Tag: Walking

Dunsop Fell Circular from Dunsop Bridge | Graham’s Guides

A walk in the centre of Great Britain (well almost). Some glorious countryside, some great views as well as rain, bog and hard going.

Graham’s Walks Vitals

  • Distance: 10.2 miles/16.4 km
  • Elevation: 1357 ft/413 m
  • Difficulty: Difficult
  • Start: Dunsop Bridge Car Park
  • Graham’s Cafe: Not really, you could decide to drop into Lancaster or Scorton at the end of the walk. There is Puddleducks Tearoom in the village which isn’t on Graham’s Guides because I’ve never been.
  • Classification: None

The Maps

  • OS Maps Route: 🗺
  • GPX Download: 📁

The Area

This walk starts from the main car park in Dunsop Bridge a village whose main claim to fame is that it’s close to the Gravitational Centre of Great Britain, according to the Ordnance Survey. The measured centre is 7km further north near to a place known as the Whitendale Hanging Stones.

Dunsop Bridge sits on the River Dunsop, hence the name. The latter stages of this route follow the river from fells to the village. Just beyond the village, not on our walk, is the confluence of the Dunsop and the Hodder. The village and much of the area of this walk sit within the Duchy of Lancaster Whitewell Estate. The major exception to this is the land within the valley which is owned and managed by United Utilities as a water catchment area. You’ll pass several signposts talking about how United Utilities reduced the amount of water they are taking and seeking to make it better for nature.

Part way around this route is a memorial to four plane crashes that took place between 1940 and 1945, some quite near to our route, there are apparently 14 crash sites around the Bowland Fells.

One of the crashes that is commemorated is from January 1943 when a squadron of 45 Lockheed Lightning P38 were travelling from Hull to Northern Ireland for a refit. In cloudy conditions two of the Lightnings collided killing both pilots. The planes came down a mile apart, one on Dunsop Fell near to our route and the second on Baxton Fell a little further north of our route.

Another commemoration is to Sgt. T.T. Nawrocki from Poland who was the pilot of a Spitfire that crashed in 1942. The plane was on a test flight following an extensive overhaul at Woodvale in Merseyside near Southport. Radio communications suggested that all was well with the aircraft. Further radio communications said that the aircraft was in cloud near Preston and would be descending through that cloud back to Woodvale. When the aircraft didn’t return a search commenced which carried on for two days before a farmer found the wreckage and a day later members of the local home guard found the pilot’s body.

Notice that poor visibility is a common theme in these parts including on the day I decided to go.

While we are on the subject of clouds and rainfall. Dunsop is made up of two words Dun meaning hill and sop meaning marsh, bog, wet soggy place. They knew what they were doing with their names back then.

The Walk

Significant sections of this walk are on open moorland where you will need to be able to navigate without clearly defined paths and in poor visibility, hence I’ve marked this route as Difficult. While the latter stages of this walk are on accessible paths, there are several places where you will need to use a stile, climb some fencing and negotiate a bog or two.

I set off on a dull day with little promise of it getting any better and it didn’t until right at the end.

Dunsop Bridge to Beatrix

We start this walk in the Dunsop Bridge car park where you will find public toilets for your convenience. When I was last there the machine at the car park wouldn’t take cards, I didn’t have enough cash and there wasn’t enough mobile signal to pay via MiPermit. The solution was to take down the MiPermit number and to pay when I could get a signal which, from memory, was somewhere near to the village park.

From the car park head, on the road, towards the bridge and Puddleducks Tearoom. Just before the bridge take a right down the side of the tearooms. You’ll follow this path down the side of the river and the village park, along a straight bit of lane and then around the back of a couple of cottages.

Not far beyond the cottage there is a kissing-gate off to the right with a short footpath sign nearby. Beyond the gate you will walk through some woods up a hill and over a drystone wall.

This is where my route follows the signposts that are in the field rather than the paths shown on the OS maps. The OS maps show a path cutting an angle across the field. The signs in the field direct you alongside the fence and onto a lane where you turn left to Beatrix.

Beatrix to Laythams

This section is a long one, it’s not that the navigation is complicated, it’s just fiddly field-to-field stuff. The reality is it’s mostly straight from one field to the next but every now and then the path traverses a field diagonally.

In Beatrix the OS maps show a path going up to the top of Burns Fell on the left. At the start of this path is a big PRIVATE sign, so I decided to take a different route.

Not far beyond the PRIVATE sign is another path off to the left of the lane as it turns right.

You follow this path alongside fences and walls until you reach Oxenhurst Clough. Here the path descends quite steeply to a stream and ascends out the other side through some pine woods. The clough is a delightful little place.

Beyond the pine wood of the clough the path again traverses the hillside alongside fences and walls past The Hey and Burn House. Some of this is footpath, other parts are lane.

At Burn House you will first reach Hartley’s Huts, then go down the back of the farm and through an electric gate. The farm is the location of the crash memorial on the lefthand side of the lane just before the gate.

After the electric gate the lane takes a sharp righthand turn with a bank on the left.

From the turn head up the banking and look across the field where in most conditions you should be able to see a large multi-step stile on the far side of the field which heads into a wood. Aim straight for the stile picking up whichever bits of path you can find as you go.

Inside the woods on the other side of the stile you will find a path heading into the woods off to the right. This path will reach a ditch beyond which the area is marked PRIVATE and the path is directed along the ditch. At the end of the ditch you will find a stile.

On the other side of the stile the path heads diagonally across a field to the left. At the other end of the field you should be able to see a gate between two woods, aim for this.

Beyond the gate the path heads alongside a fence up a small incline which will bring you to a wall with another stile.

The field beyond the stile is the last fields in this section and again the OS map shows a path straight across it from one corner to the opposite corner. When I walked it recently the grass and wildflowers were quite tall and it wasn’t possible to see whether there was a defined path so I just headed across picking up whatever routes I could find.

At the far end of the field is a small gate out onto the road at Laythams.

Laythams to Burn End

The navigation on this section is a little easier.

Through the gate turn left along the road until you come to the entrance to Burnside Cottage which has a footpath fingerboard at the end.

Walk up the driveway towards the cottage until you reach a gate which will direct you to a footpath off to the right through a gate, then left alongside a hedge.

Follow the hedge until you come to another gate which will take you back onto the last remnants of the lane before it becomes a boggy path.

The boggy path will take you up an incline roughly following the route of a stream and a wall until you reach another wall where you will find a gate.

On the other side of the gate head to the right on a path that climbs while traversing the hill.

You will reach a switchback in the path to the left at what is roughly Burn End.

Burn End to Dunsop Head

From the switch back it’s time to enter more open moorland ascending the ridge of Wisket Hill which I think is a fabulous name.

At this point my dull weather day turned into rainy low cloud and any expectation of views slipped away. I suspect you can see for miles from up here, but I’ve never had that privilege.

Heading upwards you will eventually come to a fence which you will track alongside, up and along until you reach Dunsop Head close to the summit of Dunsop Fell.

At Dunsop Head there’s a stile over the fence. On the other side of the fence the landscape changes from grassy moorland grazed by sheep to grouse moor with heather. The grassy moorland is quite boggy, the grouse moor is especially boggy near to the summit.

Dunsop Head to Whitendale

Near to Dunsop Head there is a vague path heading off across the moor towards Whitendale directly opposite the stile.

Further along there is the occasional post marking the path as it works its way along a set of culverts interspersed by peat hags.

In time the path will become more discernible as a path.

The path will eventually start to descend towards Whitendale which it does via a couple of switchbacks to the left and then to the right.

Whitendale to Foot Holme

Just before the farm buildings and before the bridge over the Whitendale river turn to the left in the direction of the river alongside a wall.

The first part of this path isn’t well defined, but it will become a nice even path along the side of the valley.

The path passes through several gates and over a couple of footbridges where there are some nice waterfalls.

Beyond the waterfalls the path descends to Foot Holme where there is a footbridge across the Whitendale just before it joins with the Brennand to become the Dunsop. Cross the footbridge and turn left.

Foot Holme to Dunsop Bridge

On the other side of the footbridge at Foot Holme the path becomes more of a lane and most of it tarmac.

This lane goes all the way back to Dunsop Bridge. It’s pretty countryside, but the lane isn’t close enough to the Dunsop to give great views of river itself. There is, however, the occasional path that takes you alongside the river for a little while.

The route that we will take doesn’t use the lane all the way into Dunsop Bridge, we’ll take the footbridge back over the Dunsop near to the path we took to Beatrix and alongside the village park. The footbridge is accessed straight off the lane.

Beyond the village park you will come out onto the road next to Puddleducks Tearoom. Turn left onto the road and back to the car park on your left.

Alternative and Extensions

From Whitendale you can cross the river here and follow the road back to Foot Holme. The road climbs further than the path on the other side and takes a slightly longer route.

There is an alternative lower path from Beatrix to Laythams, I’ve never walked this route so couldn’t comment on how good it is.

Heading out from Dunsop Bridge
Heading out from Dunsop Bridge
Time to head into the hills
Time to head into the hills
Choosing to follow the requested route
Choosing to follow the requested route
The lane beyond Beatrix
The lane beyond Beatrix
Heading into the clough
Heading into the clough
Reaching another gate
Reaching another gate
The crash memorial
the crash memorial
Can you see the stile on the other side in the middle of the trees
Can you see the stile on the other side in the middle of the trees
The stile on the other side of the wood
The still on the other side of the wood
There's a gate in the corner over there
There’s a gate in the corner over there
Heading out on the road at Laytham
The gate out onto the road at Laytham. The wild flowers and grass were so long that I was soaked.
The road up to Burns Cottage
The road up to Burns Cottage which has several ponds and waterfalls..
Navigating around Burns Cottage
Navigating around Burns Cottage. Another field with long wet grass.
Heading up to Burn End
Heading up to Burn End. You can just about see the traversing path at the top off to the right.
The clag arrives
The clag arrives
The joy of navigating across a grouse moor
The joy of navigating across a peaty hag on the grouse moor
Heading down into Whitendale
Heading down into Whitendale
Traversing the Dunsop Valley
Traversing the Whitendale valley
The occasional waterfall
The occasional waterfall
The footbridge at Foot Holme
The footbridge at Foot Holme
The clouds clear
The clouds clear just as we are nearing the end of the adventure.
The footbridge back across the Dunsop
The footbridge back across the Dunsop.

