The sketches above look like they’ve been taken straight from an Arthur Ransome book, perhaps in the mines with Slater Bob and Squashy Hat, but in fact the drawings are less than a week old. For those who have visited the ‘secret’ cave of the Langstrath valley, you will recognise the images above, and I’ve only included these sketches rather than photos to help protect its location. That’s the real beauty of the mountains here, that just when you think you know everything about them, you discover yet more.

The Langstrath cave was fitted out by shipyard workers from Barrow in Furness, who originally built in a hidden door lever mechanism (now sadly broken) and sleeping platforms in the cave, as well as a small fireplace with a flue. If you ever find the cave, there’s even an ammunition box with visitors book inside, and it’s great to find friends names inside, who never told you they’d found the cave. True, some people have sought to share the location of the cave, and perhaps none more so than Trail magazine back in 2005, but while the cave may not be as secret as it once was, I know many people who have searched for years and never found it.

If you scratch under the surface of the Lake District, a whole new world is revealed to you, that adds so much to your enjoyment of the hills. The mountains are full of secrets from its past, from the Neolithic axe factory high in the Langdale valley, to Roman etchings in caves, and secret distilleries and hidden smugglers caves. As well as the furtive secrets, there are the hidden wonders of the mining past especially in the Coppermines valley above Coniston, and a series of stunningly located bothies high in the mountains.

Sharing some of the hidden secrets (but not all) of the Lake District, is exactly why people choose to hire a guide to lead them in the higher fells, to help them scratch the surface of this outstanding area, and to appreciate it on a whole new level. We can provide a qualified leader to guide you on any day for £120 in total for a small group. For details, please click here.