Weekend Walking North Lakes– part 1
Two very different days and very different walks this weekend. Neither had I walked before, the second was a totally new area altogether and there is so much more there to explore.
Saturday the hills were still hanging on to grubby grey cloud, but as I was with a friend more used to walking Warwickshire flatlands, staying off the tops happened to be more suitable.
Getting out of the car and looking around brought satisfying ‘wow factor’ adjectives as my passenger looked across and up the valley.
Follow a foot path out of the car park, between some houses, up towards the fell intake wall. Passing through two or three kissing gates en route. Don’t do, unless you want a view over Honister, as we did, and miss the right hand turn along a bridle way. Going left towards Honister is a much more distinct track and the right hand branch, though signposted bridle way, would need a pretty surefooted fell pony to negotiate parts of it.
Once on the correct route there is not much opportunity to go wrong. Just focus on Castle Crag and enjoy the view. The clouds were slowly being blown away and we got the occasional glimpse of Blencathera beyond Kings How. The track squeezes between Low Scawdel and Castle Crag and for a few strides, before dipping down into woodland, Derwent water fills the valley. Take a detour up Castle Crag at this point if you have inclination – (on my list).
Wander through the woods down to the Derwent and the return path along the valley. Initially it is wide and somnolent, and so clear that every pebble was visible. Trace it up the valley, following the Cumbria Way for a short while. There a few options you could take back to the start, but we kept to the West side of the river, hugging the edge of the woodland.
The circuit is just over 7.5k and takes a little more than 2 hours. A good choice for a short afternoon walk.
Park in the National trust car park at Seatoller NY 6 247
Map Landranger OL 4
Book here