Silverdale Wells Circular from Wolf House | Graham’s Guides

A lovely 4 mile meander around some beautiful Lancashire countryside with lots of local interest.

Graham’s Walks Vitals

  • Distance: 4.5 miles/7 km
  • Elevation: 525 ft/160 m
  • Difficulty: Easy
  • Start: Wolf House
  • Graham’s Cafe: Wolf (awaiting a guide)
  • Classification: None

The Maps

  • OS Maps Route: 🗺️
  • GPX Download: 📁

The Area

Silverdale sits on limestone a porous rock which allows water to seep through crevices and to ascend through springs.

We are used to turning on a tap and the water being there, but that wasn’t always the case. It’s not that long ago that people needed to retrieve water for their daily use. Silverdale doesn’t have a river to go to which made the local community dependent upon a series of wells.

The wells were in use as recently as 1938 when the Lune Valley Water Board connected the community into the Haweswater Aqueduct.

(The Haweswater Aqueduct is mentioned in a few other routes: Clougha Pike Circular from Riggs Lane, River Lune and Lancaster Canal Circular from the Lune Aqueduct, Sleddale Fell Circular from Sadgill Bridge, Longsleddale)

There are supposed to be at least 11 wells in the area, but that doesn’t mean that they are all accessible. This walk takes you past the ones that you can access and close to a few others that are marked on the map but aren’t accessible. There are also a few that are outside the area of this walk to include them would have turned the walk into a bit of a slog.

The wells are in various states of disrepair and I’m not recommending that you take water from any of them. Just because something was once highly prized doesn’t mean that it’s shown respect today, it’s a warning to us all.

This walk includes a visit to the local memorial for Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee on the top of Castlebarrow Hill. It’s known as The Pepper Pot due to its shape. The Pepper Pot is a relatively short diversion from the primary task of visiting wells.

The Walk

The Start to Woodwell

As the name might suggest, Woodwell is in, or at least next to, a wood.

The most convenient place to park is on the road, here, where you should see a finger signpost to Woodwell through a gap in the wall. There are a couple of spaces here, but if these aren’t available head down the road towards Wolf House where there is more parking. The last part of this walk is along this road so you will just be swapping distance at the start for reduced distance at the end.

Once you are through the gap in the wall you will take a couple of steps down and see a fork in the path. Take the lefthand path down the hill.

Follow this path to the edge of the wood and then along a little where you will find a water pool and in the cliff face a smaller pool with water dripping into it. This is Woodwell.

Woodwell to Burton Well

Heading back into the wood from Woodwell the path will look like it’s about to head straight up the cliff, and that is what it does. It may look a bit daunting but the steps aren’t too big and you are soon out at the top.

Continue the path through the woods until it takes a righthand turn down the side of a field.

On the other side of the field the route drops onto a lane which you should follow until it comes out onto a road.

Turn right onto the road and follow along until you come to a fork. Take the lefthand road for a short way until you see a lane on the right. Follow the lane which narrows and become more of path.

Part way along the path you will find Burton Well in the bushes on the right. It’s quite a large pool.

Burton Well to Dogslack Well (and Bank Well)

Return to the path and continue in the direction you had been going. The path will leave the woods and into a more open field through a gate. This is Lambert Meadow. Follow the path along the left side of the meadow until you reach a path crossing it to the right over duckboard.

The path across the meadow will bring you to a gate through which there is a set of steps. Follow the steps up and through a wood until you come out onto a road.

Turn left onto the road the right onto a lane which has a fingerboard at the end telling you that this is the way to Dogslack Well and The Row. On the lefthand side of the road just before you head down the lane is the location of Bank Well now a small pond. The inclusion of The Row on the fingerboard is a bit confusing because the road you’ve just left is The Row although it is correct to say that the end of the lane places you back on The Row a little further along.

Head down the lane until you come to a hand pump marking the location of Dogslack Well.

Dogslack Well to Eaves Wood Car Park

From the hand-pump of Dogslack Well continue on the path until you return to The Row.

It’s worth noting that if you decide to do this walk in the opposite, clockwise, direction the gate at the end of the lane is marked with the number 37 making it look like the entrance to someone’s house. It is also marked with a sign showing it’s a footpath.

Turn right onto the road and follow it as it curved to the left.

The road will eventually come out onto a T-junction. Opposite the junction you should be able to see the entrance to the Eaves Wood car park.

Eaves Wood Car Park to The Pepper Pot

Walk through the Eaves Wood car park and follow the lane up the hill and into the woods.

The path will come to a T-junction with another path, turn left along the edge of the wood.

As you travel along you will see several path heading up to the right. If you want to explore a bit pick one and meander your way up the hillside and along to the Pepper Pot. There are several signs around that will lead you to where you want to be.

If you want a more defined route follow the path until you notice another path joining from the left, turn right at this point, up the hill and around to the Pepper Pot.

As you reach the top of the hill you will notice a sign pointing off to the left with a picture of a Pepper Pot on it, this is the route you need to take.

The Pepper Pot to the Cove Well

Our route to the Cove is via the path at the edge of Eaves Wood. You can either retrace your steps all the way down, or follow the signs down.

As you join the Eaves Wood path turn right and travel along a little way with a wall on your left. As you reach the end of the wall there is a path off to your left. Elmslack Well is supposed to be around here somewhere, but I’ve never been able to find it. There is a rumour that it’s under a bin.

This should take you onto Elmslack Lane at the junction with Castle Bank. Head straight across on Elmslack Lane to its end.

There is then a footpath through to Walling’s Lane.

As Walling’s Lane swings left there is a footpath that will take you down onto Cove Road.

Follow Cove Road for a short way until you get to Cove Lane. Cove Lane will take you down to the Cove.

The actual well in the cove is no longer visible, but it’s a glorious stop all the same.

The Cove Well to Wolf House

The path out of the Cove follows the cliff edge to the left as you enter it.

Our route takes us up alongside the cliff, through some woods, through a gate and out onto an open field. Follow the well worn path across the field through another gate in a drystone wall. Cross another field and a gate out onto the road.

Turn right on the road. The road you are on will head to the right, this is the route down to the shore. In front of you is a junction with another road heading up the hill. This road is Lindeth Road which you will follow all the way up the gentle incline to Wolf House where it will turn left and you will find your vehicle.

This is where you take the reward of refreshments at Wolf Cafe.

Alternatives and Extensions

You can make this walk shorter by missing out some of the wells, but that’s a different walk – Silverdale Circular via Scout Wood and The Cove.

There are lots of paths within Eaves Wood to explore most of which end up at the Pepper Pot eventually.

You could significantly extend the walk by adding in a loop of Arnside Tower. You’d do this by branching off from Eaves Wood car park, heading around the western side of Eaves Wood towards Waterslack and around through Middlebarrow Woods. If you do this you will pass Middlebarrow Quarry which is impressive for its size, but is fenced off. From Arnside Tower you would then make your way back to the Cove.

There is an option to travel from the Cove to Silverdale Beach via the shoreline. This is a muddy venture and should only be undertaken after consulting the tide times. The tides around Morecambe Bay are treacherous.

Eaves Wood car park would be a good alternative place to start this walk.

Heading down to Woodwell
Heading down to Woodwell
Woodwell
Woodwell
Woodwell
The Cliff Path
The Cliff Path
heading for Lindeth Road
Heading for Lindeth Road
The route to Burton Well and the Row
The route to Burton Well and the Row
Meandering along
Meandering along
Burton Well
Burton Well
Out onto Lamberts Meadow
Out onto Lamberts Meadow
The Duckboard across Lamberts Meadow
The Duckboard across Lamberts Meadow
The gate on the other side of Lamberts Meadow
The route to Dogslack Well
The route to Dogslack Well
Dogslack Well
No. 37, coming out onto the Row
No. 37, coming out onto the Row
The Pepper Pot
The path between Elmslack Lane and Walling’s Lane
Cove Lane
Cove Lane
Heading into Silverdale village
Heading into Silverdale village

Sleddale Fell Circular from Sadgill Bridge, Longsleddale | Birkett SHA 5 | Graham’s Guides

A quiet walk in a less visited corner of the Lake District with glorious valley views, waterfalls, deep pools and survey towers.

Graham’s Walks Vitals

The Map

  • OS Maps Route: 🗺️
  • GPX Download: 📁

The Area

Sleddale Fell is in a lesser visited area of the Lake District hidden away at the end of Longsleddale a valley in the South East of the National Park, a little way north of Kendal.

In most places the valley name is compressed to a single word, Longsleddale, but in some it appears as two words, Long Sleddale. The Ordnance Survey has it both ways depending on the resolution of the map that you use, at 1:50K it’s Long Sleddale, at 1:25K it’s Longsleddale. I make this point simply to show that place names aren’t as concrete as some people would love them to be.

On your way into the valley you will pass Longsleddale Church, St. Mary’s, which is a glorious country church offering fabulous views along the valley. Opposite the church is the village hall and a public toilet; this is your last opportunity in the valley without going wild.

As well as being a beautiful secluded Lake District valley Longsleddale has a claim to fame. The valley is reported to be the inspiration behind Greendale in the TV show Postman Pat. I’m talking here about the pre-2017 version where it was one man and a black-and-white cat, since then Pat appears to have gained all sorts of technical abilities in his new role at the Special Delivery Service. John Cunliffe, the creator of the show, lived in nearby Kendal.

Longsleddale and part of our walk are also the route of the Haweswater Aqueduct taking water to Manchester. The aqueduct is featured in other Graham’s Guides including; River Lune and Lancaster Canal Circular from the Lune Aqueduct and Clougha Pike Circular from Riggs Lane. Directly on the route and just to the side of it we will pass several of the survey towers used in the construction of the aqueduct.

