Artwork description:

The Langdale Pikes are amongst the most famous peaks in The Lake District. On a recent trip to stay and walk around Ambleside the two pikes in question seemed to be omnipresent. On each of the five days we walked they were there, either full-fontal as with this image, or poking their tops out from behind other peaks.

Having said that I never actually got any nearer them this time than from where this picture is taken, from amongst the slate spoil heaps of Spoutcrag Quarry.

We conducted a fantastic walk that day. Starting in Little Langdale, we walked over to Great Langdale, round Elterwater and then back to the car - via a well deserved pint at the Three Shires pub (one of the greatest in the land).

The print captures the view of The Pikes through a copse of Silver Birch. To the left is a spoil heap from one of the many slate mines in the vicinity of Langdale. Interestingly Sproutcrag Quarry seems to be one of the only mines still in operation. We passed some huge mine vehicles on the path that skirted the edge of a massive open cast pit from which the stone must still be extracted.

Materials used:

Printed on 300gsm Canaletto using water based inks

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