making kiln wood but also for grazing sheep and cattle. and sheep grazing for also but wood kiln making

in the nearby villages would have used these woods not only for charcoal burning and and burning charcoal for only not woods these used have would villages nearby the in

at Crooks Bridge. Bridge. Crooks at a hill-slope where alder trees grow. The name dates back at least 400 years. People living living People years. 400 least at back dates name The grow. trees alder where hill-slope a

century road from Ireleth to Newby Bridge and onwards crossed Rusland Pool Pool Rusland crossed onwards and Bridge Newby to Ireleth from road century This area of woodland is known as Great Ellerside, a name which means a large wood on on wood large a means which name a Ellerside, Great as known is woodland of area This

Great Ellerside Great bend or a corner of land and dates back to at least the late 17th century . The 18th 18th The . century 17th late the least at to back dates and land of corner a or bend l

Crook/Crooks is derived from krokr in Old Norse which means a a means which Norse Old in krokr from derived is Crook/Crooks

Crook Farm and Crooks Bridge Crooks and Farm Crook the fell. the f

shepherd’s hut up here for someone looking after fl ocks on on ocks fl after looking someone for here up hut shepherd’s

livestock. for a derelict building, and it is thought there was once a a once was there thought is it and building, derelict a for

fattening food and these lush pastures were used for grazing grazing for used were pastures lush these and food fattening was known as Hurley Hall tarn. A hurley hall is a dialect name name dialect a is hall hurley A tarn. Hall Hurley as known was

The fi eld name here is the Crams which is a dialect word for for word dialect a is which Crams the is here name eld fi The This little tarn has no modern name but in the 18th century century 18th the in but name modern no has tarn little This

Hurley Hall Tarn Hall Hurley

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Pool in the early 1800s. 1800s. early the in Pool

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hired from Ulverston Canal to canalise this section of Rusland Rusland of section this canalise to Canal Ulverston from hired which were highly sought after for small fi re arms. re fi small for after sought highly were which

point periodically fl ooded and changed course, so navvies were were navvies so course, changed and ooded fl periodically point specialised in making fast explosive powders with juniper juniper with powders explosive fast making in specialised

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and he would travel across the mosses to work. The river at this this at river The work. to mosses the across travel would he and juniper charcoal with saltpetre and sulphur. The gunpowder works at Black Beck Beck Black at works gunpowder The sulphur. and saltpetre with charcoal juniper

the owner of the Gunpowder works, lived at Abbots Reading Reading Abbots at lived works, Gunpowder the of owner the important use has been making gunpowder by mixing mixing by gunpowder making been has use important

fi sh to the locals. There used to be a well-built bridge here, as as here, bridge well-built a be to used There locals. the to sh fi the berries to make gin and medicines. In this area its most most its area this In medicines. and gin make to berries the

Fish House was where a fi sherman lived who caught and sold sold and caught who lived sherman fi a where was House Fish go down the hill. Juniper has many uses including using using including uses many has Juniper hill. the down go

Fish House Bridge House Fish others are Yew and Scots pine which you can see as you you as see can you which pine Scots and Yew are others

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Juniper is one of the three British native conifers. The The conifers. native British three the of one is Juniper

Juniper Honey Buzzard nests in the trees alongside the river. the alongside trees the in nests Buzzard Honey

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also be signs of otters and kingfi shers and in summer the rare rare the summer in and shers kingfi and otters of signs be also

coastal birdlife such as cormorants, herons or egrets. There may may There egrets. or herons cormorants, as such birdlife coastal being controlled by the landowner. the by controlled being

areas with reed beds and fl ag iris in summer. Look out for for out Look summer. in iris ag fl and beds reed with areas In summer the Heights are covered by bracken which is is which bracken by covered are Heights the summer In

Morecambe Bay. Because of this, there are a number of marshy marshy of number a are there this, of Because Bay. Morecambe the food plant of the rare Duke of Burgundy butterfl y. y. butterfl Burgundy of Duke rare the of plant food the

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It is interesting to watch the tidal water fl owing upstream from from upstream owing fl water tidal the watch to interesting is It path there are areas of spring fl owers including primroses, primroses, including owers fl spring of areas are there path

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Rusland Pool river Pool Rusland track leading to summer grazing. Along this part of the the of part this Along grazing. summer to leading track

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The track through Hall Brow would have been a traditional traditional a been have would Brow Hall through track The

Hall Brow and Rusland Heights Rusland and Brow Hall 1928 when demand slowed and a huge explosion made the site unmanageable. site the made explosion huge a and slowed demand when 1928 i

dangerous environment, with many killed and injured in numerous explosions. It closed in in closed It explosions. numerous in injured and killed many with environment, dangerous

seen. It opened in 1860, along with many others locally. It was a very very a was It locally. others many with along 1860, in opened It seen. Park. Park.

