Our Walks from Hawkshead

We could not have been blessed with better weather for today's walks, as the sun shone down from an almost cloudless sky and with only a light breeze to freshen us. Little did we know that today was also the occasion of the third Hawkshead Trail Race so Hawkshead was buzzing with competitors and supporters, with a real festive atmosphere.
All 3 walk groups enjoyed both their walks and the day, coming back with a sense of achievement and contentment. The shops and cafes beckoned as we spent an hour enjoying the delights of this favourite lakeland village.

Some photographs from the 'B' Walk

Leaving the village

Through the woods

Are these two going to get the bus back!

Forming a nice queue to go through the stile
- well we did have ex schoolteachers in the group

Heading towards Outgate

Brief stop for a photo and admire the views

Crossing the stream via the stepping stones

Lunch stop overlooking Blelham Tarn

Climbing Latterbarrow

The top of Latterbarrow, heading for views across Windermere

Red Screes, Wansfell and the Sallows

Impressive Latterbarrow Obelisk

Being overtaken by some of the runners as we head down towards Colthouse

We seemed to be in the middle of the race at this point, which slowed us down as we stood to one side, but was still very interesting and exciting. There were runners of all ages and physical fitness. Some very serious and others just wanting to complete the course.

Photos from C Party walk at Hawkshead

April Walking from Hawkshead

Our second walk of the season will be to the beautiful village of Hawkshead in Cumbria on;

Saturday 18th April 2009
The coach will leave the car park at the back of Iceland at 8.00am

The village of Hawkshead is a place of charm and character with an atmosphere which is timeless. It boasts whitewashed buildings, narrow streets, alleyways, quaint corners, courtyards and cobbled streets.

View towards the Fairfield range from the churchyard of St Michaels

The village was once an important market town for the wool industry until its decline in the early 19th Century. Hawkshead is now a popular area with the tourists due to its association with William Wordsworth in his early days of his life. It was here that inspired William to write some of his earliest poems. In "The Prelude", completed in 1805, Wordsworth describes the village and the surrounding countryside.

You can see the Old Grammar school where William Wordsworth attended between the years of 1779 and 1787 and the cottage of Ann Tyson where he lodged. At the school you can see the original desks, including the one belonging to Wordsworth and still bearing his name carved into it.

Above the school is the Church of St. Michael which dates from the 16th Century and overlooks the village. Inside you will discover interesting wall paintings.

Several buildings in Hawkshead and land that overlooks Esthwaite Water was given to the National Trust by Beatrix Potter. In the village there is the Beatrix Potter Gallery which displays her original drawings and information about her life

The ancient church of St Michaels, sitting on the hill above the village
(Click on any picture to enlarge)

There will be three walks;

• A Walk led by Jenny
• B Walk led by Shirley & Joan
• C Walk led by Norman

Walk details will be posted by Saturday 11th April if not before, (click on link above).

Some photos of Hawkshead

Hawkshead from Latterbarrow


Methodist Chapel and Minstrel Gallery coffee shop

Grandy Nooks tea room

Leather lane

Walk Routes at Hawkshead 2009

click on image to enlarge

B Walk
Leader: Joan & Shirley
Distance: 8 Miles
Height Gain:

This is a pleasant 8 mile undulating walk through farmland,woodland and fields.
Leaving Hawkshead car park we make our way to Outgate and then skirting Blelham Tarn

we follow a well used path and make our way to the lunch stop ,before a gentle uphill climb to reach Latterbarrow. From the cairn there are lovely views over Windermere and from then on it is all downhill back to Hawkshead for a well earned cuppa etc.
The coach will leave at 5pm.

A Walk

Leader: Jenny Matthias

Distance: 9+ miles

Height Gain:

After leaving the car park we will climb up past the church and fields to Hawkshead Hill, where we have a little road walking to a path which will take us to Tarn Hows.

We descend into Yewdale and cross the road to start climbing up to Holme Fell 1024ft. Uskdale Gap on the way up is quite stony with many tree roots. From the top we should get wonderful views, if the day is clear!

We descend to some old reservoirs (watch the bog) then on to a farm track via Hodge Close and Oxen Fell.

When crossing the A593 we will join the Cumbria Way to Knipe Fold where once more we will hit the road down to the Old Courthouse and a little amble by the river will bring us into Hawkshead.

