Yorkshire Walks

Grasmere and Helm Crag

We left the car behind this morning and walked from our cottage down the road for a couple of hundred metres to map ref. NY 335062 where we turned on to the permissive footpath around the edge of Grasmere towards Loughrigg Fell. We followed the path below Loughrigg Terrace and up to the cave at map ref. NY 354057. It's part of an old slate quarry. From the cave we dropped down to the path beside Rydal Water and followed the track and then the lane towards Ambleside. At map ref. NY 370044 we turned off the lane over a stone footbridge to walk along the footpath into Ambleside where we found a pleasant tea shop for some lunch. After lunch we retraced our steps over the stone footbridge and crossed the road to climb up a steep access road passing Brow Head Farm and on to Loughrigg Fell at map ref. NY 355042.

Here we turned right to climb up the fell to the trig point at map ref. NY 346051. The whole fell is criss-crossed with footpaths and you just have to choose your own way to the top. After sitting for a while to enjoy the view we made our way down to Loughrigg Terrace and back to our cottage via the lakeside path. It had been a lovely start to the week. The whole walk was about 10km and took us about 3 hours plus a leisurely stroll around Ambleside at lunch time.

Carrion Crow on the edge of Grasmere

Slate quarry cave above Rydal Water

Robin on a mossy wall

Heron looking for frogs in a boggy field

Footbridge to Ambleside

Jackdaw feeding in the sheep pasture

Grasmere from Loughrigg Fell

Descending from Loughrigg fell to Grasmere

Me on Loughrigg Fell

Sculpture above Grizedale Forest visitor centre

This morning the weather was a bit grey, so after a lazy start we drove to the visitor centre at Grizedale Forest, map ref. SD 335944. We left the visitor centre on one of the way-marked trails to map ref. SD 330942 where we turned right along a series of forest tracks and paths to map ref. SD 325954. Here we turned left along a forest road with good views across the valley to the Coniston Range and Coniston Old Man. At map ref. SD 323935 we turned left again following the forest road to map ref. SD 327937. At this point we joined a way-marked trail to climb up to the view point at map ref. SD 325943. By the time we reached the top it was starting to snow and the sky was looking quite threatening. As we left the top we met an elderly couple with three spaniels that were doing the usual spanial frantic search of the undergrowth with heads down and tails wagging. One of them had been a bit too enthusiastic and had run onto a broken branch impaling itself by the shoulder and causing quite a nasty deep tear.

The owners were worried that the animal seemed unable to walk and had started to carry it down the hillside on a steep rocky path. It was about 1km back to the visitor centre so we volunteered to help and took it in turns to carry the dog in a sling made from an old fleece jacket. The owners took the dog in their car to the vet and we did not find out what happened to it after that. The walk was about 7km and took us about two and a half hours including our dog rescue exploits.

Our intrepid dog rescue in progress

Old man of the forest sculpture

Old man of the forest sculpture

Cobbled track to Elterwater from Grasmer

The weather was much better this morning and we left the car behind again and set off from our cottage to map ref. NY 333063 where we took the path over the hill to Elterwater village. The path begins as a cobbled track between dry stone walls through some woodland and we were delighted to see two red squirrels on the wall top. As we approached they climbed into the safety of a tree and looked at us from the branches. From Elterwater village we followed the path by the river (Great Langdale Beck) to Chapel Stile where we spent some time in the tea shop for our morning break. We then continued upstream to Oak House at map ref. NY 308057. Here we followed the path back down the valley across the fields and along the lane to map ref. NY 325044. We followed the road back into Elterwater to the car park beside the bridge over the Beck, and set off downstream on the footpath beside the Beck.

We passed Elter Water and continued to Skelwith Bridge. At map ref. NY 343034 we turned off the road up the hill to Loughrigg Tarn. From the tarn we followed the track and the road to map ref. NY 340055 where we turned off the road onto a very pleasant track through the woods down to Grasmere and back to our cottage. The whole route had been about 14km and had taken us four and a half hours including our stops.

Red squirrel just visible amongst the branches

Great Langdale Beck at Chapel Stile

Woodland track in Great Langdale

Circular saw bench for ripping down whole tree trunks

Langdale Pikes seen across Elter Water

Elter Water

Loughrigg Tarn

Loughrigg Tarn

Our first glimps of Crummock Water

This morning we drove over the Honister Pass to Crummock Water where we parked in the National Trust car park at map ref. NY 172171 on the edge of Buttermere village. The trouble was I didn't notice it was National Trust until after I had paid at the ticket machine. If I'd noticed in time I could have simply left my National Trust membership card in the windscreen. (It was £4.50 for the day - that'll teach me to be more observant!). We set off around the edge of the lake to map ref. NY 160199. Here we took the lakeside path to the outlet weir at map ref. NY 151208. We crossed the footbridge over the River Cocker and continued on the lake side path all the way around the lake to map ref. NY 167165. Here we crossed the bridge and followed the track into Buttermere village.

At the road we turned left to walk the last few hundred metres back to the car park. The whole walk was about 11km. and took us about four hours including a short lunch stop beside the lake.There had been a few light snow flurries during the day but the weather was getting darker with more organised snow showers so we set off back to cross Honister Pass before the snow made things difficult. We had our traditional cup of tea and toasted tea cake back at the cottage.

Herdwick Ewe

Old hay rake

Robinson

Crummock Water

Crummock Water

Holly berries by the lake

The path round Crummock Water

Blackthorn in flower

Part of an old disc harrow

It was quite a pleasant morning for our last walking day of the week. We drove to Elterwater village and parked by the beck at map ref. NY 328047. We followed the path by the beck downstream round Elter Water to Skelwith Bridge. We crossed the bridge over the River Brathay and turned off on to the footpath at map ref. NY 343033. We followed the path for about 1km to the road at map ref. NY 330029. We turned right onto the road and after about 150m we turned left off the road at map ref. NY 329030. We followed the path through the woods to the lane and along the lane to Stang End at map ref. NY 318028. I had planned to go further up Little Langdale to the road near Fell Foot at map ref. NY 299031, but I felt I'd done enough for today so we took the path from Stang End across the valley to the road at map ref. NY 318033 and across the road to follow the path up to the lane at map ref. NY 319039. From here we followed the lane back into Elterwater to our starting point.

A rather short day but very pleasant. The whole route was about 8km and took us 3 hours including a couple of stops.

Little Langdale

Lichen covered branch

More Storm damage in Little langdale

Little Langdale

Track from Little Langdale to Elterwater

Bridge over the beck in Elterwater