Trail (UK)

Lake District

CIRCULAR WALK

NY317195 Exit

1

north-west end of car park. Turn left along minor road. Cross bridge over How Beck and turn right on A591. Cross St John's Beck and turn right over ladder stile. After 10m, fork left and take higher path. Ignore turn-off to left (for High Rigg) and instead head north-east and north. Continue to Low Bridge End Farm. Pass to left of buildings. At three-way path junction, turn right through metal gate and then immediatel­y left. Pass to right of large wooden shed, go through gate and head northnorth-west through grassy fields. Turn right across Sosgill Bridge and veer right to B5322. Turn left and head north. Take extreme precaution on the busy road (or to avoid some road walking, take bridge further north via dog-legged route).

NY318219 Turn

2

sharp right on gravel track. Pass vehicle barrier, head south and then loop sharply left. Continue north into Bramcrag Quarry (disused) on wide 4x4 track. Where track loops sharply right, fork left instead on another wide track. Almost immediatel­y, veer right and then turn immediatel­y left on little trod up to grassy rake. Turn right to head south-east. Emerge to open ground with views of quarry cliffs. Ignore more obvious grassy, shelf-like path to left and instead take stony trod – passing to left of upright, rusting metal girder – ascending north-east up to wall. Go through gate onto open fellside, which is strewn with scree and boulders, and pathless. Consequent­ly pick your own line aiming north-east for prominent rowan tree (NY322222), which is growing out of a crag with a curved profile. This is beginning of Fisher’s Wife’s Rake. Ignore more obvious sheep trod traversing south-south-west at lower contour. Instead go uphill slightly and find higher trod, turning right and climbs right steeply south-south-east, passing another prominent tree and sticking to base of crags. Continue up trod, aiming for grassy notch on skyline. Ignore huge gully to left, and instead the winding trod guides you south over easier ground. At NY323220 you top out at grassy platform with superb views. From here the going is easier. A faint path zigzags uphill to reach Clough Head's upper flanks. Turn left and take intermitte­nt path north-east to Jim's Fold sheepfold. Head north-east to Clough Head.

NY333225 Take

3

grassy path south to broad col. Fork left to bypass Calfhow Pike’s craggy summit. Go through gate and loop left on path, ascending south-east and east to Great Dodd. Turn right and head south-east to large wind shelter. Veer right again and descend descending gently south-west to col. Fork right and take a grassy path to Watson’s Dodd.

NY335195 Turn

4

sharp left and head south-east to Stybarrow Dodd’s base. Ascend right, skirting high above Stanahgill Head. Confusingl­y the main path bypasses the summit, so turn left and climb south-east to small summit cairn. Turn right, rejoin main path and ascend grassy hump with cairn. Veer slightly left and descend south to Sticks Pass.

NY342181 At

5

four-way junction, turn right and descend west. Stay on path as it veers slightly right away from Sticks Gill. Descend west and north-west to reach sheepfold. Pass to right of fold and descend alongside fence. Follow path as it drops steeply north-west and west. At junction, fork right and descend closer to Stanah Gill. Arrive at in-take wall above Stybeck Farm. Turn right through gate, cross footbridge over Stanah Gill and veer left through another gate. Descend north-west, cross water channel, go through gate and loop left downhill next to barn. Beyond another gate, turn left down road. Pass few houses and arrive at B5322. Turn right on road, walk past The Lodge in the Vale and return to car park.