News Lower Sixth geographers visit the Lake District 16.05.2024

The Geography department took the Lower Sixth geographers to the Lake District over the last weekend. The group was investigating the impact of glaciation on the landforms of the Lakes, attempting to use the landscape to explain the direction and the extent of ice flows during previous glaciations.

The field centre lies a little way up Blencathra mountain and has commanding views over Keswick and Derwentwater beyond it. On Friday, almost straight off the train, the group hiked up to Bowscale tarn for some preliminary fieldwork. That night, whilst everyone slept, the sky was filled with auroral colour.

Saturday saw the group travelling down the Borrowdale valley to Seathwaite which, despite being known as the rainiest place in England (an average of over 3000mm a year!), was bathed in glorious sunshine. Here girls measured and mapped moraines, drumlins roche moutonnée and striations – all evidence of glaciation. A quick stop at a gelato shop in Keswick helped cool everyone off before we travelled back to the centre to process the data.

On Sunday the IB group returned to Keswick to map more moraines and drumlins (and also to refill on gelato) whilst the A Level group travelled to Grasmere, home of Wordsworth and Beatrix Potter, to map erosional features around Easedale Tarn. Upon returning back to base, after another sunny day, the heavens opened and we watched a thunderstorm unroll across the northern lakes from the safety of the centre. All in all, we had a wonderful time and were incredibly lucky with the weather. Waterproofs not required. Next time, we’ll set an alarm to catch the aurora!