Gunpowder Works and there are many structures still to be be to still structures many are there and Works Gunpowder contribution to every aspect of work across the National National the across work of aspect every to contribution

Black Beck Caravan site is built on the site of Black Beck Beck Black of site the on built is site Caravan Beck Black District National Park. Volunteers make an invaluable invaluable an make Volunteers Park. National District

Gunpowder works works Gunpowder Bushby. Tony was a long serving volunteer for the Lake Lake the for volunteer serving long a was Tony Bushby.

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On the gate is a plaque and poem commemorating Tony Tony commemorating poem and plaque a is gate the On

Memorial gate Memorial Horse Close Meadow, Pool and Cow Park. Park. Cow and Pool Meadow, Close Horse

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pass through have their own names such as Little Moss, Moss, Little as such names own their have through pass

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the gunpowder works to the Furness Railway. The fi elds you you elds fi The Railway. Furness the to works gunpowder the warfare.

The route follows the old horse drawn tramway that linked linked that tramway drawn horse old the follows route The and fl exible and was used to make long bows in medieval medieval in bows long make to used was and exible fl and

Tramway and fi eld names names eld fi and Tramway to make drugs in cancer treatment. Yew wood is strong strong is wood Yew treatment. cancer in drugs make to

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poisonous, however the foliage is used in modern medicine medicine modern in used is foliage the however poisonous,

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after the Rusland Pool river nearby. river Pool Rusland the after Yew trees can be 400 to 600 years old. The berries are highly highly are berries The old. years 600 to 400 be can trees Yew

cafe and in 1990s was completely refurbished and renamed renamed and refurbished completely was 1990s in and cafe

tracks. tracks.

Dickson, owner of Black Beck Gunpowder Works. In the 1940s and 1950s it was a transport transport a was it 1950s and 1940s the In Works. Gunpowder Beck Black of owner Dickson,

in the pitsteads from charcoal burning, old walls and ancient ancient and walls old burning, charcoal from pitsteads the in

This old inn, once called the Black Lion, was then renamed Dickson’s Arms in 1860 by C F F C by 1860 in Arms Dickson’s renamed then was Lion, Black the called once inn, old This

means shared. There is evidence of human use of the wood wood the of use human of evidence is There shared. means

Rusland Pool Hotel Hotel Pool Rusland

a walk, you enter the wood at Yew Barrow Dale and here “dale” “dale” here and Dale Barrow Yew at wood the enter you walk,

POINTS OF INTEREST OF POINTS

Yew Barrow Woods is a Special Area of Conservation. On this this On Conservation. of Area Special a is Woods Barrow Yew

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Yew Barrow Yew

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T WALK KEY INFORMATION Please l k E R Start points with parking: out for these P R 5 O Rusland Pool Hotel (Sat Nav LA12 8AA. Grid Ref SD 329843) O markers along F (Sat Nav LA12 8JN) access to the trail from P Black Beck Caravan Site APER here is for site residents only. the route The trail can also be accessed at various points where the route goes close to a road. Parking is limited to 1-2 cars in these pull off places. The short route is relatively fl at and easy going. The route follows a narrow PMS 219 GREENWOOD TRAILS PMS 5483 road, open fi elds beside the tidal river and woodland. PMS 429 The main, long route covers the contrasts between the tranquil, fl at river side, peaceful mature woodland and rugged open fell. This trail Gr nw d is more demanding with clear but rough paths (appropriate footwear Trails Rusland Va ey and recommended). The route has plenty of ups and downs in the woods and a steep ascent up to the Rusland Heights. Check the weather forecast before starting, and when you have fi nished check yourself, and your dog for ticks. Yewba ow Due to the tidal nature some of the route may be impassible at certain times. 4 x 3mm Holes @5mm Centres

Length and duration of the walks SHORT ROUTE (Rusland valley and woodland). 7.5 Km 4.7 miles 2 - 2 ½ hours SHORT ROUTE for Black Beck caravan residents only (woodland and Rusland valley). 2.5 km 1 ½ miles 1 hour LONG ROUTE (Rusland valley, woodland and open fell). 13.7 km 8.5 miles 300m/1,000feet ascent 4-5 hours

Refreshments and toilets are available at the Rusland Pool Hotel This is one of a series of Greenwood Trails routes signed with a special waymarker.

If you want to fi nd out more about the area go to An interesting walking route around this inspiring www.ruslandhorizons.org   and beautiful location WALK 5

i Rusland Va ey and Yewba ow k l Directions for the walk j m h j Start Rusland Pool Hotel car park (A590)

1 Take the track in front of the hotel play area to reach a gate on your left, just before the river. Follow the path keeping roughly parallel to the river until reaching a small road.

