The Lake District has a huge variety of terrain for walkers of any age and ability which has helped to make it one of the most popular tourist destinations for over 100 years – low-level lakeside walks, exposed ridge walks, strolls through forests and thrilling mountain walks. Even at the height of summer when the towns and the more popular destinations are teeming with tourists it is still possible to get away from it all and find secluded areas where the magnificent countryside can be enjoyed in relative solitude. Always keep in mind that the weather can change rapidly and a lovely summer’s day can quickly change to a torrential downpour especially at higher altitudes. Scafell Pike at 3,209ft (978m) is the highest point in England and at 10½ miles (16.5km) in length Windermere is its longest lake.
Walking is a pastime which can fulfil the needs of everyone. You can adapt it to suit your own preferences and it is one of the healthiest of activities. This guide is for those who just want to walk a few miles. It really doesn’t take long to find yourself in some lovely countryside. All the walks are five miles or less so should easily be completed in under three hours. Walking can be anything from an individual pastime to a family stroll, or maybe a group of friends enjoying the fresh air and open spaces of our countryside. There is no need for walking to be competitive and, to get the most from a walk, it shouldn’t be regarded simply as a means of covering a given distance in the shortest possible time.
What is seen now in the Lake District still reads historically from north to south. The mountains and hills of Skiddaw Slates which lie in a curving band, from the north to the west, are covered by carboniferous limestones and sandstones nearer the coast, and reappear to the southwest at Black Combe. Because much of this material is shaley and craggy outcrops seldom occur, the fells have angular outlines. Typically of course there is Skiddaw itself (3054ft/931m) with its neighbour Blencathra (2847ft/868m). The fells to the west of Derwentwater, Causey Pike and Grisedale Pike, are of the same material, and the rock is also very evident in the fells on the east side of Buttermere, to the north and west around Crummock Water and Loweswater as well as the northern end of Ennerdale Water. There is good soil depth on these rock forms which allows trees and heather to grow naturally.
In the central Lake District, roughly north-east to south-west are the high craggy fells of the Scafells, Great Gable, the Borrowdale fells, as well as Coniston Old Man in the south-west through the Langdales and Bowfell; and eastwards through Helvellyn to High Street. Here, the shallow acidic soils do not support a rich vegetation. The alpine plants are found mainly where springs leach the minerals to the surface. The deeper soils are often covered in bracken, very beautifully coloured in autumn, but useless to the hill farmers’ sheep. From another type of rock, formed from fine volcanic sediments in water, comes the famous green slate, still quarried and much in demand for its wearing and decorative qualities. It is used for the facings of prestigious buildings. The Honister Slate Mines on the Honister Pass closed in 1986 after three centuries of production. However, it reopened in 1997 as a working slate mine and has become one of the leading attractions in the Lake District.
In the south of the Lake District the soft slates and mudstones produce an acid soil in which trees and forests find root and regenerate quite readily. The typical scenery, much in evidence around Windermere, consists of rounded hills, often with a good deal of tree cover. The Forestry Commission’s largest forest, at Grizedale is also in this area.
Before there was a substantial human settlement the whole area was covered in forest. This has been removed over a period of 4,000 years. Much of it was destroyed from early Elizabethan times up to the end of the 19th century to provide charcoal for iron furnaces. The increase in sheep grazing has meant that regeneration has been impossible. Much of the woodland and forest we now see was planted within the last century and a half. The lack of tree cover in many places has accelerated erosion and impoverished the soil.
The history of the Lake District over the last 530 million years can be seen in the landscape at the present time.
The oldest rocks are the Skiddaw Slates. These were formed from sediments of gravel, grit and mud laid down in a shallow sea and later subjected to great pressure. Their age is usually put into the Ordovician period some 530 million years ago. Most of this rock series now resembles shale rather than slate. It is minutely jointed and with the action of weather and frost has broken down into small flakes.
After the deposition of the Skiddaw Slates came several millions of years of volcanic action. Lava burst out from below the surface and flowed over the landscape. Explosions threw out hot ‘bombs’ of rock. Ash settled to huge depths. All this mass of varied material settled to a depth of up to 2 miles (3km) and formed what are known as the Borrowdale Volcanic series of rocks.
