October Walks from Grasmere

Our next walking will be from a charming village right in the heart of the Lake District National Park in Cumbria, and was once the home of the famous poet William Wordsworth. Famous for Gingerbread and William Wordsworth, it has been a regular venue for the club because of its wonderful views, variety of walks shops and refreshment venues. It is

Grasmere

and will take place on

Saturday 8th October 2011

0800hrs prompt from short stay car park in the village

Helm Crag in Autumn

The village is on the river Rothay which flows into the lake Grasmere about 0.5 km to the south. The village is overlooked from the NW by the rocky hill of Helm Crag, popularly known as The Lion and the Lamb or the Old Lady at the Piano. These names are derived from the shape of rock formations on its summit, depending on which side you view it from.^[2]

A number of popular walks begin near the centre of the village, including the ascent of Helm Crag and a longer route up to Fairfield. The village is also on the route of Alfred Wainwright's Coast to Coast Walk.^[3]

Grasmere Village

The A591 connects Grasmere to the Vale of Keswick over Dunmail Raise to the north, and Ambleside to the south. In other directions, Grasmere is surrounded by high ground. To the west, a long ridge comes down from High Raise and contains the lesser heights of Blea RiggSilver How. To the east, Grasmere is bordered by the western ridge of the Fairfield horseshoe. and

For more details about Grasmere click here

5 day Weather Forecast for Grasmere here.

There will be three walks as follows;

A Walk led by Jenny Mathias

B Walk led by Beverley Kelly 

C Walk led by Alex Strathearn

Details added ,click on link to go to your walk or scroll down.

A Walk at Grasmere

Leader: Jenny Mathias

Distance: 9+ miles

Total Ascent/descent:2750ft

Probable Route [click to enlarge]

We will leave the car park and make our way through the village of Grasmere.  This ia your chance to assess the merits of the various watering holes for our return!  Taking the Easedale Road - hoping it doesn’t lull you into a false sense of comfort - for a mile or so before we start the zig zag climb up onto Helm Crag.  This is sometimes referred to as ‘The Lion and the Lamb” because of the rock structures.  On a clear day you can see as far as Morecambe Bay. 

 We will continue along the ridge over Gibson’s Knott, Pike of Carrs to Calf Crag - Part of the ‘Coast to Coast walk’ - before dropping down off the ridge. 

 We will then climb up onto Greenup Edge, the ridge dropping down into Borrowdale.

 

We will then begin our descent into Far Easdale back into Grasmere.

 

This quiet valley, little changed from Wordsworth’s day, a pleasant end to a fairly energetic walk.

  

B Walk at Grasmere

A Silver Treasure and Two Castles

Leader: Beverley Kelly

Distance: 7 miles

Total Ascent/descent: 1700ft

Our walk today involves a stiff climb to a great vantage point which is also one of Wainwrights peaks, a stroll uphill to another Wainwright peak, our highest point where we can look down upon lakelands biggest tarn and the start of our descent back down to Grasmere.

The Langdales from Silver How

The walk starts to the north of the village where we head uphill towards Allen Bank, once home of William Wordsworth, which we circumnavigate up a track. Already we are having great views of this beautiful valley and the massives surrounding it. As we come out above the trees the walking is easier and views better and it is probably time for our first rest before we cross Wray Gill and head for the gentle summit of Silver How.

Sleepy Grasmere from Silver How

After the photo shoots and the oooh's and aaah's we head westward across this broad ridge which starts at High Raise, the central peak of the lakes. Passing Youdell Tarn it is a bit boggy but a wonderful panorama as we pass the peak of Lang How then Swinescar. As we approach Little and Great Castle How the ground is more rocky and interesting, particularly for geologists. If we have made good time we will head for Blea Rigg which is a good lunch stop, looking over the Langdales and Crinkles [add 150ft climb].

Easdale Tarn near where we descend from just before Blea Rigg

After lunch we retrace our steps a bit to descend on an unclear pathway down to Easdale Tarn, a popular venue for many tourists following in the footsteps of Wordsworth. The ascent was popular during the Victorian period, and a refreshment hut was even established in the 19th century by Robert Hayton of Grasmere above the outlet of the tarn to service the thirsty visitors. The hut is long gone, and nettles now grow where the ruins used to be.

A group of visitors at Easdale Tarn

Our descent now is on a restored pathway all the way down back to Grasmere, but the delights are not over yet for we are alongside the rushing 'Sourmilk Gill' as it tumbles over a couple of waterfalls and we are now looking towards the Fairfield and Helvellyn ridges and memories perhaps of previous walks.

Sourmilk Gill in full flow

There will be many a cheerful greeting as we continue on our descent, enjoying the autumnal colours and the thought of refreshments at one of the many teashops and hostelries in Grasmere. Given the weather this is a lovely Fell Walk and even in bad weather we are protected and should be below the cloud line

On Blea Rigg Summit, a lovely lunch spot.

Thanks to Les Gibson who accompanied me on the reccie.

C Walk at Grasmere

Leader: Alex Strathearn

Distance:5.5miles app

Total Ascent/Descent:730ft

The route for today's walk - click to enlarge

The walk leaves Grasmere in the direction of the A591. After crossing the main road the walk ascends to meet the ‘Coffin Trail’ and continues onwards to reach White Moss Common. High elevation views of Grasmere can be seen on this section. The walk continues along a bridleway to eventually approach Rydal Mount.

