Things to Do
Things to do in our local area.
Walking
Orrest Head
The start is the Tourist Office by Windermere Railway station. Cross the A591 and turn left towards Ambleside.
Turn right into Tuchwud (just before the green metal railings) and bear left to reach a ‘Footpath to Orrest Head’ sign with an arrow pointing the way. Follow the lane up through trees to pass a farm. Shortly after take the right-hand path (with wall on your right) and continue to a cross wall. Turn right into a fenced lane and after 200 me-tres turn left through a kissing gate which gives access via steps to the summit of Orrest Head.
At this point, you can either turn around and come back down the way you came. Or, if you would prefer a long-er walk, follow the further directions below.
To continue, head north on a twisting descending path to a wall junction. Continue straight ahead, ignoring the path to the left. Maintain direction for 600 metres on a distinct path which roughly parallels the wall to your left. This path leads to a metal gate and a lane.
Turn right along the lane and continue to the first footpath on the left signed to ‘Far Orrest’. Cross the stile and follow the path which curves around Near Orrest Farm on your right. The path then heads to the right-hand end of a bank of trees before heading straight across a field. Continue for 200 metres with the wall on your right be-fore crossing another field aiming for the trees on the other side. Continue through the next field with the wall on your left to reach a track with Far Orrest Farm on your left. Keep the farm buildings on your left, ignore the path left and keep ahead to join a walled track. This leads north passing Allen Knott on your right. The route continues north through a gate and across a field to reach Moorhouse Road.
Turn left along Moorhouse Road. Ahead you have views to Lake Windermere. Where the road forks, take the smaller lane to the left (Dodd’s Lane). The lane descends quite steeply. Turn left onto a driveway just before a green salt hopper (waymark on the wall to your left). Continue past some houses on your left and where the driveway forks, bear left. Follow the drive to reach Far Orrest Farm. Follow the waymarks through the farm and head following a farm track alongside a wall on your left. This track is easy to follow and after 800 metres you reach a lane by Crosses Farm.
Turn left and you soon reach a kissing gate and footpath sign on the right. Take this path into the woods. On leav-ing the woods bears left alongside a wall (on your left) to reach a wall. From here proceed half right across the field to the far-right hand corner where you join a track at Elleray Bank. Take the right-hand track and continue to a T-junction. Turn left and follow the lane back to the start.
Ferry to Claife View then to Wray Castle
Board the car ferry from Bowness, when you have got to the other side of the lake it is just a four-minute walk to Claife Viewing Station.
From the entrance to Claife Viewing Station head north on the road along the shore of Lake Windermere signed for Bank Barn / Wray Castle. The initial part of the trail has open views across Windermere, its islands and the distant summits of Ill Bell and Frostwick. After a short while you’ll pass over a cattle grid where the road turns into a wide gravel track. The trail leaves behind the open views across Windermere and enters mature woodland. On reaching Bank Barn, ignore the track left signed to Hawkshead and continue on towards Red Nab. You will soon arrive at Red Nab car park. Ignore the road running uphill and head on through the car park and along the lakeshore. You’ll eventually reach a small bay with a couple of boathouses and you’ll pass through a gate where the trail turns to the left. Head on uphill signed towards Wray Church. Just past the church you will reach a road. Turn right and then right again through the entrance gates to Wray Castle. Continue along the driveway to the castle. After resting for a while at Wray Castle, turn around and retrace your route back to your start point at Claife Viewing Station.
Loughrigg Fellfrom White Moss Car Park
From the car park, follow the path past the toilet block and bear left to the river.
Follow the river bank to the footbridge. Cross, and at the other side take the path straight ahead signposted to “Loughrigg Terrace”. Follow this wide path through White Moss Wood, and at the end zigzag up to the gate and go through onto the bridleway. Go through the gate, and cross the track onto the permissive path to Rydal Cave directly ahead. Follow the wide path around as it traverses the fell side.
