a place for nature

A base for adventure

The roads around here are excellent for cycling, they are generally very quiet and you can link up big 20/30/40 mile routes without really having to navigate the main roads (other than to cross it). If you turn left out of our lane end you can head to Skirwith and along the fell side to the villages of Blencarn or Culgaith and Beyond. Turn right out of our lane end and head towards Great Salkeld or Kirkoswald. 

A great 20(ish) mile trip out is to go to Larch Cottage Nurseries Café at Melkinthorpe via Culgaith, Temple Sowerby and Clifton. The coffee and cake are well worth it. 

Ladies walk at Langwathby – 3 miles – Park at the main road bridge and head up river to Edenhall and then follow the roads back to the bridge. 

Askham and the River Lowther – Askham is a beautiful little village adjacent to Lowther Castle. It has a couple of pubs and a café and the castle itself has a café. There are numerous walks that can be done here along the river and around the grounds or even as a base for larger walks up onto the fells. Lowther Estate have put out a load of really good footpath signs with distances so you can gauge how far you want to go.  

Coombs Wood at Armathwaite – 3-5miles – Park at the bridge or by the pub in the village and head up river into the woods. Once here you will see a myriad of paths, some large, some smaller. You can keep it quite flat up and down the river, or head up to the left into the woods and make it a more strenuous loop.  

Halin Fell – Howtown – Probably the best ‘bang for your buck’ view in the lakes. This takes about 30minutes and the view is superb.  

Drive all the way down the eastern side of Ullswater until you get to Howtown then carry on up the steep sharp bends and park at the church. Then simply walk up the hill in front of you. It can be very busy so go early! Or late. As an alternative, you can do a loop around Halin fell which is a really nice walk and about 3-4 miles.  

Askham Fell – Pooley Bridge – This can be done from Askham or Pooley Bridge but I prefer it from Pooley bridge. 3 miles. 

Drive to Ullswater and just before Pooley Bridge take the road heading to Howtown. After 200yeards turn left at the crossroads. Head up the hill past the holiday park and you will reach a large lay-by at the top where you can park. If this is full you can park in Pooley Bridge itself.  

Head through the gate and follow the track up the hill. You will get to a sort of cross roads where it levels out. From here you can go left directly to the top or you can head right or straight on. There is a myriad of paths up here, you can walk for hours if you want**. I would go straight until you reach another sort of crossroads and then head left making your way up to the top. From here pick a path and head down. You can also go over the back and around to make it a little longer.  

** For an alternative, at the first cross roads, turn right and head all the way up to Arthurs Pike (6miles return). It is one of the best views of Ullswater and I would highly recommend it if you want something a little longer.  

Gowbarrow Fell and Aira Force Waterfall – there are numerous carparks here, it is a very popular tourist spot but most people are just here to see the waterfall and go no further. 

Drive to Ullswater and head along the west shore to Glenridding. About 2 miles from Glenridding you will come to a large car park for Aira Force. You can park here or if it is full you can head up the road to the right immediately after and see if there is space in the car parks up the hill.  

From the main car park, head up the very well-marked paths up the river and past the waterfall. You are aiming to walk up to nearly the village of Dockray – keep to the righthand side of the river after the waterfall. The path will come out of the woods and into an open field. Before the gate at the end of this field, there will be a path heading up to the right, take this. Head straight up to the summit of Gowbarrow (it is steep!) At the top, you need to take the path which went left and around the back just before the summit. You follow this all the way around and down back to the carpark. It starts off heading over the back and then works its way around the fell to the right (clockwise). The way down is much more leisurely than the way up. 

Place Fell – from Sandwick or Patterdale 

Angle Tarn – from Howtown or Patterdale 

Sheffield Pike – from Glenridding 

St Sundays Crag – from Patterdale 

Helvellyn – from Patterdale of Glenridding 

Please ask if you want any tips on walking, running or climbing routes. I am a fell runner and climber and have years of moving in these fells so I am more than happy to give route options and advice.