| A National Trust ‘pay-and-display’
car park is located in Great Wood, a turning off left on the way into
Borrowdale not long after leaving Keswick. (National Trust members park
free if an in-date membership card is displayed in the car.) (Distance 7.8 miles) |
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| Leave the car park at the south end,
following the wide footpath up through the wood to meet a narrow wooden
bridge crossing Cat Gill. (A footpath continues up the woods to southern end of Walla
Crag.) Cross the bridge, turn right down hill for a short distance, then
go left. The path now tracks below Falcon Crags with splendid views to
the north and east over Derwent water. Keep left where the sign
indicates the way to Ashness Bridge, eventually passing through a gate
and arriving at Ashness bridge. (phtot: Looking up Borrowdale on the way to Ashness Bridge) |
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| Pass over the bridge, then go off left
following the path up the Fell side with a wall to the right. The climb
becomes steeper, though eases for a very short while to pass through a
gate. (photo: Portinscale in the sun on the western side of Derwent Water) |
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| Great views from this point up Borrowdale
to Keswick, and across to the Fells that surround the Newlands Valley.
Continue up into the valley below Dodd, where the steep path
levels out to contour around the Fell. Avoid a footpath off right,
continuing to follow the course of Ashness Gill. (photo: A view north on the way up from Ashness Bridge) |
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| (A constructed path is eventually reached
that climbs up the Fell side to the right, though Clare and I continued
on a path alongside the beck.) Continue on this path following Ashness
Gill, eventually alongside the course of an old dry-stone wall, joining the other path that turned off right earlier. (The path at
this point is not clear, but it follows the course of the old wall.) (photo: Clare on stomping through the bog ....) |
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| The path to High Seat goes off left, but
again not clear, although there is an ‘unofficial’ small pile of
stones at the turning point. (photo: Trig point on High Seat) |
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| Continue along this vague path as it rises
to the top of High Seat, marked with a large Trig point. Great views all
round on a clear day! From High Seat, head north along the path passing
close to the small Tarns. (photo: Clare approaching the summit of High Seat) |
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| There is a stile over the fence, with a
path following the line of the fence to close to Bleaberry Fell, but the
path to the west of the fence is more direct. Both routes, however, are
very boggy. (photo: Dark skies to the west) |
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| Large cairns mark the approach and top of Bleaberry Fell.
From Bleaberry Fell, follow the steep path
down the western side and along the constructed path to Brown Knots,
then turn right onto another wet and boggy path. Continue on this path
to reach a stone wall giving access to Walla Crag. (photo: View across to Blencathra - under cloud - from Bleaberry Fell) |
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| Pass through the gate and up to Walla Crag
where there are fine views over Derwent Water and Keswick. (The path,
before passing through the gate, follows the line of the wall if avoiding Walla Crag, joining the path
exiting from Walla Crag.) (photo: And Skiddaw from Bleaberry Fell) |
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| Follow the path around the top of Walla
Crag to the meet the same stone wall that earlier gave access to Walla
Crag. (This is the point where the path is joined if avoiding Walla
Crag) Pass through the gate, turning left and continue down alongside
the wall to the Rakefoot Farm. Cross the Brockle Beck and follow the metalled road left
for a short distance, then go left at the first footpath. (photo: Derwent Water and Bassenthwaite fro Bleaberry Fell) |
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| Cross the Brockle Beck again and follow the path above
the beck before going off left at a wall. Follow the path over a stile
into the upper area of Great Wood. (photo: A rainy Keswick from Walla Crag) |
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| Continue on the path into the woods, soon
turning right across a narrow track, then descending diagonally down
through Great Wood in the direction of the car park. Close to the
bottom after the path levels out, leave the track to take the narrow
footpath off to the left through some bushes, to soon arrive back at the
car park. (photo: Approaching Rakefoot Farm on the way down from Walla Crag) |
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