Yorkshire Walks

Setting out from Knipe Fold

From our cottage we walked to the road junction at the southern end of the hamlet of Knipe Fold at map ref. SD341994. Coming from Knipe Fold we turned sharp right up a steep access road. After about 200m the road became a stony track up the hillside.

We are spending this weekend with a group of friends at a large holiday cottage in Knipe Fold near Hawkshead in the English Lake District. The weather today looked like being even hotter than yesterday and rising to the mid 20's Centigrade. We were planning to walk straight from the cottage today - no cars needed, great!

Stony track from Knipe Fold up to Tarn Hows

Looking back over Knipe Fold to Latterbarrow & the ridge of Claife Heights

Stony track from Knipe Fold up to Tarn Hows

Rock roses by the track

A group of five would continue along the track to do a longer route which I'll describe later.

We continued along this track for about 2km to map ref. NY333007. Here we planned to split our group into two.

Stony track from Knipe Fold up to Tarn Hows

Our first sight of Tarn Hows

The gravel path around Tarn Hows

Reflected leaves on this hot sunny day

They seem to do well on this kind of grazing and they are used to keep heathland of this kind open and free from scrub. I watched the cattle for a few minutes whilst the other three chatted and cooed to a young couple with a toddler and a tiny baby in a rucksack type carrier. Then we turned around and walked along the wide gravel path round the tarn for about 1km to the point where the path from Tom Gill reaches the tarn at map ref. SD327998.

The group of four, led by me, turned off the track through a gate on the right to head for Tarn Hows. We followed a path down the hillside to a stile over the Tarn Hows boundary into the National Trust property and walked a few metres along the gravel path to the head of the tarn. There were a group of Belted Galloway cattle grazing here on the coarse grass.

Tree trunk studded with good luck coins

Ducks on the Tarn

Herdwick sheep looking for scraps

A robin came to see if there was anything to eat

They were obviously used to the idea that people meant food. We spent a very pleasant two hours just watching the world go by. It's easy to see why Tarn Hows is such a popular place. It's easy to get here and the whole place is absolutely beautiful.

We sat here on a grassy bank in the shade of the trees with a lovely view out across the tarn. There were ducks and geese with their young on the water and a robin came to see if we had anything to eat. Some herdwick sheep came to see us too.

Ice lollies to keep cool

A pair of greylag geese and their brood

Looking back towards Tarn Hows

They continued along the stony track for over a kilometer to the A593 at map ref. NY328017.

Meanwhile we had left the other five members of our group at map ref. NY333007 on the track from Knipe Fold.

Continuing on the stony track to the A593

Small reservoir on Holm Fell

Tadpoles in the reservoir on Holm Fell

Heading for the summit of Holm Fell

My friend Pete was leading this group and he took the photos on this part of the route. He has been quite successful in competitive orienteering events over the years so they were in safe hands. They followed a path between the two reservoirs and then climbed up to the top of the fell with a view over to Coniston Water.

Here they crossed the road and continued along the track opposite for another 1.3km to Hodge Close, map ref. NY317018. From Hodge Close they took the path past the old quarries and up through the woods to two small reservoirs on Holm Fell. There are many paths on the ground here so care is needed with navigation.

Small reservoir on Holm Fell

Mating damsel flies on a reservoir on Holm Fell

Coniston Water from the summit of Holm Fell

Young oak tree growing from a crack in a rock

In her will she left them all to the National Trust. Yew Tree farm was used as the set for Hill Top in the film of Beatrix Potter's life called "Miss Potter" starring Rene Zellweger.

They then dropped down to the public footpath through Harry Guards Wood to Yew Tree farm at map ref. SD319998. This farm was one of many owned by the author, Beatrix Potter.

Wool gallery at Yew Tree Farm

Path up Tom Gill

Tom Gill Force

Cooling off at the tarn

After about 500m they came to Tarn Hows where the four of us were waiting on our shady grassy bank. The five of them were very hot after their climb and Geoff just took off his boots and had a swim in the tarn to cool off.

From the farm the group turned left onto the A593 for about 100m and then turned right off the road to follow the path up Tom Gill. They passed a waterfall known as Tom Gill force. From the waterfall they continued along the path climbing up along Tom Gill.

Path up Tom Gill

Path up Tom Gill

Tarn Hows

A last look back to the tarn

Looking back to Rose Castle Cottage

From the top of Tom Gill we followed the path for about 500m to map ref. SD332999. Here we took the path up the hillside to Rose Castle Cottage (owned by the National Trust).

We all had an ice cream from the van at the Tarn Hows car park. Then we all set off together to follow the path around the eastern side of Tarn Hows.

Making our way up to Rose Castle Cottage

The path back to Knipe Fold

The path back to Knipe Fold

Violets by the path

What a wonderful day in the hot sunshine! We have had amazingly good weather for the whole weekend, unheard of in the often wet and windy Lake district.

From Rose Castle Cottage we walked down the path to a minor road at map ref. SD338991. At the road we turned left to walk down the hill along the road for 350m back into Knipe Fold to our holiday cottage.

Speedwells by the path

The road back into Knipe Fold