WALKING THE TOUR OF THE LAKE DISTRICT A NINE-DAY CIRCUIT OF CUMBRIA’S FELLS, VALLEYS AND LAKES by Lesley Williams JUNIPER HOUSE, MURLEY MOSS, OXENHOLME ROAD, KENDAL, CUMBRIA LA9 7RL www.cicerone.co.uk © Lesley Williams 2021 Second edition 2021 CONTENTS ISBN: 978 1 78631 049 1 First edition 2007 Map key ...................................................... 4 Route summary table ............................................ 6 Printed in China on responsibly sourced paper on behalf of Latitude Press Ltd Alternative schedules ............................................ 7 A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. Acknowledgements ............................................. 8 All photographs are by the author unless otherwise stated. Preface ....................................................... 9 © Crown copyright 2021 OS PU100012932 INTRODUCTION ............................................. 11 Landscape and geology ......................................... 12 Plants and wildlife ............................................. 14 Farming ..................................................... 16 History and culture ............................................. 17 The Tour of the Lake District ...................................... 18 Updates to this Guide Planning your Tour ............................................. 20 While every effort is made by our authors to ensure the accuracy of When to go .................................................. 21 guidebooks as they go to print, changes can occur during the lifetime of How to get there ............................................... 22 an edition. This guidebook was researched and written before and dur- Local transport ................................................ 22 ing the COVID-19 pandemic. While we are not aware of any significant Accommodation ............................................... 24 changes to routes or facilities at the time of printing, it is likely that the Equipment ................................................... 25 pandemic will give rise to more changes than would usually be expected. Maps and apps ................................................ 26 Any updates that we know of for this guide will be on the Cicerone web- Navigation and safety ........................................... 27 site (www.cicerone.co.uk/1049/updates), so please check before planning Using this guide ............................................... 29 your trip. We also advise that you check information about such things as transport, accommodation and shops locally. Even rights of way can be THE TOUR OF THE LAKE DISTRICT ................................ 31 altered over time. Prologue Windermere to Ambleside ............................... 32 We are always grateful for information about any discrepancies Stage 1 Ambleside to Coniston ................................. 36 between a guidebook and the facts on the ground, sent by email to Stage 2 Coniston to Eskdale .................................... 44 [email protected] or by post to Cicerone, Juniper House, Murley Stage 2A Coniston to Eskdale: high-level route ...................... 52 Moss, Oxenholme Road, Kendal, LA9 7RL. Stage 3 Eskdale to Wasdale .................................... 61 Register your book: To sign up to receive free updates, special offers Stage 3A Eskdale to Wasdale: high-level route ....................... 68 and GPX files where available, register your book at www.cicerone.co.uk. Stage 4 Wasdale to Buttermere ................................. 74 Stage 4A Wasdale to Buttermere: high-level route .................... 79 Stage 5 Buttermere to Keswick .................................. 86 Stage 5A Buttermere to Keswick: high-level route .................... 92 Stage 6 Keswick to Rosthwaite ................................. 100 Stage 7 Rosthwaite to Grasmere ............................... 107 Front cover: The descent to Buttermere (Stage 4) Stage 8 Grasmere to Patterdale ................................ 113  WALKING THE TOUR OF THE LAKE DISTRICT Stage 8A Grasmere to Patterdale: high-level route ................... 119 Stage 9 Patterdale to Ambleside ................................ 127 Mountain safety Appendix A Useful contacts ................................... 136 Every mountain walk has its dangers, and those described in this Appendix B Accommodation .................................. 139 guidebook are no exception. All who walk or climb in the mountains should Appendix C Facilities table .................................... 142 recognise this and take responsibility for themselves and their companions Appendix D Place names ..................................... 145 along the way. The author and publisher have made every eort to ensure that Appendix E Further reading and resources ........................ 