LEISURE TIME WINDERMERE

General information NEAREST CLUB SITE: Braithwaite Fold, Glebe Road, Bowness-on- Windermere, Windermere LA23 3HB. Tel: 01539 442177 DISTANCE: 6.2 miles/9.9km TERRAIN: Varied NUMBER OF STILES: 0 ESSENTIAL EQUIPMENT: Ordnance Survey OL7 Explorer Map – South- Eastern area (Windermere, Kendal and Silverdale), sturdy boots, hiking poles LEVEL OF DIFFICULTY: Moderate to strenuous REFRESHMENTS: Sawrey Hotel, Far Sawrey TOILETS: None

Tourist information Windermere TIC, Victoria Street LA23 1AD. Tel 01539 446499

DIRECTIONS P Alight from the ferry, and continue 1along the road until it bends around to the left beside a road to the right marked Gofootpath through sign the marked wooden ‘Public gate and Bridleway’, ‘Harrowslack car park’. Continue left W continuewith a blue following arrow on the a bridlewayyellow background, sign for around this bend, still following the B5285, 9 ‘Claifetowards Heights’. Claife Go Heights. through aCross wooden the gate wooden I but almost immediately turn right following N and continuebridge over following the stream. the track signposted a public footpath sign stating ‘Hill top via to ‘Claife Heights and The Tarns’. D

Sawrey’ up some steps. Continue along the E

footpath marked by a yellow arrow. Pass the first lake and carry on along R Walk on the The Heald Walk on the M 10 the footpath through another The Heald wooden gate. Pass another lake on your left As the path bends to the right, away E – Wise Een Tarn – and then another on your 2from the road (which is now far below), R

turn left following the public footpath ‘Ashright. Having passed all three, and on CLAIFE CP E Landing, Sawrey, Hill Top’ sign. At the footreaching the top of the hill, go through a of the steps turn right to Sawrey. wooden gate (signposted ‘Public Bridleway’), and continue through Pass through the National Trust car parkwoodland on a narrower path. WILDWILD and continue ahead along a footpath that 3 follows the road. Pass through a wooden gate Where the path forks, go left leaving BELLE ISLE where the path bends to the right, cross the 11the main track and ignoring the public P road and continue along a footpath marked bridleway sign (blue arrow on a yellow ❖ P ‘Near Sawrey and Hill Top’. background). This path descends steeply and is rocky. At a major path crossroads CAMPSITE Pass through another wooden gate and continue straight ahead (signposted ‘Public continue along the road marked ‘B5285 4 Bridleway – High Wray’). Sawrey’. After a short distance, before a FERRY

SIDE wooden bench, turn right following a public Far Sawrey SIDE At another major junction continue footpath sign, still marked ‘Far and Near 12 straight ahead (signposted ‘Public JO VAUGHAN ENJOYS LAKESIDE VIEWS WITH Sawrey’. Cross the tarmac lane and Bridleway – Belle Grange’). Having steeply continue through the kissing gate. descended, continue straight ahead A WONDERFUL COUNTRY WALK IN CUMBRIA following the ‘Public Bridleway, Lake When the gravel turns to tarmac keep Shore’ footpath sign. Local attractions INDERMEREis possibly the most It’s this ferry that’s needed in order to begin this 5ahead always following a yellow arrow, ■ famous of Cumbria’s lakes. Its glorious month’s walk, which starts from the westerly ferry but very soon leave the lane as it turns to the At the bottom of the hill, at a Windermere Steamboat Museum, Rayrigg Road, Bowness-on- mountain setting and quaint terminal. We then walk inland a little and up onto left and continue ahead, along a stone wall. T-junction, turn right following the Windermere LA23 1BN. Tel 01539 445565. Cost: £4.25. W 13 Exhibition about life on and about Windermere, as well as a surrounding villages attract tourists from all over the hills of Claife Heights, before returning to the ‘Ferry House – 21 Pass the house and continue to the right /2miles’ footpath sign. collection of vintage vessels. Disabled access: most of the site the world, most of whom descend on the town of lakeside and along the water’s edge. You don’t have 6of a yellow footpath disk between a After a while, continue as the track turns to and buildings are accessible for wheelchairs Bowness-on-Windermere. to be super-fit, although there are some persistent fence and another stone wall. Pass throughtarmac, go through a wooden gate and ■ Townend Historic House, Troutbeck, Windermere LA23 1LB. Braithwaite Fold Caravan Club Site is found slopes and sharp descents to endure, so stout another kissing gate, walk down the gravelcontinue ahead still following the conveniently just a few minutes’ walk from the walking boots and a strong stick are essentials. Tel 01539 432628 or see nationaltrust.org.uk. A 17th-century lane, and when you reach the road continue‘Windermere Ferries’ footpath sign. Lakeland yeoman farmer’s house with traditional furniture, picturesque village centre, but it is even closer to the The first section of this walk sounds fiddly, along this, past the Sawrey Hotel. cottage garden and a children’s activity trail. Disabled access: Continue along the road, over a cattle landing stage that takes cars and passengers from but all we’re doing is avoiding the main road no, due to the sloping nature of the site one side of the lake to the other. Vehicles have to with its blind corners by following adjacent Soon after the hotel, take a turning to grid, until you see a sign to the left 14 ■ queue for hours in the summer to get a ride across footpaths instead. Be extra careful after 7the right marked ‘Public Bridleway to marked ‘Footpath to Ferry’. Follow this La Galerie d’Art, Lake Road and Queens Square, Bowness-on- the often choppy waters, but passengers can jump inclement weather – there are some sections Moss Eccles Tarn and Claife Heights’, up a through a wooden gate and continue along Windermere LA23 3BT. Tel 01539 445470 or see galart.co.uk. the footpath until you pass through another Exhibition of original paintings by local and international straight onto the next available ride. that could be muddy and slippery. tarmac road. artists. Disabled access: partial for wheelchairs with just a wooden gate. Turn left along the road back Continue along the road, over a cattle couple of steps to negotiate to the ferry terminal. 8grid, before veering left at a public

38 THE CARAVAN CLUB MAGAZINE www.caravanclub.co.uk FEBRUARY 2007 THE CARAVAN CLUB MAGAZINE 39