Buttermere & Fleetwith Edge

FAMILY WALK almost certainly see some. become very tame, so you’ll used to being fed and have rare red squirrels – they’re start are home to increasingly fresh air. The woods near the destination for a day in the Formby sands make a great delightful on sunny days. combine to make this walk miles of endless sandy beach 1 between low fences. Go L at taking ‘The Squirrel Walk’ after information sign, go R carpark. Just before toilets/ following lane back to first metres Exit car park at entrance Start km 20 0 40 0 60 0 0 0

dune walking and Shady forest tracks, STEVE GOODIER CHOSEN BY… 13 u Distance: 5¼ miles/8.5km u miles/8.5km 5¼ Distance: 2 FORMBY POINT MERSEYSIDE 4

6 passing blue marker to curve Continue along elevated area passing through pine trees. eventually rises steadily R. Path rises/falls again and passing coniferous plantation shortly. Follow main path path). Stay ahead at next fork staying ahead at fork (main ahead. Descend to clearing 2 L at fork further on to road. into trees. Continue up/down, junction. Go ahead climbing descending to open area/path fencing. Stay ahead at split steeply between ornamental Continue to rise then descend descending woodland track. fences end continue ahead junction soon curving R. When GR ADIENT PROFILE Cross road taking path ¾ mile/1.1km 8 Formby beach from Time: 3½ hours u hours 3½ Time: the sand dunes. 10

12 Grade: Moderate Grade:

HOLMES GARDEN PHOTOS / ALAMY* / PHOTOS GARDEN HOLMES PHOTO: fence. Stay ahead exiting woods mound ahead. L dropping to to path junction by grassy Follow main path descending L/R around large hollow. 14 Public Public Formby/at start (seasonal) Refreshments Nearest tow n Formby PLANNING Stiles None formby-tide-times www.tidetimes.org.uk/ for beach section. Check two hours before high tide walking – allow at least long stretch of beach Is it for me? Paths/tracks/ grid ref SD275082 Free for NT members, lane end after entrance. of Freshfield/Formby at Trust beach car park west Start/parking National ROUTE Landranger 108 Maps OS Explorer 285; Nothing to start PLAN YOUR WALK YOUR PLAN transport toilets Near start 16

➥

NORTH WEST ✁

SEE

ON PAGE 33 plenty of opportunity to get grassy interludes, allowing steps are broken by easier, pure joy. A series of rocky shoulder to Fleetwith Pike is shore, ascending this fabulous along Buttermere’s eastern shores. After an easy stroll the lake’s south-eastern ridge soaring skyward from see this perfectly symmetrical of Buttermere and you will Look at just about any image fewer will have climbed it. able to name it – and even their collections will not be people with pictures of it in in the Lakes, and yet most most photographed features FEATURE metres km 20 0 40 0 60 0 0 0 surely one of the Fleetwith Edge is VIVIENNE CROW CHOSEN BY… 14 u Distance: 8 miles/12.9km u 8 miles/12.9km Distance: 2 CUMBRIA BUTTERMERE & FLEETWITH EDGE 4

6 westernshore. village along the lake’s before returning to Buttermere Quarry and Warnscale Bothy returns via the old Dubs The figure-of-eight route no technical difficulties. occasionally, but there are and you’ll need your hands the superb scenery. It’s steep, your breath back and enjoy 1 rears up dramatically ahead. Edge, our next target, suddenly Soon after tunnel, Fleetwith picking up lakeshore path. R through small gate, later beyond last building, turn farm buildings. About 250m turn R along lane between along B5289. In a few metres, GR ADIENT PROFILE Leave car park and turn R Start from Warnscale Bothy.

8 Time: 4½ hours u 4½ hours Time: onto Buttermere Looking down 10

Grade: Challenging

➥

© CROW VIVIENNE PHOTO: 14 ROUTE and West Lake District North Harvey’s Superwalker Landranger 89 or 90; Maps OS Explorer OL4; mid-March to October Honister Rambler, runs transportPublic The In car park toiletsPublic all in Buttermere Bridge Hotel and Fish Inn, Café, Syke Farm Tearoom, Refreshments Croft House Cockermouth Nearest town PLANNING Stiles None stony on descent in places. Path loose and required. Open fell, damp some bare rock; hands Steep ridge climb with paths, short unlit tunnel. Is it for me? Lakeshore grid ref NY173169 Fish Inn, Buttermere, National Park car park by Start/parking Lake District PLAN YOUR WALK YOUR PLAN 16 A

B 18

ID:

5 2 TZID30310 TRAILZILLA 4 © Country Walking July 2016 Walking © Country 5 miles/8km the car R back to Turn Download OS maps Use the TZID to download the walk from www.lfto.com/routes or search for it in the Country Walking Best Walks in Britain App u for PC, iPhone, iPad and £12.50 from Android