2 Turn right, cross Black Beck bridge and take the footpath on your left. Continue along the river bank, passing through several gates before arriving at Fish House Bridge. n 3 Cross the bridge and follow the path for about 600m. Turn right at a T-junction, and follow this path to the large gate leading on to another small road 9 o k Black Beck Caravan Site residents only Exit the caravan park through a small gate in the fence, in the area behind the duckpond. g p Once in the wood, turn left and walk alongside the fence / wall to the large gate leading on to a small road. l 4 Turn right and continue along to the end at Crook Farm. Immediately before the q farm, a signpost ‘Crooks Bridge ¼ mile’ leads you to the right. Follow the path, 8 through another gate, and then diagonally downhill towards the boardwalk at f 7 the bottom, then cross Crooks Bridge f Viewpoint - Look east across the Rusland Pool river towards the woods on 5 Ellerside. The white house directly opposite is Hill Top, the 17th century farmhouse at Ealinghearth, where author Arthur Ransome and his 4 wife Eugenia, lived in the 1960s. TO CONTINUE THE SHORT WALK 6 5 Turn right at Crooks Bridge and walk along the riverbank until e 3 arriving at a 4-way signpost at Fish House Bridge. c 6 Continue from Fish House Bridge to follow the riverbank. Pass through several gates before emerging onto the Causeway. d MAP KEY Turn right and cross the bridge. The Caravan Park entrance Short Route is on your right, and the path back to the Rusland Pool Long Route Hotel is signed to your left. 2 Caravan Residents only TO CONTINUE THE LONG WALK Public Footpath 7 From Crooks Bridge turn left, walk along the river bank for about 150m. Turn right off the embankment and Public Bridleway along the boardwalk. Continue through Border Moss b d Points of Interest before emerging on to the road. Viewpoint 8 Cross the road and take a small path opposite, up the Caravan Site hill onto another road. A short distance on your left 1 is a signpost into the woods ‘Skowbarrow Lane 1¼ Gt a Ellerside’. Take this path to meet a cross path by a gap in a wall. Turn left through the gap. Start

9 The narrow path meanders up and down along the side of Yew Barrow, roughly parallel to the road on the left. Shortly after the second stream another path joins from the left. At this point our route turns right and goes steadily uphill for a while. 0 Kilometre 1 j The track fl attens out and passes through a memorial gate, The route soon Greenwood Trails © Lake District National Park Authority 2019 diverts to the right along the edge of the adjoining fi eld before eventually © Crown Copyright and database rights 2019 Ordnance Survey 100021698 re-joining the track. You are not permitted to copy, sub-license, distribute or sell any of this data to third parties in any form.

Viewpoint - Look north west across the Rusland Valley to Bethecar Moor m The path swings left, then uphill before reaching a large stile, over the wall and the edge of Grizedale Forest. In the foreground the white building is at the top. Rusland Tannery and behind it, the grounds of Rusland Hall are visible. Viewpoint – From here there is a complete 360º panorama. In addition Pass through the gate and continue downhill. Look out for a gate, and go to the hills visible earlier, the Howgill range can now be seen to the east through it on your right into Hall Brow Wood signposted to ‘High Dam’. with Gummers How in the foreground. Down in the Rusland Valley, Rusland Church can just be glimpsed amongst the trees and Hay Bridge k Climb steadily up the main track through the wood, eventually reaching a Reserve with its raised peatbogs is also prominent. gate in a wall leading to more open fellside. n The path now starts to descend, at fi rst close to a wall on its right and then l The track continues to twist and turn its way uphill until arriving at a slightly further away as you reach an uphill section with heather outcrops. T-junction of paths. Turn right here signposted ‘Rusland Heights & Great Follow the marker posts until reaching a gate. Ellerside’. o Descend between rocks entering a small sheltered valley. The path passes Viewpoint - A great number of hills are visible. From the left, Black Combe through a gap in the wall and then past a small tarn on your left. on the edge of Morecambe Bay, the conical shape of Caw, Coniston Old Man and Weatherlam, and then to the north there is the bulk of the p Go through a gate in a fence and downhill past gorse covered slopes Fairfi eld Horseshoe and Red Screes. arriving at a further gate. The well defi ned path now descends steeply through mixed woodland.

q Towards the bottom of the hill, just before the road, look out for a yellow To enjoy your visit and help look after this marker post. Take this small path to the right, pass through a gate and special place please follow the Country code: cross a stream. Follow the markers to bring you back to the gap in the wall. • Be safe – plan ahead and follow any signs Turn left, signed Border Moss, to take you back down to the road. • Leave gates and property as you fi nd them • Protect plants and animals and take your litter home r To complete the full route retrace your steps through the large gate into • Please keep dogs under close control Border Moss, turn left and follow the path over the boardwalk, up onto the • Consider other people bank of the Rusland Pool river. Then continue along the riverbank as in points 5 and 6.