Plan your walk |
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DISTANCE: 2½ miles (4km) TIME: 1¼ hours START/END: SD415986 Just north of the town of Windermere; on the A591 road almost opposite to its junction with the road down to Bowness and the railway station approach TERRAIN: Moderate; some wet patches MAPS: |
The walk starts from the north side of the A591 opposite the bank and close to its junction with the road down to Bowness and the railway station approach. It begins by going up a tarmac lane.
After 50yds (46m) ignore the path going off to the left and follow the lane uphill, past the hotel and around the zigzags.
Just after you pass the blacksmith’s cottage, and a bench at a viewpoint over the lake, take the track to the right at a fork.
When this track reaches a wall, turn right up a path beside the wall.
Follow this up to a gate in the wall. Turn left through this and up to the summit of Orrest Head.
There is a plinth with a view indicator, sometimes alas unreadable through vandalism. Directly and more prominently in front is the Coniston Old Man range (2631ft/802m) with the bulky shoulder of Wetherlam to the right. Further right are the humps of Crinkle Crags with Pike O'Blisco in the foreground.
Beyond, continuing to the right, is the Scafell range, with the highest point in England Scafell Pike (3210ft/978m); nearer is Bowfell (2960ft/902m) and Esk Pike to the right again.
Beyond is Great End, the northern hump of the Scafell range. The Langdale Pikes are readily recognisable, as are the ridges of High Raise and Ullscarf. Look to the northwest and see the Fairfield range, with Wansfell, above and behind Ambleside. To the north-east is the High Street range. Further east are the Yorkshire Hills. There is an excellent view of the lake, with the woodland facing Claife Heights. The lake appears to be shorter than it is as Belle Isle looks like a southern shoreline.
Walk north on a path from the summit. Drop down to a stile at a wall junction and then continue across the fields to the right of a wall, until you come to the road.
Go through the gate, turn left onto the road and go down it, passing Causeway Farm.
Another 440yds (400m) after the farm, turn left through a kissing gate into St. Catherine’s Wood, owned by the National Trust.
After a footbridge, take the right fork and follow the path down to a kissing gate.
Go through the gate and turn left, following a wall down through another kissing gate and joining a track at the next wall corner.
Before this track reaches the main road, turn left onto a path, signposted ‘Orrest Head’.
Follow this path up and through Old Elleray, continuing on it when paths up to Orrest Head bear off up to the left. Go on down and bear right at the tarmac lane and retrace your steps down to the starting point.