After that the whole area was covered by a shallow sea, and erosion material, at first calcareous, then huge amounts of grit and mud settled in layers to a depth of 2½ miles (4km). This was in the Silurian period between 440 and 410 million years ago.
It can be imagined that the then lakeless Lake District consisted of three very thick layers of material each on top of the other. During the Devonian period the earth’s crust was subject to extreme movement. The area was thrust upwards into a dome. Each of the rock types reacted differently according to the position of the centre of the thrust. Once the upper layers were fractured, for instance, the more malleable Skiddaw Slate beneath was pushed through to a great height, then hot sandstorms and heavy rains wore down the upper layers. Much of Skiddaw Slates’ topmost parts, and a substantial area of the Silurian rocks were swept away. In the central parts the much harder Borrowdale Volcanics were left exposed. Therefore the Skiddaw Slates were left uppermost in the north, the Volcanics in the centre, and the Silurian to the south.
From 345 to 280 million years ago there followed the Carboniferous period. The area was again covered by a sea rich in life. The central part of the district probably remained as an island. The deposits in this sea formed the carboniferous limestone. Subsequently much of this was swept away leaving a rim around the Lake District. The Permo Trias period followed; the area became hot and arid. The desert sands of this time were later solidified into the New Red Sandstone, which again was mainly swept away from the central dome.
The Tertiary period, 65 million years ago brought new upheavals to the planet. This ‘Alpine’ movement produced the Alps, the Himalayas and the Andes. Again the Lake District’s dome was raised high. Fracture lines appeared, in general radiating from the centre, but varying in direction according to the reaction of the material. These formed the basis of the valley patterns we know today.
The next great catastrophe was nearer our own time. About one a half million years ago the climate changed dramatically and the whole of the northern hemisphere was covered in ice. The subsequent movement and melting of the ice hollowed out the valleys and lake beds, and swept away vegetation. The heavy rainstorms later moved any remaining loose material. Thus the dales were sculpted and the lakes were formed.
Because of the huge variety of landscapes to be found in a relatively small area, there are diverse habitats for flora and fauna to thrive. Many different types of grassland, upland heath and mires are designated areas of habitat conservation and protected plant species include juniper and the slender green feather-moss. There are several National Nature Reserves, over 100 Sites of Special Scientific Interest and many other conservation areas.
There are different types of grassland to be found, the species supported being determined by the quality of the soil and the climate. The old fashioned hay meadow is rich in various species of wild flowers and butterflies.
The moorlands of the mountains and fells are carpeted in plant species such as heather and sphagnum moss, commonly called peat moss due to its abundance in bogs and mires. Red grouse can be found on the moorland.
The Lake District supports several endangered species of fish. The vendace was to be found at 4 locations in Britain – two in Scotland and in Bassenthwaite Lake and Derwent Water. However there has not been a recorded sighting in Bassenthwaite since 2001 and they have died out on the Scottish lochs leaving only Derwent Water. The schelly is still to be found in Brothers Water, Haweswater, Red Tarn and Ullswater, and the arctic char, which, although still rare, is a little more commonplace being found in several of the lakes. Cormorant nesting was prevented by repeated disturbance in 1999 and 2000 in Haweswater in an attempt to protect the schelly. Goosander, goldeneye, tufted duck, dipper, grey wagtail and sandpiper can be seen on the lakes and waterways.
The Environment Agency introduced new fisheries bylaws in 2002 regarding the use of freshwater fish as bait in an attempt to protect the fish stocks. The introduction of non-native fish can lead to devastation of native species because of competition for food and spread of disease. A major problem has been found with ruffe which eat the eggs of vendace – they have a long incubation period and are therefore particularly vulnerable.
Numbers of native red squirrels have been dwindling throughout Britain over the last 100 years ever since the grey squirrel arrived from North America. They are more timid and smaller than the greys and lose in the competition for food. A sighting is always an exciting occurrence.