Rydal Mount

A slight descent towards the A591, to re-cross the road and access the narrow bridge opposite, before turning in the general direction of Grasmere.

The walk continues into a wood keeping Rydal Water just to the right, eventually ascending to reach a footpath which overlooks Rydal Water.

From this point the walk continues onwards through leafy woods to reach the lake side and then finally approach the town of Grasmere.     

The Weir approaching Grasmere

The Weir

Grasmere water

A lovely cottage on the approach returning to Grasmere

Ground conditions are a mixture of footpaths, bridleways, woodland treks and minor roads. Views of interest are many and varied. There are no stiles to be negotiated but a few kissing gates and the walk is extremely pleasant.  

Photographs taken on the three walks at Bakewell

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September Walks from Bakewell

September Walks from Bakewell

and will take place on

Saturday 10th September 2011

0800hrs prompt from short stay car park in the village

We last visited Bakewell in August 2009 on a beautiful warm sunny day and all have fond memories of three great walks. We do hope that you will enjoy the choices of our 3 walk leaders this time round

Walk Leaders

• A Walk led by Steve Edwards
• B Walk led by George Mann
• C Walk led by Norman Jones 

[click on name to view walk details]

Bakewell in Derbyshire and the Peak District , is a beautiful, small, market town situated on the River Wye which is crossed by a 13th century 5 arched bridge still open to traffic. The bridge had been widened in the 19th century.

Bakewell was mentioned in the Domesday book as having a church and 2 priests signifying its importance even then. In 1502 Bakewell was owned by the Vernon family and passed on to the Manners family in 1567 when Dorothy Vernon married John Manners. Their son, Sir George Manners married Grace Pierrepont who in 1637 founded the grammer school, Lady Manners School. Monuments to the Vernon family can be found in the All Saints Parish Church which stands in a commanding position on the hillside where the town started.

The Rutland Arms Hotel in the centre of Bakewell replaced the White Horse Inn, which together with some other buildings was demolished in 1805 to form Rutland Square. It was built to cater for coach travellers and in 1818 as many as 600 travellers passed through the town. The Hotel has a literary connection in that Jane Austin is reputed to have stayed at the hotel whilst writing Pride and Predudice. Bakewell has been identified as Lambton.

The famous Bakewell pudding was also invented accidentally at the Hotel, when a cook misinterpreted instructions and poured egg mixture over the jam instead of mixing it in the pastry and what should have been a tart was now a pudding. Bakewell puddings can be bought at several shops in the town centre.

For more information about Bakewell, click here;

and Here;

Weather forecast for Bakewell, click here;

A Walk from Bakewell

Walk Leader: Steve Edwards

Distance: 10 miles

Total Ascent: 1200 ft,  Descent: about 1700ft


This is a fairly easy A walk, more like a B+. The walk starts from the Wyedale car park which is just off the A6 between Buxton and Bakewell,so be prepared to leave the bus early. We walk through the valley of Deepdale rising rapidly as we head for the small village of Monyash once the centre of lead mining. From now on it is almost all descent heading for the beautiful Lathkill Dale, once a mining centre but now a tranquil valley with clear water and rare wild life. At the ancient village of Conksbury [now archeology as there are no dwellings left!] just after the spectacular series of weirs we head over the fields to Haddon House and the coach park at Bakewell.

A Walk Route

Moneyash Village Green

Batemans House. The minekeepers house built over a secret type of water pump to drain the mine

Between Conksbury and Over Haddon the Lathkill flows over a series of weirs, probably designed to hold back the waters for the mills, but it makes a lovely walk

B Walk at Bakewell

Walk Leader: George Mann

Distance: 8.5 Miles app

Total Ascent/Descent: 1025ft

approximate route, subject to alteration

Our walk today takes us initially alongside the River Wye before passing through a housing estate then up past the cemetery on our way towards Norton Barn Farm and the Village of Over Haddon. 

From there we cross over a series of fields heading for the village of Sheldon. We stop on the way to have a look around the  preserved buildings of the Magpie Mine one of the few reminders of the extensive lead and fluorspar mining that took place in the Peak District.

The Magpie Mine

Skirting the lower end of Sheldon we proceed downhill to Sheepwash Bridge in the village of Ashford in the Water and from there partially alongside the river our path leads us back to Bakewell. 

Looking towards Bakewell after Sheldon

There are about twenty stiles to negotiate the majority fairly easy  

C Walk at Bakewell

Walk Leader: Norman Jones

Distance: 6 miles app

Total Ascent/descent: 830ft
Height Gain about 500ft

The walk includes undulating parkland and woods, it's 6 miles long with a height gain of 500ft. Generally good underfoot.

We leave Bakewell in a south-easterly direction on a minor road and go under a bridge which is the southern end of the Monsal Trail. The road becomes a track, rising gently through undulating countryside and turning onto a woodland path. This rises steeply for about 400 yards, then becomes a flatter woodland route before reaching Carlton Pastures an ara of open parkland which soon slopes downwards. 

We continue on this parkland, which borders the Duke of Devonshire's Chatsworth Estate, for about a mile to join the Bakewell/Edensor minor road. This is our steep downhill route back into the centre of Bakewell for refreshments.