5 park to finish. park to START 1 3 fence gap. Continue ahead to ahead to Continue gap. fence crossroads. bench going L at pond rising R past Soon curve woods. into drop dune to over ahead at staying Join path woods Through junction. to junction next curving L at at immediately R almost curve bin past path Follow junction. Go L area. play by junction to marker. white/purple following curving R main path Follow white/ bench. Follow past junction next to purple route road. go half R to to

Buy maps at: ordnancesurvey.co.uk/mapshop

MERSEYSIDE POINT FORMBY 3½ miles/5.7km Leave beach going R. Pass beach going R. Pass Leave R along beach. Pass signs R along beach. Pass 1¾ miles/2.8km OS Explorer map 285 u through dunes curving L past through Path’. Coastal sign – ‘Sefton passing woods into Continue stay junction At markers. red R atahead, shortly cutting Road – signed ‘Victoria junction path Follow Road’. /Lifeboat passing woodland through R curve open area At markers. dunes through Pass gate. past marker ahead past continuing climbing sandy bank.post split along dunes. At Continue from curving away L fork take to shrubs. Continue beach into fork At fence. R by Curve fence. crossing L with fence curve through descend sandy rise to to open area. Soon go R at open area. to L almost Stay crossroads. path dunes. towards immediately access crossing path Follow ahead taking L Continue track. split in scrubland near at fork trees L towards Curve trees. soon going L on another path R R following Curve reached. low Head for edge of trees. of dunes ahead exiting point gap and rising through trees 3 4 in dunes. Follow path to beach. to path in dunes. Follow for ‘Blundell Path/Freshfield’ ‘Blundell Path/Freshfield’ for Sand Path/ and ‘Nicotine sign to continuing Freshfield’ R here Walk’. Squirrel ‘Red for start, back to you takes you on beach otherwise continue topped orange reaching Path’ ‘Fisherman’s for signpost u 13

NORTH WEST ✁

6 ID: 4 7¼ miles/11.7km end of Nearing far TRAILZILLA TZID30311 7 3 © Country Walking July 2016 Walking © Country Download OS maps u for PC, iPhone, iPad and £12.50 from Android Use the TZID to download the walk from www.lfto.com/routes or search for it in the Country Walking Best Walks in Britain App lake, stay on lower path. Cross Cross path. on lower stay lake, Sourmilk Gill and bridges over Dubs. Keep then Buttermere end of far ahead. At straight gate. turn L through hedgerow, Buttermere leads back to Track Fish Inn L after Turn village. car park. to return to 10 8 2 9

Beyond next gate, bear R gate, next Beyond 6 miles/9.7km 5½ miles/8.9km Farm, Gatesgarth At 4¾ miles/7.6km clear to path faint Follow 1 START 10 turn L through small gate small gate turn L through and Buttermere – signposted soon path Broad Ennerdale. several After area. flat crosses Bridge Peggy’s cross gates, Beck. Warnscale over 7 8 9 way, this drops to cross bridge cross to this drops way, Beck. Warnscale over track and turn L. Turn L at road. L at and turn L. Turn track along Buttermere’s shore path. shore along Buttermere’s take Wood, in Burtness fork At path either option. (Narrower water.) closer to on R keeps Buy maps at: ordnancesurvey.co.uk/mapshop

CUMBRIA BUTTERMERE & FLEETWITH EDGE 3 miles/4.8km of cairn on top From 3¾ miles/6km uphill, clear path Follow 3½ miles/5.6km quarry R along broad Turn 2 miles/3.2km About 150m beyond 1½ miles/2.4km eventually path Lakeshore OS Explorer map OL4 u Fleetwith Pike, follow faint path faint follow Pike, Fleetwith It heads S S side of fell. down SE. quickly swinging first, at When path. clearest to Keep see Dubs Quarry just you faint at SW swing below, trails. of grassy junction u 2 3 4 5 6 track. Drawing level with Dubs level Drawing track. L. on R, descend Hut bothy strike of slope, Near bottom damp ground off R across Beck. Warnscale ford to ends so move onto road. road. onto ends so move ahead. Continue Gatesgarth Farm, turn R along Farm, Gatesgarth immediately, Almost track. Path path. turn L on narrow and up N flank of fell zig-zags L along ridge. then swings but first, at is on grass Route rocky easily-surmountable more become obstacles higher up. frequent but not for long: about 150m but not for beck, bear R along beyond R when Keep trail. indistinct Warnscale follow – to this forks Passing Beck downstream. and Bothy Warnscale below Stacks’ Hay beneath cutting dark, northern cliffs along the 14

NORTH WEST