In 2001 ospreys returned to the Lake District after 150 years. A pair spend their winters in Africa but have returned each Spring since then to breed on the hillside around Bassenthwaite Lake. There are now two viewpoints at Dodd Wood north of Keswick, as they recently moved the site of their nest to the opposite side of the lake – a very unusual occurrence as the same site can be used by generations of osprey.
Haweswater was home to England’s only pair of Golden Eagles but the female disappeared in 2004 and has not been seen since although sightings of the male are still made.
The Lake District National Park is the largest of the National Parks in England and Wales, with 866 square miles (2242 sq km). The first strongly organised pressure for National Parks and access to mountains came during the 1920s and 1930s when walking and mountaineering became popular pastimes and access to open country in some parts of Britain was much restricted. The outbreak of war postponed progress, and following the reports of John Dower on the need, and the Hobhouse Committee’s recommendations on implementation, an Act, The National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949, was passed. ‘People need the refreshment which is obtainable from the beauty and quietness of unspoilt country’. The provision for those needs of the people, and the protection from spoilation, were written into the Act.
In many countries of the world National Parks are areas of wilderness hardly influenced by man, and the land of these parks is owned by the nation or state. There is no true wilderness left in Britain. The ‘natural’ beauty of the landscape reflects the pattern of husbandry, and with so many owning and making a living from the land nationalisation of it was not contemplated. A British National Park is a defined area of unspoilt countryside, usually with some wild, if not wilderness, country, which is specially protected from unsuitable development; public access for its enjoyment is secured, and due regard made for the needs of the local community.
The National Park authority must exercise planning control, but must also provide information and ranger services. In 1969 England’s first National Park Visitor Centre was set up at Brockhole in Windermere and is an excellent starting point for exploration of the National Park.
The National Trust and the Lake District National Park Authority work closely with other large landowners, the Forestry Commission and the Water Authority, to provide protected public access unrivalled anywhere else in Britain. It is indeed as Wordsworth said ‘a sort of national property’ for those ‘with eyes to perceive and hearts to enjoy’.
As with all other outdoor activities, walking is safe provided a few simple commonsense rules are followed:
• Make sure you are fit enough to complete the walk;
• Always try to let others know where you intend going, especially if you are walking alone;
• Be clothed adequately for the weather and always wear suitable footwear;
• Always allow plenty of time for the walk, especially if it is longer or harder than you have done before;
• Whatever the distance you plan to walk, always allow plenty of daylight hours unless you are absolutely certain of the route;
• If mist or bad weather come on unexpectedly, do not panic but instead try to remember the last certain feature which you have passed (road, farm, wood, etc.). Then work out your route from that point on the map but be sure of your route before continuing;
• Do not dislodge stones on the high edges: there may be climbers or other walkers on the lower crags and slopes;
• Unfortunately, accidents can happen even on the easiest of walks. If this should be the case and you need the help of others, make sure that the injured person is safe in a place where no further injury is likely to occur. For example, the injured person should not be left on a steep hillside or in danger from falling rocks. If you have a mobile phone and there is a signal, call for assistance. If, however, you are unable to contact help by mobile and you cannot leave anyone with the injured person, and even if they are conscious, try to leave a written note explaining their injuries and whatever you have done in the way of first aid treatment. Make sure you know exactly where you left them and then go to find assistance. Make your way to a telephone, dial 999 and ask for the police or mountain rescue. Unless the accident has happened within easy access of a road, it is the responsibility of the police to arrange evacuation. Always give accurate directions on how to find the casualty and, if possible, give an indication of the injuries involved;
• When walking in open country, learn to keep an eye on the immediate foreground while you admire the scenery or plan the route ahead. This may sound difficult but will enhance your walking experience;
• It’s best to walk at a steady pace, always on the flat of the feet as this is less tiring. Try not to walk directly up or downhill. A zigzag route is a more comfortable way of negotiating a slope. Running directly downhill is a major cause of erosion on popular hillsides;
• When walking along a country road, walk on the right, facing the traffic. The exception to this rule is, when approaching a blind bend, the walker should cross over to the left and so have a clear view and also be seen in both directions;
• Finally, always park your car where it will not cause inconvenience to other road users or prevent a farmer from gaining access to his fields. Take any valuables with you or lock them out of sight in the car.