You will ascend Tarn Crag on this walk, which overlooks what is known as Greycrag Tarn. Greycrag Tarn feels like a bit of an overstatement. A tarn is normally a mountain lake or pond, but Greycrag Tarn is more of a permanently wet boggy area.

The name Longsleddale comes from three words – “long” “sledge” and “dale.”

It appears the “long” was added to distinguish this valley from Wet Sleddale near Shap.

For “sled” there are a couple of theories, I’ll let you decide which you prefer.

“Sled” is a shortened version of similar words to “sledge” in Old English and Old Norse. It highlights that this was a place where sledges were used to transport things which can be easier on steep slopes.

“Sled” could also be highlighting the U-shape of the valley. This is based on a similar word in Old English meaning glade, dell, or a strip of smooth, low-lying land between hills.

“Dale” means valley meaning that it’s not really necessary to call it Longsleddale valley, because that information is already in the name. There are variants of “Dale” in both Old Norse and Old English.

The Walk

Sadgill Bridge to the Ford

This walk starts from the end of the road in Longsleddale at Sadgill where the road becomes a metalled track and there is a stone bridge off to the left. There’s an area there to park several cars which is normally sufficient. I’ve visited on several occasions but never struggled to park.

There’s one route into Longsleddale which is a narrow track that winds its way alongside the River Sprint that you join from the A6, or through Burneside, to Garnett Bridge.

Once you’ve parked up it’s time to get back on the bridleway as it continues along the side of the river. There are some wonderful waterfalls and pools as you make your way up into the hills.

For nearly two miles the navigation is straightforward, just keep to the track. Having climbed for most of this distance you’ll pass through a gate and the path will level out. You’ll also cross a bridge. For most of the distance the river will have been on your left, there will be now be a stream on your right.

The Ford to Tarn Crag

On the OS Maps there is a ford shown across the stream and a path labelled Brownhowe Bottom. There should also be a Public Bridleway signpost showing Swindale Head and Wet Sleddale.

This is one of those situations where there are a few paths on the ground that all appear to go in a similar direction. In this case they are all heading to a very similar place which is a gate in a fence. Don’t go through the gate though, follow the route of the fence to the right as it heads up Tarn Crag.

The fence will lead you to a stile over another fence.

Beyond the stile you should see a path veering away from the fence to the right a little way before the fence makes a turn to the left. Take the path to the right. On a clear day you will soon be able to see the survey tower near to the summit of Tarn Crag.

The survey pillar isn’t the true summit of Tarn Crag that’s marked by a nearby cairn. The views are better from the tower though.

Tarn Crag to Harrop Pike

From the summit of Tarn Crag head back towards the fence along a well marked path around the east side of the tarn. Follow the fence for a while longer. You will descend a little and then ascend and as you do so the fence will turn at a right-angle to the left.

Continue to follow the fence around the corner on our way to Harrop Pike. This bit of the walk feels like a short diversion in order to get a tick.

Follow the line of the fence with it on your left, traverse another fence, continue a little while longer until you reach a stile. The true summit is across the stile and is marked by a cairn. Do whatever it is you do to tick off a summit.

Harrop Pike to Grey Crag

Retrace your steps back to the right angle in the fence from Harrop Pike.

Continue straight on and slightly to the left to the summit of Grey Crag. It’s only a short distance from the right-angle in the fence.

Grey Crag to Great Howe

From the summit of Grey Crag continue in the direction you had been going bearing to the right as you descend to a fence.

Traverse the fence via a stile and follow the path on the other side across what is becoming increasingly open moorland. There are several great views along Longsleddale in this section.

You may notice on the map a couple of places where is marked pillar to the left of the path. These are also survey towers for the aqueduct. The one near to the summit of Great Howe is easier to get to than the one further down near Brock Crag.

The summit of Great Howe isn’t particularly distinct.

Great Howe to Sadgill Bridge

The descent from Great Howe is a delightful meander down the steep sides of the valley. From the summit of Great Howe continue in the direction you had been going veering to the left and then to the right until you reach a stile in a fence.

This is one of the very few places on this walk where it’s important that you make the right navigational choice. Over the stile, head right. This may feel counter-intuitive.

The path will take you along the side of a wall, the wall being on your right. The path will take you to a glorious valley view before switching back left and down the valley side to a stile in a wall.

Beyond the wall, on most days, you will be able to see the bridge and your transportation beyond.

Cross the field to a gate in the wall near to the bridge. The gate is covered in more signs that most office kitchens.

Alternatives and Extensions

Honestly, there aren’t really any interesting alternatives on this walk. There’s nowhere that you can walk a little further and claim another summit or paddle in a tarn.

Perhaps the only thing you might choose to do is to continue up onto Gatesgarth Pass. You’d do that by missing out the ford over to Brownhowe Bottom. Near to the top of the path you’d take a path to the right and head to the summit of Branstree. From the summit of Branstree you’d then head south-east along a fence to the summit of Tarn Crag. It adds another summit, but Branstree is a much nicer walk with glorious views from the Haweswater side taking in Brown Howes, Selside Pike and High Howes.

You could do this walk in reverse, there are positives and negatives to either direction.

St. Mary's in Longsleddale (there's a public toilet here)
St. Mary’s in Longsleddale (there’s a public toilet here)
The car park and Sadgill Bridge from above
The car park and Sadgill Bridge from above
Heading into the valley
Heading into the valley
Looking back down the valley
Looking back down the valley
The bridge at the top of the climb
The bridge at the top of the climb
The signpost and the ford
The signpost and the ford
Following the fence to the top of Tarn Crag
Following the fence to the top of Tarn Crag
Leave the fence and head to the summit of Tarn Crag
Leave the fence and head to the summit of Tarn Crag
The survey tower near to the summit of Tarn Crag
The survey tower near to the summit of Tarn Crag
Looking down onto Gatesgarth Pass from Tarn Crag
Looking down onto Gatesgarth Pass from Tarn Crag
Greycrag Tarn, not really what you would expect from a tarn
Greycrag Tarn, not really what you would expect from a tarn
Back following the fence. The tarn is on the right
Back following the fence. The tarn is on the right, Harrop Pike is to the left
The stile over to the summit of Harrop Pike
The stile over to the summit of Harrop Pike
Harrop Pike Summit
Harrop Pike Summit
Grey Crag Summit
Grey Crag Summit
Heading down to Great Howe
Heading down to Great Howe
Great Howe Summit
Great Howe Summit
The survey tower off to the side of Great Howe
The survey tower off to the side of Great Howe
Jimmy and Grandad enjoying the view from Great Howe
Jimmy and Grandad enjoying the view from Great Howe
Turn right after this stile
Turn right after this stile
The route back to Sadgill Bridge
The route back to Sadgill Bridge

Tarn Crag and Sergeant Man Circular from Grasmere | Birkett LAN 4 | Graham’s Guides

A moderate walk through beautiful Easedale and out onto the tops away from the more popular walking routes. The views are spectacular and even an option for a swim.

Graham’s Walks Vitals

  • Distance: 8.4 miles/13 km
  • Elevation: 2417 ft/736 m
  • Difficulty: Moderate
  • Start: Red Bank Car Park
  • Graham’s Cafes: This walk starts in Grasmere where you will find Mathilde’s Cafe and Lucia’s (awaiting a guide)
  • Classification: Birkett, Wainwright

The Map

  • OS Maps Route: 🗺️
  • GPX Download: 📁

The Area

This walk includes two fells that show the impact of Alfred Wainwright and his guides on people’s understanding of the area. Tarn Crag used to refer to the rocky outcrop overlooking the Easedale Tarn until AW decided to apply that label to the whole summit. Sergeant Man is a must have tick for anyone working their way through the 214 summits, but it’s not really a summit worthy of the status. AW’s logic was that it was a better summit than the taller High Raise behind it and to be fair to AW High Raise is a flat grassy prominence. Sergeant Man is definitely worth visiting, it’s an interesting rocky crag and the views are spectacular, despite its diminutive stature. Tarn Crag is also worth visiting, but the best views are a little way from the summit overlooking the tarn. You can’t actually see the tarn from the summit.

The name Sergeant Man is a bit of a mystery. Sergeant could be a corruption of another term or even a person’s name. There’s also a possibility it relates to the Anglo-French servient, meaning ‘to serve’, and highlighting its subservience to High Raise. Man is used in Cumbria dialect to refer to a man-made pile of stones or a prominent rocky pinnacle of which there are several examples across the Lake District including Old Man of Coniston, Skiddaw Little Man, and Helvelyn Lower Man.

There are a couple of places on this walk that are popular with wild swimmers and dippers. At the base of the main waterfall of Sourmilk Gill there’s a good sized dipping pool. Easedale Tarn is also a good spot, but mountain tarns require extra caution, they are always a few degrees colder than any other water.

The walk up to Easedale Tarn was very popular with the Victorians and even had a shop next to it. I’ve written more about this in the Easedale Tarn Circular from Grasmere route. This popularity continues today and rightly so, it’s beautiful. This route isn’t busy all the way though; once you branch away from the main path onto the Tarn Crag path you will find yourself alone.

The Walk

In Complete Lakeland Fells, Bill Birkett recommends parking at a car park on Easedale Road at grid reference NY 334080. There is no longer a car park at this location, or on Easedale Road at all, so I’ve shown this walk starting from Red Bank Car Park.

Grasmere to Sourmilk Gill

This part of the walk will be the busiest of the day.

From the car park head down Langdale Road, which is almost opposite the entrance. This will take you past Tweedie and onto Broadgate. Continue past the Heaton Cooper Studio and turn left onto Easedale Road.

Just before Easedale Road you will see two of Graham’s Cafes; as part of the Heaton Cooper Studio is Mathilde’s Cafe, on the other side of the road is Lucia’s Coffee and Bakehouse. Both are great places to start and finish a walk, Lucia’s is particularly good for a packed lunch, Mathilde’s is more of a place you go to as a reward at the end of the walk.

Returning to our walk, follow Easedale Road until you reach Glenthorne Quaker Centre and Guest House where you’ll notice a gate on the right which will take you off the road onto a path running parallel to Easedale Road up to Goody Bridge.