There are lots of ups and downs in this route and a good pace will be needed but it is not as testing as many Lake District walks can be.

More Photographs of Holme Fell Area

C Walk

Leader: Norman Jones

Distance: 6+ miles

Height Gain:

After our early refreshments we leave the village through the churchyard andfollow undulating footpaths through fields to a few houses at Hawkshead Hill. To the rear of the church, beyond a small cemetery is an open air baptistery which is worth a visit.

Continue along the minor road for a short distance, then onto a path, which climbs steadily for about ¾ mile to the road at Tarn Hows. We shall probably have lunch somewhere along the Tarnside path.

After lunch we continue beyond the northern end of the Tarn, then it’s uphill to join a rough stony bridleway. This path leads into a lane and the pretty hamlet of Knipe Fold. It’s soon back onto a field path climbing up to Hawkshead Hill where we retrace our earlier route back to Hawkshead for relaxation.

Return to Main details.

Click on map to enlarge

See the Village map below with walk 'reckie' pictures
Weather forecast for Settle, (nearest town)

Our 1st walk of 2009 to CLAPHAM

Our first walks of the 2009 season will be to the rolling dales of North Yorkshire starting from Clapham a familiar venue last visited in May 2006

Clapham is situated at the base of Ingleborough mountain (one of Yorkshire's famous "Three Peaks" - Ingleborough, Whernside and Pen-y-ghent) and is a well known starting point for its ascent.

Running through the village is Clapham Beck. This is fed from Fell Beck which starts on the slopes of Ingleborough and sinks into Gaping Gill, England's highest waterfall, where Fell Beck drops 110 metres vertically down a pothole, and exits via Ingleborough Cave into Clapham Beck. The beck then feeds into the River Lune via the River Wenning. The beck is crossed by four bridges in the village (two footbridges: Brokken Bridge and Mafeking Bridge, and two road bridges).

Above the village is a man-made lake built and expanded in the 19th century. This provided pressure for the water turbines and the drinking water supply, while the outflow fed an artificial waterfall at the top of the village.

Clapham lies on the Craven fault zone. This is a complex geological fault which marks the division of the sandstone rocks of the Bowland area and the limestone of the Ingleborough area. However, the valley of Clapham Beck has cut through the limestone and into the underlying Ordovician basement. The basement rocks produces soils that are acid, and not alkaline like those on the limestone. This is beneficial to the many species of rhododendron that have been planted along Clapdale and which would suffer in alkaline soils.

More details of Clapham here

There will be 2/3 walks;

B Walk;

Leader; George Man

Distance approx 7.5 miles

Our route takes us up a track to Clapdale Farm then drops down a steep slope to the valley bottom path leading to Ingleborough Cave. We continue on this past the cave, then climb up a grassy slope to join Long Lane Track. From here we continue uphill to a cairn ( about 1300 Feet ) near Long Scar before walking down to Crummack Farm and a farm road leading to Austwick. Over a stile and a couple of fields we enter Austwick passing through the village to join a path across fields back to Clapham.

There are around a dozen stiles on this walk some easier to negotiate than others.

C Walk;

Leader; Alex Strathearn

Distance: 5.5miles

The walk to start the new season begins with a leisurely stroll through the attractive village of Clapham, crossing over 'Clapham Beck' by means of an ancient stone bridge, onwards passing the Church to approach the main entrance to Ingleborough Estate Nature Trail.

There is a small nominal charge of 60p required to enter the estate. A ticket machine at the entrance issues tickets accordingly, but unfortunately does not give change if a £1 coin is inserted.

The walk then begins to meander up the trail passing through woods and a most attractive lake towards Clapdale. On emerging from the woods we cross an old wooden bridge before ascending upwards onto Thwaite fells.

The walk then joins a bridleway with drystone walls on either side, with extensive views over this part of the North Yorkshire Moors. At some stage we will stop for lunch, and hopefully weather permitting admire the local scenery.

The walk continues onwards to reach the village of Austwick. After passing through the village we begin the final return section to Clapham passing over open fields. Since all the fields are separated by drystone walls, we have to negotiate some seven stiles. The final approach has a small section of mud to skirt around. We are now back in the coach park.