getting its peak in on the left.
Looking back again, Skiddaw falls out of view but Blencathra’s smooth western profile, Blease Fell, is just as appealing.
The head of Coledale, featuring the processing mill that still stands, with the dark face of Force Crag high above. Cutting Force Crag in two is Low Force to the left, barely more than a trickle as most of it was frozen.
There’s been evidence of mining here since the 1500s but the main workings were established in the early 1800s. First, silver and lead were extracted. Once lead became unprofitable, barium and zinc ores were mined. Force Crag Mine was the last mine to remain open in the Lake District, closing in 1991.
A lovely pair of huddled boulders provided a nice composition towards the domineering Force Crag and its waterfall.
Getting low and close to Coledale Beck revealed a partially frozen river with beautiful ice formations.
An 8x composition shows the partial freezing of the waterfall.
Looking back from the head of Coledale. Miners over the centuries enjoyed some beautiful views.
Heading back to Braithwaite and this irresistible composition of Blencathra in low light was impossible to ignore.