Watendlath and Dock Tarn

When guests come to stay in our Borrowdale cottages, they are spoilt for choice when it comes to great walks. Here is a lovely little loop that I do on a regular basis, taking in the pretty hamlet of Watendlath.

Leave Rosthwaite village and cross over the bridgeopposite the bus stop, towards Hazelbank Hotel. Turn right at the end of the bridge along the path signed for Greenup Edge and Grasmere. Follow this narrow path parallel with the river till you pass Stonethwaite in the other side of the river.

You will pass a bridge on the right and soon after this you will notice a faint path crossing the grass to your left. The path deviates diagonally uphill to a corner between a wire fence and a broken down stonewall and the edge of the tree line. Here you can cross the stile in the corner and start the steady climb uphill. It is rather steep to start with, a bit like a big stone staircase. Having walked this route in both directions, it is certainly easier to start with the steep climb.

Soon, you will emerge from the woods onto the fellside, a great place to take a breather and take in the view. There is an extensive view of from Esk Pike and Bowfell to Great Gable and Honister.

There is a broken down shelter at the top of the climb and a path emerges through the bracken. In the summer this is a glorious place to be amidst the brilliant purple of the bracken. The path leads to Dock Tarn, a beautiful peaceful tarn covered in water lilies amidst craggy outcrops.

For Wainwright baggers, there is a simple deviation from the path alongside the tarn to take in the summit of Great Crag (440m) - a tick in the book of the Central Fells.

Back on original path, Watendlanth Tarn now comes into sight as you start to descend towards the hamlet. Make sure you follow the signposts on this route, as there is conservation work across this wetland area.

Watendlath is a classic hanging valley. Hanging valleys can be found high above the main valley floor and display all the same features of a regular valley. They are often the result of varying rates of erosion millions of years ago. A hanging valley is created by slow glacial erosion, slower than the rate at which the valley floor was eroded. This means that over time, two valleys are created, the higher one often with a tarn or watercourse at its heart, draining to the main valley below.

Geographical history lesson over, you now reach Watendlath. Cross over the packhorse bridge, paying attention to the stone cobbles – one of them was laid by Price Charles and has the date inscription on it.

There is a farm and a handful of buildings in the hamlet. The farm featured in the Rogue Herries books by Sir Hugh Walpole and became an early tourist attraction following publication. Amidst the buildings is a tiny tearoom with a lovely garden, frequented by all the local bird wildlife. Some of the tables are actually old cast iron sewing machine stands complete with foot pedal plates!

After a refreshing cup of tea and slice of cake, it is now time to head back to Borrowdale. Walk back over the packhorse bridge and bear to the right to walk up a short uphill climb on a rough slate path. On reaching the plateau, you will be greeted with the familiar sight of Borrowdale and the long mass of Scawdel Fell on the opposite side of the valley.

It is now simply a case of following the path back downhill to arrive back at the junction by Hazelbank Country House and retracing your steps to your cottage. Hazelbank serves excellent evening meals (booking essential). For more immediate refreshment then head to the Royal Oak in Rosthwaite village for afternoon tea (walkers and dogs welcome).

A linear walk in Borrowdale

This simple walk can be started by hopping on the Honister Rambler in Keswick, Grange or anywhere on the circular bus route. Alight at the slate mine at the top of the pass and walk towards the visitor centre. Turn left and walk through the workings, picking up a track heading downhill (this track is used by mine machinery).

At the end of the track, cross the pass and continue walking on the track which resumes on the opposite side. This is the original packhorse route between Borrowdale and Buttermere. Apart from a short section, you can walk off the road all the way down the pass.

Soon the track is above Seatoller and a beautiful undulating path opens out in front of you. As you walk along there are gorgeous views of the Borrowdale valley and the towering crags of Scawdel above you. Several bridges cross the scenic gills tumbling down through rocky chasms, notably Tongue Gill and Scaleclose Gill. Take time to stop on these bridges and admire the view skywards.

The route is very simple to follow as it snakes along the side of Scawdel Fell, High Spy and Maiden Moor, eventually reaching a high point on the path looking over Derwentwater and Skiddaw. At this point you can divert right to walk to the top of Castle Crag which takes no more than half an hour.

It is all downhill now, walking beside the river to the village of Grange. There are two nice tea rooms here, one of which overlooks the river. From Grange it is 4 miles back to Keswick, walking alongside the lake. If you want to save your legs there is a bus stop just over the double hump backed bridge or you could walk an extra mile to Lodore and take the Launch back across the lake to Keswick.

A favourite walk in Borrowdale

Start from Grange by the café (not the one on the bridge, the one further up the road). At the side of the café there is a finger post sign that directs you down the lane towards Rosthwaite and Seatoller.

There is a short section on tarmac, bear to your left at the bend in the road to leave the road. This track goes down past Hollows Farm Campsite and emerges at a bend in the river. You can chose to go left or right here. I prefer to follow the river and stay on the valley floor.

Keeping the river to your left, a path winds along the valley, through woodland and an old quarry (where I once broke my ankle!). Eventually you emerge from the woods and reach a steep packhorse bridge over the river. A little further up stream are some stepping stones as an alternative but be aware, some are further apart that you think and the water is very cold!

If you are partial to a flapjack, I suggest diverting here into Rosthwaite. There is a small tearoom called the Flock Inn that serves a mouth watering selection of homemade cakes all baked by Hazel the owner. The flapjacks are AMAZING! You can also buy lamb from her own flock, reared on the fells surrounding the farm.

Back to the path, keep the river on your left till you reach the youth hosetel at Longthwaite, another place to grab a cup of tea and a slice of cake! Continue till the path becomes a rocky climb around a corner with plenty of foot holds. It is not difficult and adds excitement for children. There is a chain link bolted into the rock to hold on to – the rock is quite polished and can be slippy.

Eventually, the path passes behind the Glaramara independent youth hostel. Soon after, you need to start making your way uphill. This bit of the walk usually gets a bit squiggly as there are so many paths crisscrossing each other. If you can get on the old miners zig zag path then you will be alright. What you need to aim for is a patch of pine trees to the left. Above the pine trees is a horizontal wall with a gate. Pass through the gate and keep this wall on your right as you start to head back towards Grange. A beautiful undulating path opens out in front of you, previously a miners track between Honister and the mines of Borrowdale.

The route is very simple to follow as it snakes along the side of Scawdel Fell, High Spy and Maiden Moor. As you cross the bridges across Far Tongue Gill you can look uphill to see the remains of Rigghead quarry and the stone built banking that almost blends into the hillside. The path undulates across the hillside with superb views of the Borrowdale Valley. It reaches a high point beneath Castle Crag where there is an awesome view of Skiddaw and Derwentwater. I have a particular boulder that I like to sit on and take in the view and perhaps enjoy a flask of coffee.

The slate flagged path continues downhill past Castle Crag (it would only add on 20 minutes to climb it, well recommended). At the bottom of the hill, you walk through woodland to emerge at the bend on the river, practically back where you started. Grange is only a few minutes walk to the left with a choice of two cafes to enjoy a well earned cup of tea and slice of cake.

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Sally’s Cottages 7 St John’s Street Keswick Cumbria CA12 5AP Tel: 01768 780 571 Email: [email protected]