Brockhole the Lake District Visitor Centre remains one of our favourites for a local day out with kids and dogs alike – the gardens are beautiful all year round – the adventure playground with picnic benches scattered round keeps children and adults entertained for hours – the walks from Brockhole are not too strenuous but picturesque – and the cafe is very reasonably priced for good homecooked food! The Centre offers information on all there is to do in the Lake District – whilst being a day out on it’s own! Go to Brockhole and plan the rest of your stay either at Tree Top Lodge (Limefitt Park) or Calgarth Lodges (White Cross Bay) our self catering and dog friendly holiday lodges in the South Lake
A couple of walks from Brockhole aswell!
Miles Without Stiles route for Brockhole
Details
Route type: For many. A short route around the beautiful grounds of the Lake District Visitor Centre, taking in Windermere lakeshore OS Explorer Map OL7
Distance: 1.5 km, 0.9 miles
Start and end point: Brockhole pay and display car park – grid ref. NY 390010
Facilities: Accessible toilets and café on site, plus disabled car parking bay near the visitor centre
Getting there: Bus: 555 and 599 services operate all year round. Boat: Windermere Lake Cruises call at Brockhole jetty from Ambleside and Bowness. Car: A591 Windermere to Ambleside road. Brockhole is about 4 km from Windermere.
Conditions update
Some routes have suffered water damage after the floods of November 2009, with sections washed away or affected by flood debris. We are checking all routes. In the meantime be prepared that present surface conditions may not be as good as originally described. Please report any damage you encounter to David Robinson at david.robinson@lakedistrict.gov.uk or 01768 871409.
Route
Brockhole house and gardens are owned and managed by the Lake District National Park. It offers many attractions, including a famous walled garden, woodland and meadow trails, adventure playground and visitor centre.
From the main car park, follow a tarmac ramp behind the information point and toilet block. Continue along the tarmac path to a gate and wild flower meadow. A gate in the corner of a dry stone wall brings you to the shores of Lake Windermere and ancient Birkett Wood.
A circuit of the lakeshore runs past Windermere Lake Cruises’ jetty. Turn left by the bowling green and, 200 metres further, you reach a picnic shelter. From here, a tarmac path takes you back to the car park.
There are short sections of 1:12 gradients on this circuit. There are other, easy to use, paths and trails through the grounds but these also have steeper gradients.
Walk from Brockhole to Waterhead via Jenkyn’s Crag
Distance – 4 and a half miles / 7 km Ascent: 700 feet / around 200 metres
Facilities
Walk directions
1. Leave Brockhole by the car park entrance. Turn right and in 20 metres cross the main road (take care) using the crossing island. Turn left up the Bridleway (signpost Mirk Lane). Continue ahead on tarmac, curving right in front of Merewood Lodge. The tarmac becomes a gravel footpath. Continue with the track as it curves steadily left and then right, (look out for woodpeckers which we saw whilst checking the route).
2. The path drops down to a gate. Continue over small stream and follow the path round the boundary of the property. Turn left on the tarmac driveway and climb ahead on the bridleway uphill through trees. Ignore the left hand fork and continue straight ahead, keeping the wall to your right and trees to your left. Look back at the views opening over Windermere to the South. The wooded hills you can see over the Lake are called Claife Heights. To the right you can see the Coniston mountains. The bridleway drops slightly, then climbs again, emerging between farm buildings to reach a minor road.
3. Turn right on the road and in 20 metres take the public footpath left. The footpath climbs steadily on an old green lane between two stone walls. Climb the step stile beside the gate and the National Trust sign for Martin’s Wood. Continue uphill to reach another step stile at a T junction of paths. Cross the stile, turn right, and in 20 metres reach another T junction. Straight ahead you will see a stone step stile. This leads uphill to a small stone pillar. Climb to the cairn for a beautiful view of Windermere, Coniston Fells and the Langdale Hills. Retrace your steps down the hill and over the step stile.
4. Turn right, and continue on this bridleway slightly uphill. You will have a lovely view along this track of Wansfell, the mountain ahead of you. After approximately 200 metres take the kissing gate on your left, onto the bridleway (signpost Skelghyll and Jenkin Crag). Continue downhill on this bridleway. Pass through another kissing gate and wind downhill on the path, cross over a stream and reach bridle gates beside a stream.
5. Go through two bridle gates and turn right over the cattle grid (gate to side) and climb uphill on the tarmac lane. Enter the farmyard by gateway. Beyond the farmyard pass through two gates. Continue on the bridleway which contours round the hill with lovely views over Windermere. You can see Wray Castle on the far shore of Windermere and the Jetty of the Lowood Hotel on the near shore. The tarn you can see is Blelham Tarn, on the road to Hawkshead. The bridleway enters Jenkyn’s Wood and starts to descend.
6. Stick with the bridleway through this beautiful woodland, gradually descending until you reach a National Trust sign for Jenkyn’s Crag on your left. Go through the gap on the wall and up to the viewpoint. Take great care, especially with children as there is a steep drop at the end of the viewpoint.
