Quieter corners of Cumbria take the lead in the new film Supernova
Fall in love with the Lakes
KELLY-ANNE TAYLOR - 18 June 2021
Three silent fells overlap in the distance, marked by the shadows of pillowy clouds above; a forest of conifer outlines the water’s edge; the only sound is the gentle current colliding with the bank. There are no people. I’m in the Lake District looking for the still, quiet, lesser-trodden side of the area that I’ve seen in Harry Macqueen’s new film Supernova.
In the movie, Stanley Tucci and Colin Firth play Tusker and Sam, a couple grappling with Tusker’s early-onset dementia diagnosis: taking their camper van around Cumbria, they visit family and friends, spend time together and bask in their surroundings. It’s an intimate exploration of long-standing love and the impact of degenerative illness, told through simple scenes of the couple stargazing by shimmering lakes or their hands tenderly knocking together as they stroll through towering woodland. It’s a story of impending loss but set against the beauty of the Lake District, so that the physical setting is an important part of the tale – its stillness, vastness and timelessness a reminder of human transience beside the unchanging fells and lakes. And these offbeat, melancholic areas, perfect for the story of Supernova, provide an alternative, more atmospheric trip around the Lakes than the classic tourist itinerary, too.
The film was shot largely around Keswick, but it’s the wistfully pretty lake scenes that have the most haunting allure. I catch the Honister Rambler bus from Keswick to Buttermere: it’s a 40-minute ride past rolling hills and looming fells, which feature prominently in Supernova. Landscapes wax and wane as the bus meanders unhurriedly through curling, single-track roads. From Buttermere it’s a short walk to Crummock Water, which is fed by Scale Force, the highest waterfall in the Lake District – and which can be seen in the film as the backdrop to the couple’s stargazing evening. There’s a circular, eight-mile walk around the lake, and it’s a soul-nourishing expedition with plenty of scenic spots to stop for a picnic, soak tired feet in fresh cool water and enjoy the sunshine (if you’re lucky enough to escape the wrath of a Cumbrian downpour). The varying shades of green are dazzling.
Ifyou amble to Crummock’s northern tip, you’ll discover a beach and potentially a brave wild swimmer or two – a growing trend in the area. Afterwards, take the bus to Keswick but hop off at Braithwaite. It’s an atmospheric, peaceful village that is an idyllic base – it isn’t explicitly featured in the film, but could easily have done, such is its nostalgic winsomeness. Maple Bank Country Guest House (maplebank.co.uk) is an Edwardian B&B with bedrooms that overlook Derwent valley, and the motherand-daughter owners make me feel right at home.
If walking and hiking aren’t your repertoire, the Lakes can be effortlessly explored by vehicle just as Sam, Tusker and their camper van do. With the Mountain Goat Tour Company (mountain-goat.com), I took a full-day tour of the Western Lake District – travelling via a timelessly lovely route pioneered by the Romans that took me out over Hardknott and Wrynose mountain passes, which are some of the steepest in Britain. As you let your car do the climbing, you’ll likely overtake red-faced cyclists exhausting their way to the top, but there are regular stops for you to get out, stretch your legs and imbibe the more isolated areas of the Lake District National Park.
As in Supernova, it’s these chance pit stops that provide the most memorable moments, all the more lovely for being unlooked-for. But however you choose to travel, it’s less about visiting a specific destination, and more about absorbing the serene scenery whenever you’re moved to pull over. The most hypnotising of my stops was Wastwater Lake Viewpoint, where England’s deepest lake reflects the looming Scafell Pike. It’s not surprising that this vista was once voted Britain’s favourite view.
Although Supernova is shot through with the atmospheric loneliness of the Lakes, there are also scenes of intense life and infectious energy (including a surprise party with Tusker and Sam’s closest friends). And similarly, even in the region’s least crowded corners, there’s camaraderie to be found. Whether you’re hiking to a peak or exploring by bus, there’s chatter whenever strangers’ paths collide. During my trip I was given an unsolicited but welcome tour by a fellow bus passenger; and was memorably befriended by a 99-year-old with a wicked sense of humour. (As she stood halfway up a hill with her Zimmer frame, sun-drenched and content, a passing hiker asked if she was hiking to the top. “Only if you carry me,” she winked.) It’s the landscape that takes the lead role here, though. Follow the Supernova trail, and the Lakes’ elegiac energy and ethereal stillness will leave a truly astronomical impression.