A short way beyond Goody Bridge the road takes a right-hand turn and there’s a path going straight on over a footbridge.

The footbridge will take you onto a cobbled bridleway which will be your guide all the way to the waterfall of Sourmilk Gill.

At the main falls there’s a short path off to the right which takes you to the clear pool at the base and for much of the year you can use the large rocks in the beck to explore. A word of caution though, these rocks can be slippy.

Continue on the path beyond the main waterfall until the ground levels out a bit. You should be able to see the ascending path of Tarn Crag on the other side of the beck; your task is to get across. When the river is low there are several stepping-stone options for a dry crossing. On the map I’ve shown where I crossed it recently but there’s no guarantee that this is still a good place. The only reasonably guaranteed option for a dry crossing is to walk to the tarn and cross there.

The Ascent of Tarn Crag

On the other side of the beck the path from the tarn to Far Easedale is very well marked; the path to the top of Tarn Crag is off from this. There are a couple of ascending paths in this area, the one that we are going to follow is nearer to Far Easedale and follows the line of the ridge.

The path is a ridge walk to the top of Tarn Crag, it’s quite visible on the ground and there aren’t any other routes crossing before the summit.

There are plenty of views on either side of the ridge, but the ones down into Easedale are particularly dramatic.

Once you reach the summit make sure you have a good look around to take in the views either side of the ridge.

Tarn Crag to Codale Head

The route from Tarn Crag summit to Codale Head isn’t very clear, there are several paths crossing the area and some of them aren’t particularly distinctive. Birkett recommends following the line of an old iron fence, but that’s no longer very visible though it can be seen in places.

If visibility is reasonably good you should be able to see the recognisable summit of Sergeant Man from near the summit of Tarn Crag; the summit of Codale Head is to the right from this perspective. As long as you stay near to the top of what is now a quite wide ridge you should be able to find the summit.

On a poor visibility day it’s time to exercise your map reading skills.

Codale Head to Sergeant Man

From the summit of Codale Head the top of Sergeant Man is a short wander around the edge of a basin with an unnamed tarn. There are routes around both sides.

On most days you should be able to see Sergeant Man from Codale Head, it’s the triangular shaped peak which is likely to have someone stood on top of it.

If you wanted to stop for refreshments at any point, the summit of Sergeant Man is a great place to do it; there are great views.

Sergeant Man to Easedale Tarn

The route down from Sergeant Man is to head towards Blea Rigg and take a left hand path down towards Easedale Tarn.

The path you want is at a bit of a crossroads and it would be quite easy to carry on to Blea Rigg, or even to head off the other side to Stickle Tarn, so a bit of care is required.

The lower parts of this path have needed some restoration and it is stepped which can make for harder walking particularly when it’s wet.

The walk down into Easedale gives glorious views of the surrounding crags, Codale Tarn and Easedale Tarn. You’ll pass Belles Knott which Birkett refers to as “The Matterhorn of Easedale”, a name christened by Alfred Wainwright. The name derives from its shape but you’ll need to look behind you to see the similarity.

Easedale Tarn to Grasmere

Easedale Tarn is another great place to stop for refreshments; even when busy there’s something quite tranquil about it.

Heading down from Easedale Tarn follow the route along the righthand side of Easedale Beck, this is the path to Sourmilk Gill and will take you to Easedale Road past the Quaker House, through Grasmere village and on to your vehicle, if you have one, at Red Bank Car Park.

Alternatives and Extensions

This walk takes you most of the way up High Raise which makes this a reasonable extension. While adding another tick, it’s not really adding much interest and we traverse High Raise on other routes, but don’t let me put you off.

This walk uses the same path into and out of Easedale. Alternatively, use Far Easedale via the footbridge at Stythwaite Steps on your way in. This route would be preferable during times when river levels are high and finding a stepping-stone route across Easedale Beck is unlikely. You can also use this route down by traversing Easedale Beck at the tarn stepping-stones, turning the walk into a figure-of-eight.

Another alternative when river levels are high, is to walk all the way up to Easedale Tarn and traverse the river there. It’s still stepping-stones, but they are good sized ones.

If you are going to traverse Easedale Beck as high as the tarn you might also like to try the alternative route to the summit of Tarn Crag that goes up from the north side of the tarn. This path is less well defined than the one along the East Ridge and steeper, but sometimes that’s where the fun is.

There’s an option to extend the latter stages in this walk by visiting Blea Rigg; continuing on the ridge for a while longer on your way down from Sergeant Man. Blea Rigg is part of another Birkett route – Silver How along the Langdale Edge | LAN 3.

The footbridge from Easedale Road
The footbridge from Easedale Road
The bridleway to Sourmilk Gill which is just visible to the right of the middle of the picture
The bridleway to Sourmilk Gill which is just visible to the right of the middle of the picture
The start of the Tarn Crag ridge walk to the left
The start of the Tarn Crag ridge walk to the left
Ascending Tarn Crag east ridge
Ascending Tarn Crag east ridge
Looking back to Grasmere
Looking back to Grasmere
The summit of Tarn Crag is in sight
The summit of Tarn Crag is in sight
Approaching the summit of Tarn Crag
Approaching the summit of Tarn Crag
Looking back to Grasmere and Windermere from Tarn Crag
Looking back to Grasmere and Windermere from Tarn Crag
The remaining parts of the fabled iron fence between Tarn Crag and Codale Head
The remaining parts of the fabled iron fence between Tarn Crag and Codale Head
Looking from Codale Head to Sergeant Man - the triangular peak to the right
Looking from Codale Head to Sergeant Man – the triangular peak to the right
Looking south from Sergeant Man with a glimpse of Stickle Tarn
Looking south from Sergeant Man with a glimpse of Stickle Tarn
The ridge down to Easedale with Blea Rigg
The ridge down to Easedale with Blea Rigg
Jimmy and Grandad taking in the view from Sergeant Man
A wide glimpse of Stickle Tarn
A wide glimpse of Stickle Tarn
Codale Tarn on the left, Easedale Tarn on the right
Codale Tarn on the left, Easedale Tarn on the right
Taking in the view of Eagle Crag
Taking in the view of Eagle Crag
Tarn Crag over Easedale Tarn
Tarn Crag over Easedale Tarn

Clougha Pike Circular from Riggs Lane | Graham’s Guides

A beautiful Lancashire walk with loads of history and interesting geology. A great place to enjoy the mesmerising sound of Red Grouse singing.
This walk includes a visit to the spectacular Three Chambers installation by Andy Goldsworthy.

Graham’s Walks Vitals

  • Distance: 5.7 miles/9.2 km
  • Elevation: 1283 ft/391 m
  • Difficulty: Moderate
  • Starting Point: Rigg Lane Car Park, Quernmore
  • Graham’s Cafe: Not on this one
  • Classification: None

The Map

  • OS Maps Route: 🗺️
  • GPX Download: 📁

The Area

I have a theory that many areas of the UK have places that are deliberately named to help identify outsiders. They like to do this by having a name that is pronounced differently to how it it spelled. This walk starts near to the wonderfully named Quernmore which is one of those places.If you want to reveal yourself as a visitor you will assume that this place is pronounced quern-more, whereas everyone local calls it kwor-mer.

Clougha Pike sits within the Forest of Bowland. When I was studying for my degree a fellow student from the south of England came in and said something to the effect of “We went to the Forest of Bowland at the weekend, but couldn’t find the trees, there weren’t any.” They were right, they hadn’t missed something, there aren’t many trees. Today we mostly associate the term forest with trees as the word has shifted meaning over time. A “foresta” is a Middle Ages term for a piece of land that is set aside for a King or a high ranking noble for hunting. This status continues in the area with much of it being owned by the Duchy of Lancaster (the King) and the Duke of Westminster. The Forest of Bowland never had that many trees; it’s always been too boggy.

Clougha isn’t the highest point within the forest, but it does give some impressive views in every direction. On a good day it’s possible to see north to the Lake District Fells and south to North Wales. To the east the peaks of the Yorkshire Dales stand majestic and to the west are the lowlands of Lancashire and on a really good day views of the Isle of Man beyond Barrow-in-Furness.

The name Clougha hints at the rock formations within the grit stone on the walk; a clough is a gorge or narrow ravine of which there are several with some wonderfully named on the maps – Windy Clough, Little Windy Clough, Foxes Clough and on some maps Otter Geer Clough (confusingly also shown as Oter Geer and Ottergear).

There is more information on the local history here: Forest of Bowland: History, Culture & Heritage.

The Walk

The Start to the Clougha Pike Summit

This walk starts from Rigg Lane car park which is here on Google Maps, grid reference: SD 526 604. This is also known as Birk Bank car park describing the geological feature to the rear.

The path leads from a gate at the back of the car park up over a small hill and then keeping to the right down towards a boggy area. There is a duckboard path across the boggy bit, fortunately. The duckboard has been replaced in recent years and follows a slightly different route to the one shown on most of the maps. Again keeping to the right head towards the wall and a stream which you will follow up through a wooded area with Birk Bank on your left and into our first clough.

You will reach an intersection of several dry stone walls and a pair of high-stiles. Take the one to the right and continue to follow the path uphill with the wall on your left. The path follows the wall as it turns right and then left, then through the wall (I think via a gate) from where you will see a clear route up to the top.

From this point on the path is quite bouldery with muddy areas between. Thankfully, being grit stone none of the stones are smooth or slippery. The path again follows a wall for most of the rest of the route to the top. If you haven’t already, this is the area where you are likely to get your first encounter of a Red Grouse, even if you haven’t seen them you are likely to have heard them.

The top is marked by a trig-point and a dry-stone wind shelter which is a great place to stop and take in the view.

The Summit to the Three Chambers

From the top head east towards the area marked on the map as Foxes Clough. After a short while you’ll head over a small stile from where you may notice a subtle change in the landscape. From this point, and for most of the rest of the walk, our route takes us across a managed grouse moor which is part of the Abbeystead Estate owned by the Duke of Westminster. Access to areas of this moorland may be restricted during the grouse shooting season which runs from 12th August to 10th December. It may also be restricted if there is a high risk of fires.

