Review: The Lake District Buttermere Valley DVD filmed and produced by Terry Abraham, written and narrated by David Powell-Thompson. Distributed by Striding Edge £14.99.

ONCE again, the combined talents of filmmaker Terry Abraham and the Lake District knowledge of David Powell-Thompson have resulted in another spectacular DVD that will gladden the hearts of any Lakeland aficionados.

The DVD commences with David on the summit of Low Fell, a fairly insignificant summit at 1388 feet in comparison with most Lakeland fells, but one which offers a superb view of the Buttermere Valley and Mellbreak in particular about which David waxes lyrical. We then move on to a walk up to Scale Force where David is accompanied by his walking companion Geoff Adams and as they walk up the Mosedale valley they notice the holly tree by Mosedale Beck possibly the only single tree to be marked on an Ordnance Survey map in the Lake District. After visiting the waterfalls at Scale Force, the two of them return along the shore of Crummock Water to the Kirkstile Inn having circumnavigated the whole of Mellbreak.

From the summit of Brackenthwaite Hows David talks about the painter J M W Turner who used the view from there for one of his paintings of “Crummock Water looking to Buttermere”. For the next walk up Rannerdale he is joined by Saffron Turnage, another of his regular walking companions, and this must have been filmed in May or June as there is a proliferation of bluebells out on the slopes of Rannerdale Knotts. He is joined again by Saffron on the next walk to the summit of Grasmoor, the ascent being a direct approach from Lanthwaite Green.

David talks in the DVD about master fellwalker and guidebook writer Alfred Wainwright, firstly mentioning the rowan tree on the ascent to Robinson and then the church at Buttermere with the window looking up to Haystacks where Wainwright’s ashes were scattered in 1991 and where there is a plaque by the window dedicated to Wainwright.

After the ascent to Red Pike via Bleaberry Tarn and then onto High Stile and High Crag, David spends some time talking to fell racing legend Joss Naylor about this area of Buttermere, and then concludes the DVD with an ascent of Haystacks with Saffron via the Wanscale Bothy and a visit to Innominate Tarn where Wainwright’s ashes are scattered.

David has an intimate knowledge of the Lake District having been Head Teacher at St Bega’s school in Eskdale for over 20 years before he took early retirement. It was from here that he first started film making with Eric Robson who was one of the Governors at the school who asked him to help on a series called “Great Walks” and then later on the “Out and About” TV series mainly as a researcher. From this developed him appearing in front of the camera and he subsequently became well known on the fells with his flowing locks and beard. He is an excellent narrator and this with Terry Abraham’s superb photography makes this a brilliant DVD which for any lover of the Lake District would make an ideal Christmas present.

Available from Striding Edge at www.stridingedge.com

by John Burland