Story
Mountain Solitudes
Illgill Head and Whin Rigg were always on my shot list—etched in stone, you could say. Up here, you’re gifted with one of Lakeland’s finest views: the full sweep of Wasdale laid out below like a living map.
The top of the fell is a smooth sheepwalk, but it’s from a half-ridge below the summit where the real magic is revealed. The low winter sun lit the land with a rare brilliance—warm tones on cold rock, soft gold against the blue steel of Wastwater. I stopped in my tracks, took it all in, and nodded quietly to myself. Some scenes don’t need words.
And then, just as I began to compose the frame, I had unexpected company—a posse of Herdwicks from Wasdale Head Hall Farm. Out of nowhere, they appeared, cresting the ridge with that quiet, sure-footed ease only fell sheep possess. They paused, posed, even, just long enough for me to raise the camera. Seconds later, they moved on, knowing every contour of their mountain home. It felt more like wildlife photography than landscape—one blink too slow, and the moment would be gone.
Across the valley, the scree slopes of Yewbarrow caught the last light. But for me, the real composition had already happened: Herdwicks, fell, winter sun, and Wastwater. Everything I love, held in one fleeting, perfect frame.
You can also acquire this photograph as a Framed Dibond Print.
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