For more information, see visitlakedistrict.com. Supernova is in cinemas from Friday 25 June
Three silent fells overlap in the distance, marked by the shadows of pillowy clouds above; a forest of conifer outlines the water’s edge; the only sound is the gentle current colliding with the bank. There are no people. I’m in the Lake District looking for the still, quiet, lesser-trodden side of the area that I’ve seen in Harry Macqueen’s new film Supernova.
In the movie, Stanley Tucci and Colin Firth play Tusker and Sam, a couple grappling with Tusker’s early-onset dementia diagnosis: taking their camper van around Cumbria, they visit family and friends, spend time together and bask in their surroundings. It’s an intimate exploration of long-standing love and the impact of degenerative illness, told through simple scenes of the couple stargazing by shimmering lakes or their hands tenderly knocking together as they stroll through towering woodland. It’s a story of impending loss but set against the beauty of the Lake District, so that the physical setting is an important part of the tale – its stillness, vastness and timelessness a reminder of human transience beside the unchanging fells and lakes. And these offbeat, melancholic areas, perfect for the story of Supernova, provide an alternative, more atmospheric trip around the Lakes than the classic tourist itinerary, too.
The film was shot largely around Keswick, but it’s the wistfully pretty lake scenes that have the most haunting allure. I catch the Honister Rambler bus from Keswick to Buttermere: it’s a 40-minute ride past rolling hills and looming fells, which feature prominently in Supernova. Landscapes wax and wane as the bus meanders unhurriedly through curling, single-track roads. From Buttermere it’s a short walk to Crummock Water, which is fed by Scale Force, the highest waterfall in the Lake District – and which can be seen in the film as the backdrop to the couple’s stargazing evening. There’s a circular, eight-mile walk around the lake, and it’s a soul-nourishing expedition with plenty of scenic spots to stop for a picnic, soak tired feet in fresh cool water and enjoy the sunshine (if you’re lucky enough to escape the wrath of a Cumbrian downpour). The varying shades of green are dazzling.
If you amble to Crummock’s northern tip, you’ll discover a beach and potentially a brave wild swimmer or two – a growing trend in the area. Afterwards, take the bus to Keswick but hop off at Braithwaite. It’s an atmospheric, peaceful village that is an idyllic base – it isn’t explicitly featured in the film, but could easily have done, such is its nostalgic winsomeness. Maple Bank Country Guest House (maplebank.co.uk) is an Edwardian B&B with bedrooms that overlook Derwent valley, and the motherand-daughter owners make me feel right at home.
If walking and hiking aren’t your repertoire, the Lakes can be effortlessly explored by vehicle just as Sam, Tusker and their camper van do. With the Mountain Goat Tour Company (mountain-goat.com), I took a full-day tour of the Western Lake District – travelling via a timelessly lovely route pioneered by the Romans that took me out over Hardknott and Wrynose mountain passes, which are some of the steepest in Britain. As you let your car do the climbing, you’ll likely overtake red-faced cyclists exhausting their way to the top, but there are regular stops for you to get out, stretch your legs and imbibe the more isolated areas of the Lake District National Park.
As in Supernova, it’s these chance pit stops that provide the most memorable moments, all the more lovely for being unlooked-for. But however you choose to travel, it’s less about visiting a specific destination, and more about absorbing the serene scenery whenever you’re moved to pull over. The most hypnotising of my stops was Wastwater Lake Viewpoint, where England’s deepest lake reflects the looming Scafell Pike. It’s not surprising that this vista was once voted Britain’s favourite view.
Although Supernova is shot through with the atmospheric loneliness of the Lakes, there are also scenes of intense life and infectious energy (including a surprise party with Tusker and Sam’s closest friends). And similarly, even in the region’s least crowded corners, there’s camaraderie to be found. Whether you’re hiking to a peak or exploring by bus, there’s chatter whenever strangers’ paths collide. During my trip I was given an unsolicited but welcome tour by a fellow bus passenger; and was memorably befriended by a 99-year-old with a wicked sense of humour. (As she stood halfway up a hill with her Zimmer frame, sun-drenched and content, a passing hiker asked if she was hiking to the top. “Only if you carry me,” she winked.) It’s the landscape that takes the lead role here, though. Follow the Supernova trail, and the Lakes’ elegiac energy and ethereal stillness will leave a truly astronomical impression.
For more information, see visitlakedistrict.com. Supernova is in cinemas from Friday 25 June