Equipment, including clothing, footwear and rucksacks, is essentially a personal thing and depends on several factors, such as the type of activity planned, the time of year, and weather likely to be encountered.
All too often, a novice walker will spend money on a fashionable jacket but will skimp when it comes to buying footwear or a comfortable rucksack. Blistered and tired feet quickly remove all enjoyment from even the most exciting walk and a poorly balanced rucksack will soon feel as though you are carrying a ton of bricks. Well designed equipment is not only more comfortable but, being better made, it is longer lasting.
Clothing should be adequate for the day. In summer, remember to protect your head and neck, which are particularly vulnerable in a strong sun and use sun screen. Wear light woollen socks and lightweight boots or strong shoes. A spare pullover and waterproofs carried in the rucksack should, however, always be there in case you need them.
Winter wear is a much more serious affair. Remember that once the body starts to lose heat, it becomes much less efficient. Jeans are particularly unsuitable for winter wear and can sometimes even be downright dangerous.
Waterproof clothing is an area where it pays to buy the best you can afford. Make sure that the jacket is loose-fitting, windproof and has a generous hood. Waterproof overtrousers will not only offer complete protection in the rain but they are also windproof. Do not be misled by flimsy nylon ‘showerproof’ items. Remember, too, that garments made from rubberised or plastic material are heavy to carry and wear and they trap body condensation. Your rucksack should have wide, padded carrying straps for comfort.
It is important to wear boots that fit well or shoes with a good moulded sole – blisters can ruin any walk! Woollen socks are much more comfortable than any other fibre. Your clothes should be comfortable and not likely to catch on twigs and bushes.
It is important to carry a compass, preferably one of the ‘Silva’ type as well as this guide. A smaller scale map covering a wider area can add to the enjoyment of a walk. Binoculars are not essential but are very useful for spotting distant stiles and give added interest to viewpoints and wildlife. Although none of the walks in this guide venture too far from civilisation, on a hot day even the shortest of walks can lead to dehydration so a bottle of water is advisable.
Finally, a small first aid kit is an invaluable help in coping with cuts and other small injuries.
In 1949, the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act tidied up the law covering rights of way. Following public consultation, maps were drawn up by the Countryside Authorities of England and Wales to show all the rights of way. Copies of these maps are available for public inspection and are invaluable when trying to resolve doubts over little-used footpaths. Once on the map, the right of way is irrefutable.
Right of way means that anyone may walk freely on a defined footpath or ride a horse or pedal cycle along a public bridleway. No one may interfere with this right and the walker is within his rights if he removes any obstruction along the route, provided that he has not set out purposely with the intention of removing that obstruction. All obstructions should be reported to the local Highways Authority.
In England and Wales rights of way fall into three main categories:
• Public Footpaths – for walkers only;
• Bridleways – for passage on foot, horseback, or bicycle;
• Byways – for all the above and for motorized vehicles
Free access to footpaths and bridleways does mean that certain guidelines should be followed as a courtesy to those who live and work in the area. For example, you should only sit down to picnic where it does not interfere with other walkers or the landowner. All gates must be kept closed to prevent stock from straying and dogs must be kept under close control – usually this is interpreted as meaning that they should be kept on a leash. Motor vehicles must not be driven along a public footpath or bridleway without the landowner’s consent.
A farmer can put a docile mature beef bull with a herd of cows or heifers, in a field crossed by a public footpath. Beef bulls such as Herefords (usually brown/red colour) are unlikely to be upset by passers by but dairy bulls, like the black and white Friesian, can be dangerous by nature. It is, therefore, illegal for a farmer to let a dairy bull roam loose in a field open to public access.
The Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 (the ‘right to roam’) allows access on foot to areas of legally defined ‘open country’ – mountain, moor, downland, heath and registered common land. You will find these areas shaded orange on the maps in this guide. It does not allow freedom to walk anywhere. It also increases protection for Sites of Special Scientific Interest, improves wildlife enforcement legislation and allows better management of Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
The Country Code has been designed not as a set of hard and fast rules, although they do have the backing of the law, but as a statement of commonsense. The code is a gentle reminder of how to behave in the countryside. Walkers should walk with the intention of leaving the place exactly as it was before they arrived. There is a saying that a good walker ‘leaves only footprints and takes only photographs’, which really sums up the code perfectly.