The path eastward heads towards the summit of Grit Fell, this is a great extension to this walk. We are going to follow this path for a while and then take a path off towards the left which works us across to an area marked as Quarries (dis) on the map. This disused quarry is the home of the Three Chambers, or Clougha Pike Chambers, an installation by Andy Goldsworthy.

Heading Down to the Ottergear bridge

From the chambers head over to the gravel track heading left along the track.

The track curves to the left and then to the right up towards a plough of rocks on the right alongside which you will see a path to the right. This path is visible, but you do need to look for it. You follow this path across moorland downward and curving leftward. The path eventually works its way alongside a stream in a small valley, zig-zagging its way down towards a wall marking the edge of the moorland.

Turn left across the stream and either alongside the wall or up onto the ridge that overlooks the wall; both routes come out on another path with a wood on the right. This will bring you back onto the gravel track which will take you down another small valley and to the right over a high stile.

Before the gravel road heads out of the moorland there is a track to the left which will take you to a bridge across a valley, the Ottergear Bridge. The primary purpose of this construction though is as an aqueduct; it’s carrying water from Thirlmere in the Lake District to Manchester a 96-mile journey.

Heading Back to the Car Park

Having crossed Ottergear Bridge the path works its way around the base of Birk Bank to the path just above the duckboards; take a right hand turn down to the car park.

Alternatives and Extensions

The most obvious extension to this one is to carry on to Grit Fell from the top of Clougha Pike. This looks fine on the map, I’ve never done it but I have seen several people say that it’s very boggy.

You can reach the top of Clougha and Grit Fell from Jubilee Tower, this would get you to the top but it wouldn’t make sense to continue on the circular aspects of it. Several people also highlight that this can be very boggy.

You could shorten the route by staying on the gravel track all the way from the Chambers to near Ottergear Bridge and then around.

Beyond Ottergear Bridge there is a large brick built structure part way up the hillside. I think that this is still part of the aqueduct works. There’s a path up to this structure from where there are some more good views. From here you can choose to work down to the car park, or you can continue along to the top of Birk Bank until you reach the stream and wall at the beginning of the walk and then back along the duckboards.

I think I’ve walked a different route every time I’ve done this walk.

As you reach the top of the first hill keep to the right
Look out for the duckboard across the bog
Follow the path through the woods alongside the stream
Reaching the top of the woods
Work your way up the cloughs
Can you spot the Red Grouse
Follow the line of the wall
Spot the well known Yorkshire Peak
Looking out across Morecambe Bay from the wind shelter at the top
The path towards the Three Chambers
The Clougha Chambers
The Three Chambers
Follow the gravel track to the outcrop of stone in the middle of this picture. Take a right on the path before it.
Head down through the moorland.
Keep on the gravel track at this point
Heading off the gravel track towards Ottergear Bridge
Ottergear Bridge with the aqueduct below
Something else to look out for
You’ll see this on a hillside, feel free to go and explore.

Loughrigg Fell Circular from Ambleside | Birkett LAN 2 | Graham’s Guides

This walk gives a lot of views for just 300m of ascent across a little over 6 miles.

Graham’s Walks📌
Distance6.3 miles/10.1km
Ascent1391ft/423m
DifficultyModerate
Map🗺️
GPX📁
Graham’s CafeParking is in Ambleside where there are several cafe options.
ClassificationBirketts LAN 2

The Area

Loughrigg Fell sits as a viewing platform at the junction of several valleys giving it views across much of the southern Lake District. On a good visibility day the walk starts with views of Windermere, Coniston, Coniston Old Man, and the Lancashire Fells to the south. As you ascend the vista opens out to the Langdales, Loughrigg Tarn and Elterwater. Nearer the top the panorama adds in Grasmere and the surrounding hills including Helm Crag and Fairfield. If you are really fortunate you can view some of the northern lakeland fells through Dunmail Raise with the Helvellyn massif standing alongside. The later stages of the walk add in Rydal and Nab Scar.

There are so many hills visible on this route that it can be difficult to distinguish all of them; an App I find particularly useful for this is PeakFinder which allows you to point at a panorama and see the hill names above each peak.

Loughrigg Fell has been heavily quarried over many years making it pitted and potholed especially at the top. This has removed any straightforward ridge to the top, near to the top the available paths can feel a bit like a maze, up and down. Bill Birkett notes: “A proliferation of paths makes route finding rather tricky along the top.”

This walk follows quite closely the route described in Bill Birkett’s Complete Lakeland Fells as LAN 2. Loughrigg Fell is also a Wainwright.

The Walk

This walk starts from the main carpark in Ambleside, the one on Rydal Road near to Bridge House. There’s a Public Toilet in the car park.

The route starts with a little bit of navigation. Head back to Rydal Road and head to the left out of Ambleside past the Fire Station. Just beyond the Fire Station head left down Storey Lane. At the end of the lane is a paved path that leads alongside Stock Ghyll as it flows towards its confluence with the Rothay. There’s a stone footbridge over the River Rothay onto Under Loughrigg road.

Turn right over the bridge and after a short while left onto a paved lane that heads up the hill. There’s currently a post at the end of the lane indicating it’s a public bridleway. The lane heads pretty much straight up until it turns to the left and then switches back to the right. At the right-hand switch there’s a footpath off the bridleway to the left. There’s a small wooden footbridge at this point. There’s also a gate before you get to the tarn.

Beyond this point the path winds its way up to Lily Tarn where it’s worth a bit of an explore. There are some glorious views from the various hillocks that surround it. Lily Tarn is apparently good for a swim, but quite shallow.

With the tarn on your left follow the path up the hill towards the sheepfold.

The path is well defined at this point and continues until it intersects the path from Skelwith Bridge. Continue uphill on the other side as the path fringes Loughrigg Fell to the top. The top is defined by a stone built trig-point.

There are several path away from the top, picking the right one can be a challenge. The one you want is directly opposite the one you walked in on. You should be able to see Grasmere, where you are heading, which will help you get your bearings.

The path down is well used and in the latter stages becomes stepped until it reaches Loughrigg Terrace above Grasmere. Turn right onto the path along the terrace with the mere on your left.

The walk here is the popular walk to Rydal Caves which you will reach by following the contour around. On most days you’ll be able to see the path without any problems as it will be dotted with people.

At Rydal Caves take the path down until it reaches the lane that leads down to Pelter Bridge past the small car park. Before the bridge take Under Loughrigg which is the road to the right. This road will take you alongside the River Rothay all the way back to the footbridge and the path alongside Stocks Ghyll, Rydal Road and into Ambleside.

Alternatives and Extensions

It’s difficult to know where to start on the alternative routes for this one, there are many. I’ll give a few.

On your way back from Grasmere you can choose to take the lakeside route back along Grasmere, via the river Rothay alongside Rydal. That’s straightforward enough.

From the top you can miss out Grasmere and head straight across the top to the caves. It’s probably quicker, but misses out several views.

There are a set of stepping stones part way along Under Loughrigh which, given the right conditions, would allow you to cross over to the A591 a little earlier. It’s fun, but not with the payback of walking down the busy A591. There are several places where you can cross to the A591 if the need arises.

You can take a swim in Grasmere or Rydal joining someone most days. There’s also the option of descending to Loughrigg Tarn before reascending to the summit. Loughrigg Tarn is one of the best swimming spots in the lakes, but it’s a lot of down and then back up. Probably better to plan that for another day.

Parking at the main carpark in Ambleside can get busy. There are various options in Ambleside itself probably the best alternative is Miller Bridge Car Park which is only just the other side of Rothay Park. Also, it’s not too much further to walk from Waterhead via the Rothay Bridge and onto Under Loughrigg from the other end. Another alternative is to use the Rydal car parks, but they are often busier than the ones in Ambleside.

Although it might look like it can be done, please don’t expect to be able to drive the length on Under Loughrigg it’s closed part way along.

The Bridge Across the Rothay
Under Loughrigg
The Footbridge on the way to Lily Tarn
There’s a gate on the way to Lily Tarn
This is Lily Tarn
The view across Windermere from near to Lily Tarn
Loughrigg Tarn and Elterwater beyond
The top is in sight
The view from the top toward Grasmere
On the way down to Loughrigg Terrace
Along Loughrigg Terrace
Looking back towards Rydal
The stepping stones

Sallows and Sour Howes above Kentmere Park | Birkett KEN 3 | Graham’s Guides

A lovely 7 miles walk, away from any crowds in a less visited valley to the south of the Lake District.

Graham’s Walks📌
Distance7.3 miles
DifficultyDifficult
Map🗺️
GPX📁
Graham’s CafeYou drive past More? The Artisan Bakehouse, Staveley
ClassificationBirketts KEN 3

The Area

To the side of the main route into the Lake District, the A591, is the small town of Staveley and through its narrow streets you access a hidden gem of the Lake District, Kentmere a glorious valley on the southern edge of the National Park. Every day thousands pass by on their journey to the bright lights of the central Lakes favouring the car parks, cruises and high peaks. For those who prefer something quieter Kentmere is a fabulous, and accessible, choice if you are travelling from the south.

Some walking days are defined by fine weather and open vistas, others are dominated by low cloud and reduced visibility, the pictures in this post are from one of the latter days. For me, hiking is a state of mind, and each day gives you a set of choices. You can choose to make the best of the weather or to be frustrated that it isn’t something else. You can choose to complain that the fells aren’t very impressive, as was one of the few hikers I met, or you can see each summit as a goal reached. A good day hiking is a choice. Having said all of that, the clouds lifted a bit for the latter half of the walk and the views were spectacular.

The start of the walk is from the end of a lane above Browfoot. This is the recommended start point in the Birkett guidebook being commended as a way to avoid the parking congestion that can occur near to the church in Kentmere village. While this sounds like a sensible thing to do, the track above Browfoot is currently highly potholed and the parking options at the end of the lane are extremely limited. If you don’t want to take your chances at Browfoot you will see on the maps that there several routes to the start of the walk nearby including from Ings where there are more parking options. There are also several parking options on the side of the road to Kentmere near to the pottery entrance in the area which is marked as Philipson’s Wood on the OS Maps.