147 the information contained in this guide was correct when it went to press, but, except for any liability that cannot be excluded by law, they cannot accept responsibility for any loss, injury or inconvenience sustained by any person using this book. Route symbols on OS map extracts Features on the overview map International distress signal (emergency only) (for OS legend see printed OS maps) Six blasts on a whistle (and flashes with a torch after dark) spaced evenly for one minute, followed by a minute’s pause. Repeat until an answer is received. The route route response is three signals per minute followed by a minute’s pause. alternative route higher-level route Helicopter rescue start point alternative route The following signals are used to communicate with a helicopter: finish point start point for stages route direction Help needed: Help not needed: SCALE: 1:50,000 raise both arms raise one arm 0 kilometres 0.5 1 above head to above head, extend 0 miles 0.5 form a ‘Y’ other arm downward GPX files for all routes can be downloaded free at www.cicerone.co.uk/1049/GPX. Emergency telephone numbers Dial 999 or 112 and ask for 'Cumbria Police' then 'Mountain Rescue' For the emergency SMS service, text 999 and send 'Police' + details of incident + location Weather reports www.lakedistrictweatherline.co.uk www.metoce.gov.uk www.mwis.org.uk 4 5 WALKING THE TOUR OF THE LAKE DISTRICT Alternative schedules *B = Buttermere *WH = Wasdale Head Kms from Ambleside Kms from 13 days plus 9 days plus 7 days plus Ambleside prologue prologue prologue Windermere 10 Prologue Prologue 32 36 44 Prologue 52 61 68 74 79 86 92 100 107 113 119 127 Page 5 10.5 10.5km 10.5km 10.5km 2hr 45min 2hr 45min 2hr 45min Ambleside 0 Ambleside to 5 Elterwater Ambleside Ambleside 8.8 8.8km 2hr 30min Elterwater to to 10 Coniston Coniston Elterwater to 20km 20km Coniston 6hr 6hr 15 20 11.2km 3hr 30min Coniston 20 6hr 8hr 5hr 7hr 5hr 5hr 4hr Time 9 days Coniston to 9–10 days 2hr 45min 6hr 30min 6hr 30min 25 29 Seathwaite Coniston Coniston 6hr–6hr 30min 4hr 30min–5hr 9km 3hr 15min to to 6hr or 30min Seathwaite 5–6hr or 4hr 15min 30 Seathwaite to Eskdale Eskdale (camping) Eskdale 18km 18km 35 38 9km 2hr 45min– 6hr–6hr 30min 6hr–6hr 30min 5hr–5hr 30min or 6–6hr Doctor Bridge, 3hr 15min Eskdale 40 Eskdale to Nether Wasdale (48.7) Eskdale to 45 10.7km Eskdale 3hr 20min Wasdale Head 400m 610m 855m 460m 970m 750m 515m 560m 600m 530m 840m to 1190m 1110m 1050m 1020m 7950m 5720m Nether Wasdale 18km Descent 50 Nether Wasdale to 5hr–5hr 30min Black Sail 56 Wasdale Head 24km 9.3km 2hr 10min 7hr 45min Wasdale Head 55 WH to Black Sail 350m 610m 865m 470m 980m 780m 490m 560m 62 580m 610m 750m Wasdale Head Ascent 60 1200m 1150m 1020m 1100m 5720m 6km 2hr 45min 7950m to Buttermere Black Sail Black Sail to B 12km 65 68 4hr 30min–5hr Buttermere 6km 2hr Black Sail 70 to Buttermere to Buttermere to Keswick 75 84 Keswick Keswick 22km 16km 16km 7hr 80 5hr 5hr Keswick 85 Keswick Keswick Keswick ROUTE SUMMARY TABLE 90 to to to 99.5 Rosthwaite Rosthwaite Rosthwaite 95 15.5km 15.5km 15.5km 5hr 5hr 5hr Rosthwaite 100 Rosthwaite Rosthwaite 10.5km (6½ miles) Distance 20km (12½ miles) 18km (11 miles) 22km (13¾ miles) 18km (11 miles) or 20km (12½ 17km (10½ miles) 12km (7½ miles) 16.5km (10 miles) 16km (10 miles) 17.5km (11 miles) 15.5km (9½ miles) 14km (8 miles) 13km (8 miles) 16km (10 miles) or 19.5km (12 18km (11 miles) or 15km (9½ 144.5km (90 miles) 156.5km (97 miles) 105 to Grasmere to Grasmere 113.5 14km 14km 110 5hr 5hr Rosthwaite Grasmere to 115 Patterdale Grasmere Grasmere 27km 120 9hr 126.5 to Patterdale to Patterdale 13km 13km 125 4hr 4hr Windermere Start Ambleside Coniston Coniston Eskdale Eskdale Wasdale Head Wasdale Wasdale Head Wasdale Buttermere Buttermere Keswick Rosthwaite Grasmere Grasmere Patterdale Patterdale 130 Patterdale Patterdale Patterdale to to to 135 144.5 Ambleside Ambleside Ambleside 18km 18km 18km 140 Prologue Stage Stage 1 Stage 2 Stage 2A Stage 3 Stage 3A Stage 4 Stage 4A Stage 5 Stage 5A Stage 6 Stage 7 Stage 8 Stage 8A Stage 9 Total (main route, (main route, Total prologue) excluding Total (using high-level (using high-level Total alternatives) 5–6hr 5–6hr 5–6hr 6 Ambleside 145  WALKING THE TOUR OF THE LAKE DISTRICT Acknowledgements PREFACE The concept of a circular trek around the Lake District was first thought of by Jim Reid while working as a local youth hostel warden. Jim spent two happy years researching and writing the first Tour of the Lake District guidebook which was published by Cicerone in 2007. With other com- mitments filling his life, his original book was in need of a fresh approach. The basic framework for the lower-level main route remains similar for most of the stages, any