Tilberthwaite Quarries walk, including Cathedral Cave 05/07/2020A short walk from the car park at Tilberthwaite car park - or should I say two walks. Firstly we explored the quarries above the car park, south of Yewdale Beck, and then crossed the footbridge over onto the north bank and walked around the rim of the chasm of Tilbergwaite Gill. We broke out into more open country and returned to the car through the quarries.
Our route on
VIEWRANGERTilberthwaiteInside the quarryYewdale Beck bridgeThe valley above - a well built footbridge and a small levelVenturing underground - the small copper mine level didn't go very farLooking down on the Tilberthwaite valley, the Eastern Fells beyondAfter a picnic lunch at the car we headed north along a byway to Cathedral Cave. We branched off north eastwards on an indistinct public footpath, but this petered out as we descended into Little Landale, and in the end we had to climb a barbed wire fence and a wall to get on the main track running down the south side of the valley.
Langdale Pikes in the distanceWild ThymeBog AsphodelLittle Langdale TarnCathedral Cave was a little way to the east, and was pretty spectacular. It is possible to enter without torches, and emerge into an open cast chasm through another tunnel, from where it was possible to scramble out into the woodland above.
We returned via a bridleway to the east of the quarries, a pleasant mile or so through woodlands and past more disused quarries.
Little LangdaleThe way backAlmost back to the car park at Tilberthwaite