This walk is classified as KEN 3 by Bill Birkett in Complete Guide to Lakeland Fells.

The Walk

The start, and end, of this walk is on the bridleway from Hugill Hall to Kentmere Hall. The bridleway takes you through open moorland for a couple of miles until just before a good-sized stream from where you follow the fence to the left which becomes a wall.

I’ll describe some of the main features of this walk, but the reality is, you need to navigate this walk by the map and by what you see on the ground. There aren’t any nicely worn paths to follow for much of it and not too many distinguishable waypoints.

Once you leave the main bridleway you travel along a wall until it takes a turn to the right from where you head across open moorland to the top of Capple Howe. Capple Howe is so small that it doesn’t make it to the title of the walk in Complete Guide to Lakeland Fells.

From the top of Capple Howe you should be able to see one of the few waypoints, a small triangular shaped, wall enclosed, wood. The path to the top of Sour Howes is to the left of the wood. More open moorland takes you to the top of Sour Howes.

Sour Howes is in a few routes so from here the path does become a little more distinct following a fence around Moor Head and over a stile to the top of Sallows. The top of Sallows is marked by an Ordnance Survey trig-marker plate.

The paths away from the top of Sallows become even more distinct but following the theme of this walk we aren’t going to follow any of them. Our task is to head across open ground to meet up with the former access lane to the nearby quarry, this is now little more than a path but still quite distinguishable on the ground.

The quarry lane will take you down to the bridleway on which we started the walk. Turn right as you meet h bridleway and it will take you back to the stream and a set of stepping stones. From the stream walk the two miles back to your vehicle.

Alternative and Variations

One extension that looks sensible on the map would be to add in High Knott and the Williamson’s Monument which isn’t a Birkett, but it is in Wainwright’s Outlying Fells. The monument looks to have a great view across to Staveley, the lower Kentmere area and Morecambe Bay beyond. While you will see several routes on maps to the monument, the owner of the land does not appear to want anyone visiting. When I tried to follow the paths recently, I was met by a dry-stone wall topped with barbed wire and a sign telling me that I would be prosecuted if I tried to get to the monument. I decided that it wasn’t worth it, but others have chosen to trespass to get their tick as a point of principle.

Some days are just misty…
I suspect that there is a view beyond this tree, but not today
Even on the top it was misty
The trig-plate on Sallows
The view along Kentmere decided to make an appearance
The view south with just a glimmer of Morecambe Bay in the distance. The silver line in the middle is the route back.
Descending below the clouds
We even had some blue skies…
Walking the bridleway back
Walking the bridleway back

Arnside Knott and Far Arnside Circular from Arnside | Grahams Guides

A walk of hills and coast, open views and woodland meandering. Starting and finishing in the beautiful coastal village of Arnside where there are several good cafe options and free parking.

Graham’s Walks📌
Distance5.3 miles
DifficultyModerate
Map🗺️
GPX📁
Graham’s CafeSandpipers (at the start/end of the walk on Arnside promenade)
The Wolf Cafe (short drive away in Silverdale)

The Area

The village of Arnside sits on the side of the Kent Estuary with glorious views of the southern Lake District fells. The views extend even further from the top of the relatively small Knott which we will ascend on this route. The Kent has its source in Kentmere in the southern Lake District and makes its way down through Staveley and Kendal (a derivation of Kent Dale) and past Levens through the Deer Park. It then makes its way through the varied landscape of the Kent Estuary and into Morecambe Bay.

Arnside is mostly a product of the railway. Prior to the arrival of the train, it was a small fishing village; the Furness line turned it into a fashionable place for the Victorians to visit for recuperations and health retreats. Its development stayed small without a large hotel or theatres which helped it avoid much of the impact caused by the switch to foreign holidays.

We start this walk from the shorefront in Arnside from where you will notice the Arnside Viaduct which was built in the 1850s. It’s still the only crossing of the estuary and when it was opened made a huge difference to the travel times to and from Barrow and beyond. There are plans to widen the viaduct for cycling and walking with a funded feasibility study being undertaken in 2023, there doesn’t appear to have been much activity since then though.

The views on this walk are dominated on one side by the huge expanse of Morecambe Bay which is “largest intertidal area in the whole of the UK“. Its huge expanse has meant that people have often braved the perils that lurk there to save on the long journey going around. As you look out on the view imagine that people used to ride stagecoaches across the sands and that Romans and Monks once walked this route.

As another short aside, while currently part of Cumbria, much of land on the other side of the bay from Arnside was historically part of Lancashire.

There is lots of good walking from Arnside, but please note, the Kent Estuary is not suitable for swimming.

The name Arnside is widely understood to come from a Norse heritage meaning Eagle (arn) Headland (side). The nearby RSPB Leighton Moss is frequented by several raptors, Foulshaw Moss on the other side of the Kent is a nesting please for Osprey and Warton Crag to the south has resident Peregrin Falcons; but I’ve never seen anything more than a Buzzard around Arnside. Knott is also a Norse word meaning rocky hill.

The Knott is one of several limestone crags along this area of coastline most of which have been used as quarries at one time but now are mostly open for walking and looked after by different organisations. Arnside Knott is owned by the National Trust who provide a small car park on the Knott itself.

The Walk

We start this walk from the village of Arnside parking on the shoreline. There’s normally ample parking on the promenade road, but there’s also the option of Arnside beach Car Park.

Depending on where you parked there are several options for getting to the top of the Knott. The easiest to navigate is to follow the main road out of Arnside towards Silverdale, called Silverdale Road. Turn right onto Red Hills Road and then take a left up onto High Knott Road heading left as it reaches a T-junction. The OS Maps route that I’ve made available shows a route that cuts through to Red Hills Road from the shoreline near to the Arnside Beach Hut cafe.

From High Knott Road take a right through the woods and up the hill to the top of the Knott.

The woods will give way to a field. At the other side of the field, you pass through a gate into open limestone thickets to the top. This is limestone which can be slippery when wet.

Make sure you take some time to enjoy the views on your way up. From the tops of the Knott you can see across the Cumbrian Fells, across into the Yorkshire Dales and along the Lancashire coastline.

If you are someone who likes to bag a trig-point you’ll find one hidden in the middle of a thicket to the left of the main path. Although it marks the top the trig-point isn’t where the best views are. From the trig-point work your way back to the path that you left which you can either do by retracing your route, or by taking the path that’s shown on the map.

The main path will take you past several open viewing areas; some with seating. The path will also take you downhill eventually reaching a fork. At the fork take the left-hand option which will take you down to a gate into Hollins Farm. If you miss the fork carry on down until you reach a wall where you can take the path on the left to the gate.

From Hollins Farm take a stile across another field onto the driveway for the Far Arnside Holiday Park.

Take the driveway into the park and across it to the gate on the far side into a wood. This path will take you around the outside of the Knott on the Cumbria Coastal Way back to Arnside. The path meanders its way through the woodland sometimes along cliff tops. At various points paths branch off to a pebble beach or a rocky cove, feel free to explore these paths the views are ever changing. The coves and beaches are excellent places to stop for refreshments, and the bay looks different each time you visit.

I’ve never known this route be busy, but it is especially peaceful beyond Far Arnside until you reach The Bob-in Cafe by which time you are almost back into Arnside.

At The Bob-in Cafe the path goes around the outside of a grassy bay and returns to woodland on the other side known as Grubbins Wood and cared for by the Cumbria Wildlife Trust.

Extensions and Variations

There are many different interconnecting paths on the Knott; feel free to explore this fascinating place. Different paths will give you different panoramas to enjoy.

You can choose to do some of the walk on the shorefront but please make sure that you understand what the tides are going to be doing. Also, even if the tide is out there is still the possibility of quicksand.

The National Trust publish a shorter circular route (1.7m) from their car park on the Knott itself.

There aren’t too many places to extend this walk as at least half of it is framed by the coast. Where it can be extended it to include Arnside Tower by heading over the Knott and then on down to the coastal walk from the tower. If ancient towers are your thing then this may be something you want to do but by taking this detour you will be missing out on many of the views from the Knott. The tower is a ruin and there really isn’t very much to see.

Arnside Viaduct with the tide out
Arnside Viaduct with the tide in
Promenade Parking
Finding the Trig Point
Looking south from the summit
The Kent Estuary looking north
Joining the path through the woods at Far Arnside
Meandering the coastal path
Meanding the coastal path on a different day
Exploring a pebble beach
I wonder where this path goes?
Grubbins wood
Looking across the estuary towards Grange

Top o’ Selside Circular from High Nibthwaite | Birkett OUT 3 | Graham’s Guides

Taking a walk on the quieter side of the Lake District. This route crosses open moorland where you are likely to be on your own with the fabulous views across the fells and over to Morecambe Bay.

Graham’s Walks📌
Distance4.8 miles
DifficultyDifficult
Map🗺️
GPX📁
Graham’s CafeNearest is Bakehouse Born and Bread

The Area

If areas of the Lake District had a league table this one would be somewhere in the second or third tier, and it’s all the better for it.

I’ve covered several walks that are in premier league areas like Grasmere which are beautiful, but also visited by lots of people. These areas define most people’s perspective of the Lake District, and I’m happy for them, but there are significant areas of Cumbria that don’t get this treatment and today’s walk is in one of those areas.

High Nibthwaite is at the southern end of Coniston and on the less visited eastern shore.

There isn’t really anywhere to park in the hamlet, but there is a small unmarked car park just outside to the north. There is also a field opposite this small car park which occasionally gets recommissioned as a place to leave your car, although on the day I last visited the field was full of impressive white cows. You will need the RingGo app for the field, the small carpark is free. When I say that the small car park is unmarked I mean that there are no signs at its entrance, you can’t see where the cars are parked from the road, and the entrance is down a rough track which immediately makes you doubt that a car park could be at the end of it. There is a grey metal post, but it doesn’t have any signs on it and it is shown on the OS Map. Here’s the link to the location of the small car park, if you zoom in close on Google Maps satellite view you’ll see a car parked in it.