Never walk more than two abreast on a footpath as you will erode more ground by causing an unnatural widening of paths. Also try to avoid the spread of trodden ground around a boggy area. Mud soon cleans off boots but plant life is slow to grow back once it has been worn away.
Have respect for everything in the countryside, be it those beautiful flowers found along the way or a farmer’s gate which is difficult to close.
Stone walls were built at a time when labour costs were a fraction of those today and the special skills required to build or repair them have almost disappeared. Never climb over or onto stone walls; always use stiles and gates.
Dogs which chase sheep can cause them to lose their lambs and a farmer is within his rights if he shoots a dog which he believes is worrying his stock.
The moors and woodlands are often tinder dry in summer, so take care not to start a fire. A fire caused by something as simple as a discarded cigarette can burn for weeks, once it gets deep down into the underlying peat.
When walking across fields or enclosed land, make sure that you read the map carefully and avoid trespassing. As a rule, the line of a footpath or right of way, even when it is not clearly defined on the ground, can usually be followed by lining up stiles or gates.
Obviously flowers and plants encountered on a walk should not be taken but left for others passing to enjoy. To use the excuse ‘I have only taken a few’ is futile. If everyone only took a few the countryside would be devastated. If young wild animals are encountered they should be left well alone. For instance, if a fawn or a deer calf is discovered lying still in the grass it would be wrong to assume that it has been abandoned. Mothers hide their offspring while they go away to graze and browse and return to them at feeding time. If the animals are touched it could mean that they will be abandoned as the human scent might deter the mother from returning to her offspring. Similarly with baby birds, who have not yet mastered flight; they may appear to have been abandoned but often are being watched by their parents who might be waiting for a walker to pass on before coming out to give flight lesson two!
What appear to be harmful snakes should not be killed because firstly the ‘snake’ could be a slow worm, which looks like a snake but is really a harmless legless lizard, and second, even if it were an adder (they are quite common) it will escape if given the opportunity. Adders are part of the pattern of nature and should not be persecuted. They rarely bite unless they are handled; a foolish act, which is not uncommon; or trodden on, which is rare, as the snakes are usually basking in full view and are very quick to escape.
Some people find map reading so easy that they can open a map and immediately relate it to the area of countryside in which they are standing. To others, a map is as unintelligible as ancient Greek! A map is an accurate but flat picture of the three-dimensional features of the countryside. Features such as roads, streams, woodland and buildings are relatively easy to identify, either from their shape or position. Heights, on the other hand, can be difficult to interpret from the single dimension of a map. The Ordnance Survey 1:25,000 mapping used in this guide shows the contours at 5 metre intervals. Summits and spot heights are also shown.
The best way to estimate the angle of a slope, as shown on any map, is to remember that if the contour lines come close together then the slope is steep – the closer together the contours the steeper the slope.
Learn the symbols for features shown on the map and, when starting out on a walk, line up the map with one or more features, which are recognisable both from the map and on the ground. In this way, the map will be correctly positioned relative to the terrain. It should then only be necessary to look from the map towards the footpath or objective of your walk and then make for it! This process is also useful for determining your position at any time during the walk.
Let’s take the skill of map reading one stage further: sometimes there are no easily recognisable features nearby: there may be the odd clump of trees and a building or two but none of them can be related exactly to the map. This is a frequent occurrence but there is a simple answer to the problem and this is where the use of a compass comes in. Simply place the map on the ground, or other flat surface, with the compass held gently above the map. Turn the map until the edge is parallel to the line of the compass needle, which should point to the top of the map. Lay the compass on the map and adjust the position of both, making sure that the compass needle still points to the top of the map and is parallel to the edge. By this method, the map is orientated in a north-south alignment. To find your position on the map, look out for prominent features and draw imaginary lines from them down on to the map. Your position is where these lines cross. This method of map reading takes a little practice before you can become proficient but it is worth the effort.