7. Return through the gap in the wall and turn left, continuing on the bridleway. The track descends more steeply. Keep right at the first fork, and zigzag down to reach a bridge over a stream. Take care down the next rocky section of the path. In 100 metres, look out for a small building in the woods on the right. Take a left fork here and descend with the lake directly ahead of you. The path levels and reaches a ladder stile in the wall. Climb the ladder stile into the field. Continue straight over the field to a gap stile in the wall. You have a bird’s eye view of Waterhead; your destination.
8. Cross the stile, turn right and continue on the enclosed footpath which leads downhill steeply between buildings to emerge onto the Ambleside main road. Take care to cross this road to reach the Windermere Lake Cruises’ jetty where you have a choice of boat or buses back to Brockhole. (It is safer to cross by walking a few paces towards the traffic lights where you have better visibility.)
Walk from Waterhead to Brockhole via Wansfell
Distance - 5 and a half miles / 9 km Ascent: 1500 feet / around 450 metres
Facilities
Walk directions
Allow 4 hours plus boat trip.
1. Leave the boat jetty and walk along pavement to the left to reach the pedestrian crossing. Cross the crossing and then walk up through the large National Park car park. Climb up the flight of steps at the right hand side of the car park to the main road (A591). Turn left and walk along Lake Road for about 400 metres. Cross the road when level with Hayes Garden Centre taking the Old Lake Road on your right. Continue along Old Lake Road with views of Fairfield horseshoe ahead. Continue past the Mountain Rescue on your left and Blue Hill Road on your right, until the road starts downhill.
2. In 50 metres turn right up Low Gale and climb the hill. Follow the road round right hand bend into High Gale. Continue up the road now called Gale How Park. In 100 metres look out for the sign and take public footpath on left. Go through metal kissing gate and continue along walled/hedged lane. Through second metal kissing gate onto tarmac lane and turn left.
3. On reaching minor road turn right to ascend hill round left hand bend. 10 metres after the road becomes footpath only you can turn left for a minor detour to look at the Stock Ghyll Waterfalls. There is a viewing platform and a picnic bench along here.
4. Return to the lane after detour and continue uphill. Cross the cattle grid and continue ahead. The Langdale Fells now appear over your left shoulder, with lovely views back to the Coniston Fells too. Looking ahead, you may pick out the roof of the Kirkstone Inn Pub in the far distance and the pass that goes over to Ullswater.
5. Just after wooden bench on left, take steps up to the right and cross stile onto the open fell. Continue to follow the well made stepped path which zigzags all the way to the summit of Wansfell. It takes about 40 minutes to reach the summit. Take your time and look back at the views.
6. When you reach the summit of Wansfell you have a wonderful 360 degree view. Starting from the South you have a clear view down Windermere, coming round to the West you can see: the Coniston Fells; Crinkle Crags; Bowfell; the Langdale Hills and then the Fairfield Horseshoe. Closer to you is Red Screes. Towards the North East is the Kentmere Horseshoe fells. Over to the East you can just make out the Howgills and some of the Yorkshire Dales, including on a clear day the very peak of Ingleborough. To the South East the distant hills are the Forest of Bowland near Lancaster. Last but not least, you can see Morecambe Bay glistening in the distance.
7. Once you have finished enjoying the view, cross over the stile and start to descend on the obvious gravel path slightly to your left. On reaching wooden kissing gate, continue straight ahead, following the yellow footpath sign, ignoring the right hand permitted path. On reaching the next gate, turn right onto the walled Bridleway (Nanny Lane). The bridleway continues to descend between the two walls, all the way down into the village of Troutbeck.
8. On reaching the village you have the option to turn left along the road to reach the Mortal Man public house if you would like to enjoy refreshments. To continue the walk, however, turn right. As you wander through the village of Troutbeck, enjoy the good examples of traditional architecture of the Lake District, including the large, round chimneys you see on some buildings.
9. Eventually, following along this road you will arrive at the village triangle with the Post Office on the right; a great place for a picnic stop. From the Post Office, take the tarmaced footpath up to the right, leaving the road (Robin Lane). The tarmac gives way to a rough footpath; continue ahead with wall on left. Continue climbing along the lane, ignoring paths off to the left until you are level with a stone pillar in the field up on you right. You can detour up to this viewpoint using the stone stile at the corner of the field on your right, for a lovely view over Windermere. This viewpoint is one of the famous old viewing stations around Lake Windermere.
10. After this detour, retrace your steps downhill and back over the stone stile and turn right. Immediately left after the stone stile, take the green track for about 10 metres then turn left, over a step stile beside a gate to join another green track downhill. Continue downhill with the wall to your left and climb over another step stile beside a gate to join a track downhill between two stone walls.
11. The green lane eventually emerges onto a minor road. Here you have a wonderful view down the length of Lake Windermere. The hill you can see towards the end on the left is Gummer’s How. Turn right on the minor road and almost immediately take the public bridleway left, downhill between two farm buildings.
12. Continue with this bridleway between two stone walls, passing a small woodland. The path then drops more steeply to reach a large property. Join the tarmac path and at the private sign, turn right onto the footpath which skirts the front of the building. Cross the small stream, pass through the gate and climb uphill on the bridleway. The path curves right and then left, and then descends steeply to reach holiday cottages and the tarmac lane.
13. Continue ahead to reach the main road (A591). Turn right and cross the road with care using the crossing island. In 20 metres turn left into the Brockhole car park
Recent Comments