High Nibthwaite has its own artistic connections with Antony Gormley of Angel of the North and Another Place fame. At the edge of the hamlet is a house called The Stable at Lake End where Anthony visited in the 1980’s and where, in a field next to the boat house and quay he has left one of his famous iron sculptures looking out towards the Old Man of Coniston. It’s worth a visit to the sculpture and to take in the view at the quay by taking the footpath across the field (The footpath doesn’t go anywhere other than to the quay).

Much of this walk is across Bethecar Moor which is mostly trackless so you will need you map reading skills for this walk. The moor is a mixture of small rambling hills, gullies and bogs. There are marked paths on the map, but they aren’t as clearly defined on the ground. Don’t be fooled into thinking of this as a natural landscape though, like much of the Lake District this area has been shaped by people over a long time with some mining, coppicing, peat extraction and charcoal burning.

Near to the summit of the walk is Arnsbarrow Tarn which is a beautiful peaceful glacial tarn. The name “barrow” hints as the Bronze Age burial mounds nearby. People have been shaping this landscape for a very long time indeed.

This walk includes three Birketts – Stang Hill, Arnsbarrow Hill, and Top o’ Selside.

The name Top o’ Selside is a combination of Norse and English meanings. The Norse part Selside means seasonal pasture on a hillside, more Viking influence. The English part Top o’ says that it’s the highest point of.

The Walk

This is a medium length walk but I’ve marked it as difficult because of the need to navigate open moorland where the tracks are few and far between. In good weather the features are distinct, but in poor visibility it would be easy to become confused. Also, walking in this kind of open moorland is more tiring and slower going than on defined well marked tracks. The lack of tracks does give lots of opportunity to explore though.

We start this walk from the small unmarked carpark to the north of Coniston which is here. We are going to do this circular in an anti-clockwise direction, but you could do it the other way around. My choice of direction is solely down to a preference for coming down through the woods at the end rather than working my way up them at the beginning.

From the car park we head south along the road back into High Nibthwaite taking a short detour to visit the Gormley statue and to take in the views along the lake from the quay.

In the middle of the hamlet is a track off to left. This track is often used by off-road enthusiasts and mountain bikers, it forms part of our route down later on. For now, though, we are only following it for a short distance before heading along the path to the right along following route of a drystone wall to our right.

This path will take us along the route of Caws Beck which is in the woodland, to our right, and below the crags of Brock Barrow, on our left, to the farm at High Bethecar. This farm has fabulous views across the fells and Morecambe Bay but feels very isolated.

From High Bethecar we head out onto the moorland through a gate and along a track that steadily diminishes. We are looking for a fork in the path that takes us off to Stang Moss to the right. This is where you will need your map reading skills because it isn’t very clear on the ground where this fork is.

The route from Stang Moss to Arnsbarrow Hill is along a small ridge. If you are fortunate you can see the top of Arnsbarrow from Stang Moss and the route is almost straight there.

When we are picking our way along a route it’s easy to get engrossed in the few metres in front of us, be sure to lift your head and take a look around, this route has fabulous views.

Onward to Arnsbarrow Tarn which is worth a visit to take in the tranquility of it. You should be able to see the tarn from Arnsbarrow Hill. Work your way around the eastern side of the tarm up onto the Top o’ Selside.

The track down from the Top o’ Selside is probably the clearest part of this moorland part of the walk. The views across to the Old Man of Coniston are glorious on a good weather day. Part way along this part of our bimble you will start to see the bridleway that will form the next part of our exploring.

Once you’ve reached the bridleway turn left along it as it descends.

The last time I did this route there were two groups of off-road vehicles making their way up the hill. The noisy engines and tires felt like an invasion of privacy having been on my own in the quiet moorland. I can see why people would choose this route though, the views are fabulous.

The bridleway will eventually draw alongside a wood on the right and then a little further along there is a gate into the wood. There’s only really one path down through the woods back to the carpark. This wood is nicely isolated and you should watch out for wildlife, when I last visited I saw a woodcock, a bird I’m not sure I’ve ever seen before.

Extensions and Variations

This route is mostly across moorland and this makes for infinite possibilities and variations.

Near the beginning of the walk you can choose to branch off and climb Brock Barrow which would be quite steep. Even if you don’t climb up the front you can branch off the defined path to the left to get some early views of the surrounding hills. From there you can cross moor to High Light Haws before branching off to Stang Moss.

If you were really wanting to maximise the number of Birketts that you covered on this walk you would take the route from Top o’ Selside to Carron Crag which is the only other Birkett in the area. Doing this would more than double the length of the walk and I’m not sure would add much more interest.

The entrance to the small carpark
It’s a small carpark
Initial views across Coniston and the White Cows, this is the field which sometimes becomes a carpark
Antony Gormley was here
The view from the quay
High Bethecar
Out on the moors, managed to find a bit of a path
Arnbarrow Tarn
Arnbarrow Tarn
Top o’ Selside with Morecambe Bay glowing in the background
The views along Coniston and the Bridleway
The gate into the woods

Levens Deer Park Circular from Levens Hall, Carnforth | Graham’s Guides

A glorious parkland walk with interest all year round. Closer to home than the Lake District with a wonderful Graham’s cafe at the start/end.

Graham’s Walks Vitals

The Maps

  • OS Maps Route: 🗺️
  • GPX Download: 📁

The Area

Levens Deer Park is part of the grounds of Levens Hall, it is free to enter. Parking at Levens Hallis free, as is use of the toilets. Then on top of that, you can go to Levens Kitchen at either the beginning or the end of the walk, or both if that’s how the mood takes you.

What’s not to like, parking, toilets, walk and cafe all for the cost of a coffee. You could even pick up some fresh bread and cakes at the bakery.

While we love the Lake District there are days when we would rather be a little closer to home and away from the visiting hords; this walk is one of our favourites on such occasions. That’s not to say that this is a second-best walk, it’s a wonderful little ramble. It’s not overly long and not too arduous, but is long enough to get the lungs going with enough elevation to stretch the legs. There’s plenty of interest too; waterfalls, goats, deer and if you are fortunate jumping salmon.

This walk is good all year round. In the spring there are blankets of crocuses alongside the river near to the car park and blankets of snowdrops in other places. The summer brings cooling dappled light along deciduous tree lined avenues. In the autumn the trees transform into an explosion of colour giving great views along the river, this is when the salmon do their leaping. Cold crisp days in the winter bring a different light and the joy of crunching through parkland.

While the parkland may look naturalistic, it was actually landscaped over 300 years ago at the same time as the gardens at the hall. Imagine the physical manpower involved in landscaping such a vast area 300 years ago!

The Walk

There are a few places on this route where a decision needs to be made, most of the time the route is defined by the parkland. At the farthest end of the walk you leave the park to cross the river and then reenter it to return.

Levens Hall to Force Bridge

We start this walk from the car park of Levens Hall. It’s free to park and I’ve never known parking to be a problem. If the car park is closed for any reason there is also parking on the road leading down from the A590. Not really sure how to describe this parking option, so here’s a pin for it.

Head out of the grounds the way you came in, along the avenue through the stone archway. You will need your wits about you as you cross the road; the cars can come fast and there isn’t an obvious place to safely cross.

Once on the other side of the road we are going to do this walk clockwise which means walking along the road for a short distance, across the river and into the park through the small steel gates in the wall and then down some steps onto the path.

You should now be able to see in front of you the river Kent to your right as it sweeps to the left. The path follows this same sweep up a gradual incline. There’s also a signpost showing the walk. This sign also, currently, advises you not to swim in the river because of pollution, it always looks clear, but the danger is often what you can’t see.

If you are fortunate you may see some black fallow deer or some Bagot goats. The deer are regularly on this side of the river, but the goats are more regularly on the other side near to the end of the walk. The black fallow deer are a dark variant of the common European fallow deer. The Bagot goats have striking horns and very cute kids in the spring.

We follow this path across the park and upstream. The path is well defined and eventually takes a left-hand turn reaching a stile and gate over a wall. On the far side of the wall turn right and follow the wall along the edge of the field. This is one area where it can get muddy in wet periods.

The path follows the wall across a field, over another stile, and across the middle of another field.

On the far side of the second field a gate opens out on to a lane by a cottage. Turn right and follow the lane until you come to a path underneath the A590 as it travels over the River Kent. The lane continues on the other side.

A short way along the lane you will come to some cottages. Just before these cottages there’s a small car park. To the rear of the car park there’s a waterfall where, in the right season and if you wait long enough, you can see salmon leaping.

Continuing along the lane you will get views of several other waterfalls. This area is abundant with snowdrops in the spring.

Force Bridge to Levens Hall

The lane comes out at a road-bridge over the river to the right. Walk across the bridge and take the road to the right on the other side. It’s mostly right-hand turns on this walk – it’s a clockwise walk. The views aren’t great for this small section as the river is masked by a large stone wall.

Follow the road over the A590 dual carriageway beyond which you will see a gate to the right. There’s a stile with a small gate at the top over which you will turn left. You are now back in the deer park on an avenue of mature deciduous trees. You follow this avenue most of the way back to the hall.

I imagine that the owners of the hall would promenade along this avenue with all the trappings of the wealthy, or hunt the deer on horseback.

Near to the end of the avenue the path veers off to the right following the route of the river back to the road. This is the area where the Bagot goats tend to frequent.

Cross the road back to the hall and your vehicle.

Alternatives and Variations

There’s an extension to the route at the far end that takes in the now disused upper-reaches of the Lancaster Canal and also takes in Sedgwick House and the Hincaster Tunnel. This extension is fully described as Walk 3 on the Lancaster Canal Towpath Trail.

At the top of the walk, before crossing over the River Kent there’s a short extension to a footbridge a bit further upstream beyond the wonderfully named Nannypie Lane. I’ve seen photographs of salmon leaping in this area, but never seen any myself.

Glorious Autumn colours
Snowdrops by the River Kent
Crocus in full bloom
Black Fallow Deer
Watching for Salmon

Helm Crag, Gibson Knott, Calf Crag Circular from Grasmere | Graham’s Guides

A beautiful moderate ridge walk with views across to many of the Lake District larger mountains.

Graham’s Walks Vitals

The Map

  • OS Maps Route: 🗺️
  • GPX Download: 📁

The Area

Helm Crag, while not one of the highest peaks in the Lake District, is one of the better known ones. The rocky outcrop that sits at the end of the ridge has a shape that provokes several nicknames. The shape of the outcrop has provoked popular names the Lion and Lamb and The Old Woman Playing the Organ depending on where you are viewing it. I have no idea why it’s an Old Woman the shape isn’t that specific, the Lion and Lamb reference is from the Bible and makes sense from certain directions. While this rock formation is distinctive, it’s not the summit, that’s a bit further along.

This walk starts from the valley where it can be quite sheltered. Although the ridge is quite low, it can be very exposed even if the weather in the valley feels benign. I recommend that you take extra clothing in anticipation of this.

We are starting this walk from Red Bank car park in Grasmere. On this occasion I decided to pick some bagging up at Lucia’s on the way through the village – the choice, sweet-chilli sausage roll and a raspberry blondie, both were excellent.

(Bagging: is a Cumbrian term for a packed lunch.)

This walk takes in three Wainwrights (Helm Crag, Gibson Knott and Calf Crag). There is a fourth available at Steel Fell if you fancy a variation. This extended route is also known as the Greenburn Horseshoe and is traditionally done the other way around, starting on Steel Fell. I’d recently been up Steel Fell on a different route so chose the beauty of Far Easedale.

The Walk

Grasmere to Helm Crag

Leave Red Bank Car Park and head through Grasmere aiming for Easedale Road via Broadgate. Broadgate is directly opposite the entrance to the car park. Follow Easedale Road past the Glenthorne Quaker Centre, then past the entrance to The Lancrigg. The Lancrigg sometimes offers parking which can be a great alternative for this walk.

Further along the road you will come to a small gathering of houses. This is where the road ceases to be tarmac and where we need to depart from it. At the end of the tarmac, the lane continues straight-on, but there is also a lane off to the right, up an incline. A short way along this lane it will veer to the left and then there is a bridleway to the right. This should have a footpath post pointing you towards Helm Crag.

Follow this path to the top of the crag. This part of the path is well marked and stepped in places. It does zig-zag a bit, but the main route is clear.

The rocky outcrops along the top of Helm Crag are dramatic, but I don’t recommend climbing them unless you have particular skills.

Helm Crag to Calf Crag via Gibson Knott

From this point on this is a ridge walk until we get beyond Calf Crag. There are a few paths off to either side, but the main path is the one we are going to travel.

The summit of Gibson Knott isn’t very distinct if that kind of thing matters to you, but it did make for a great place to stop and eat my bagging.

Calf Crag to Stythwaite Steps

From Calf Crag head down hill following the same ridge route. Once you’ve descended a little you’ll notice a path off to the left heading down into the valley and following the route of Far Easedale Gill. This path will take you all the way down to the path that started your Helm Crag ascent. The path crosses the stream a couple of times as you descend. If you are close to the stream you won’t be far wrong.

You’ll find that the number of people diminishes the further away from Grasmere you walk. A few people make it to the top of Helm Crag, very few make it up Gibson Knott. You are most likely to have Far Easedale to yourself until you get to the stepping stones and footbridge at Stythwaite Steps.

Stythwaite Steps to Grasmere

Beyond Stythwaite Steps the path soon becomes a bridleway.

The route back to your car simply retraces the route you’ve already travelled through Grasmere village.

Alternatives and Variations

As a ridge walk there aren’t too many variations to this walk.

You can add Steel Fell in and create the Greenburn Horseshoe. This is a good walk, but can get quite wet and muddy at the top after Calf Crag.

This walk can be done in either direction, my only caution to that is the descent from Helm Crag which includes quite a few steps. I prefer to walk up steps.

The walk can be shortened by descending from either side of the ridge between Helm Crag and Gibson Knott. There’s also the option to descend on the Greenburn side after Gibson Knott.

Heading out with Helm Crag on the right
The path to the top of Helm Crag
Looking back, with Grasmere behind
Continuing the ascent
Almost at the top of Helm Crag
The Lion and Lamb
The walk ahead to Calf Crag on the right, with the path down to the left
On the footbridge at Stythwaite Steps

Bolton Abbey Circular including The Strid | Graham’s Guides

Revisiting a long-term family favourite we discovered on our first holiday as family of three with a baby in a backpack.

Graham’s Walks📌
Distance6.1 miles
DifficultyModerate
Map🗺️
GPX📁
Graham’s CafeTea Cottage at Bolton Abbey

The Area

One evening, when we were young and had a very small baby, we were at the house of some friends when they asked us whether we’d got a holiday planned. We said that we hadn’t because money was a bit tight at present. They said that they would put their very nice caravan on any site within an hour’s drive, leave it there for a week and come and pick it up at the end. This generous offer meant that we spent a glorious week on a wonderful campsite near Grassington in September, it rained every night but was glorious every day. The colours were glorious and the waterfalls spectacular.

This was in the time before the Internet so we found new places to visit by picking up leaflets. I don’t know, but I’m assuming that on one day one of us picked up a leaflet for this place called Bolton Abbey. We decided to visit, and it’s been a family favourite ever since.

Bolton Abbey has on display, a wonderful combination of natural features and English history. We’ll pass The Strid on this walk which is a unique limestone feature on the river Wharfe, the wood surrounding it has been open to the public since the nineteenth century. The ruins and remaining church of Bolton Priory have been a place of worship since the twelfth century having been donated to the Augustinian canons in 1154. The nearby hall is an extension of the former priory gatehouse, the stones from the ruined priory being reused in many of the buildings in the area. The church remains at the priory because during the dissolution they were able to argue that it was the local church and not a monastery.

The estate is a long standing seat of the Duke of Devonshire, the same people as Chatsworth, although both are now owned by a trust. How the English Dukes and the broader aristocracy got their lands is a fascinating part of English history, how they’ve retained, and lost, them is just as fascinating.

The Walk

I’m going to start this walk from the main visitors car park, shown on the web site as Bolton Abbey Car Park, it’s the easiest place to begin. There are toilets and a small shop in the car park. As you head into the village there’s the choice of a couple of cafes, there’s also a cafe on route (with a toilet) and regularly additional ice cream options. This walk is not short of refreshment options. There are also three parking options, I’ll cover those in the alternatives.

From the car park head into the village, across the road you should be able to see a hole in the large wall with a wooden gate. The other side of the gate the stepped path heads downward across open fields towards the river. Near the bottom, the path heads to the left across the back of the Priory and onto a footbridge.

We nearly always stop on the beach before the footbridge to skim some stones and to take in the swirling powerful waters. Swimming is not recommended here, too many currents.

It can be tempting to explore the Priory at this point, resist, we are coming back that way.

If the river isn’t too high, and they are all in place, there is the option of crossing the river on stepping stones. They run parallel to the footbridge a little upstream. The stepping stones are good fun, but don’t be a hero, if the sign says they are closed it will be for a good reason.

There are several paths that emanate from the far side of the footbridge, we tend to prefer the one that heads steadily upwards which is the righthand option. You will need to climb the riverbank at some point and doing it early gives fabulous views back across the Priory. The other options all rejoin the main path at some point.

There are several great places to take photographs in the section.

From this point on follow the path upstream for several miles. Along the way you will pass the Riverside Car Par on the opposite bank, the Cavendish Pavilion, where there is a footbridge and The Strid. The Strid isn’t particularly visible on this side, but the woods are glorious and the views on the way back are spectacular.

On this walk we will go all the way to the footbridge at the end of the woods beyond The Strid. This is the first footbridge after the Cavendish Pavilion. On the estate map, that they give you when you enter the car park, this footbridge is labelled “Aqueduct.”

Cross the footbridge and then follow the path along the river back towards The Strid which is signposted. The Strid is a fascinating geological feature, be careful though, it can be slippery and you don’t want to fall in it’s regarded as one of the most dangerous stretches of water in the country. According to Yorkshire folklore the foaming waters of The Strid are home to a kelpie.

From The Strid carry on along the river to the Cavendish Pavilion, then alongside the riverbank through the Riverside Car Park. Feel free to stop for refreshments at the Cavendish Pavilion, it’s nice, but it’s not our favourite.

At the end of the Riverside car park you will notice a path heading up towards the village, there’s a fountain at the top. You can’t miss this path, it’s the only one. The views of the Priory are wonderful along this short section.

From the top follow the path along the road, towards the village, until you get to the entrance to the lane down to the Priory. The Priory is well worth an explore. The ruins are fascinating, the remaining Nave is lovely and peaceful, the type of place where you can tell that people have been praying for nearly a thousand years.

The Priory lane rejoins the road just along from the hole in the wall where we started the walk.

If we hadn’t already been, this is where we would head off to the Tea Cottage which is just beyond the hole in the wall. If the weather is fine, we will be sitting outside on a table overlooking the Priory and the river Wharfe beyond. If the weather is less conducive to sitting out, we will be just as happy by a window in the cottage with a very similar view.

Alternatives and Variations

There are obvious ways to extend and to shorten this walk. To shorten it you can cross the footbridge at the Cavendish Pavilion and make your way back from there. To lengthen it you can go as far as the Barden Tower and make you way back from there. You can carry along the Wharfe for a very long way, but only on one side. You can also extend the walk at the beginning by heading south from village. After a short while you will reach Bolton bridge where you can cross over and make your way back up the river to rejoin the path beyond the ruins of the Priory.

There are three primary car parks for this walk. I’ve started from the Bolton Abbey one, we progress through the Riverside one so that’s reasonably obvious. There’s also a car park at The Strid, this is just a short walk from the path, there is another cafe and some toilets here. There’s also a smaller car park at Barden Tower.

We tend to walk the route in one particular direction, as described, but there isn’t any reason why you couldn’t do the walk in reverse, it’s just as picturesque.

The Tea Cottage
The View from the Tea Cottage
Time for some Skimming
Catching Glimpses
The path back to the village from the Riverside Car Park
The Priory from the Fountain
Inside the Nave of the Priory