Facing the cave entrance take the path climbing up on the left hand side of the cave. Above the cave there are views to the cascades near right and continue climbing. In summer bracken encroaches on the path but it is reasonably well marked and used. Skirt boggy area of Scartufts on its right hand side and climb between knolls ahead on the path. Turn right at the top of the rise, and then rounding a knoll bear left on a terrace path. At the top of this rise the trig point comes into view just a little way ahead. Continue to the trig point at the summit.
From the summit bear right, roughly north, to find the top of the path coming up from Loughrigg Terrace. The notch of Dunmail Raise is almost in line with the path and a handy indicator. Follow the path as it drops quite steeply. The occasional stone pitching is sometimes a little sloped the wrong way and gets slippery in wet conditions. Cross a couple of boggy ‘false summits’ and drop down to Loughrigg Terrace. Reaching the terrace turn right to traverse the fellside on this airy path above Grasmere. At the far end of the terrace bear right to drop back down to the gate at the top of White Moss Wood. Go through the gate and continue down to the footbridge. Cross and bear right to return to the main car park.
From our Doorstep – 10.7km
Starting from the Brown Horse Inn, the walk follows paths and tracks round the ridge of Hawkearth Bank before crossing the River Winster at a ford.
The river is followed upstream then a path takes you over more open ground with bracken and stony out-crops to the small Podnet Tarn on the Birkett Houses Allotments to reach the Ghyll Head Reservoir. A path leads away through woodland to reach the viewpoint of Rosthwaite Heights where Lake Windermere, the woods of Claife Heights and Belle Isle can be seen. The route continues to meander between remote cottages and farms near Storrs, before arriving back at the River Winster where an ancient clapper bridge is crossed.
Wansfell Pike – 10.7km
The walk starts outside the Tourist Information centre/Post Office in Ambleside. Head south east following the one way system and as the road swings around to the right continue forward down a narrow lane signposted “toilets”.
As you reach the toilets a sign on the wall in front of you declares “To the Waterfalls”, pointing left, and a sign on the wall to your left says “Stockghyll” and “Wansfell Pike”. Bear left to follow the lane up the hill and then round to the right. Stockghyll is now on your left, in 500m bear left for the entrance to Stockghyll Woods.
Follow the path keeping the beck on your left, and follow the red arrow marker posts. Nearing the top, before the bridge, bear right at the picnic bench and sign to the revolving gate.Go through the gate and out onto the road. Turn left and carry on up the hill. Cross the cattle grid.
In 250m climb up the stone steps on your right to the stile with dog gate. It is signposted “Footpath to Troutbeck via Wansfell Pike”. Follow the path beyond up beside the beck to the gate at the top of the field. Go through and bear left to the bottom of the stone pitch path climbing the fellside.
Go through the gate and bear left onto the stone pitched path. It zigzags steeply at times up the bracken covered hillside.
Cross the beck by the wooden footbridge.
Continue following the stone pitched path, go through the gap in the wall, to the large cairn at the junction below the Pike. Bear left to continue on the path. Reaching what appears to the rocky top go through the gate in the fence to the actual top of Wansfell Pike.
Cross over the summit area and follow the path the other side bearing slightly left. This rough path is easily fol-lowed through the maze of hummocks, an occasional boggy patch has stepping stones, there’s even a footbridge over a small beck. Reaching the wall go through the gate and continue straight ahead. At the next gate, go through into the lane and turn right. This is Nanny Lane, follow it all the way down to the road at Troutbeck.
Reaching the road turn right, walk through the village, past three wells: Margaret’s, St James’, and St John’s.At the Post Office, which also does refreshments, bear right into Robin Lane. Climb up past the cottages on the tar-mac lane, and continue on when the tarmac finishes leaving a rough stone track.Passing a pillar on the sky line continue on another 150m and at the signpost to “Ambleside”, bear left through the gate.Descend on the track along the edge of the field, across a couple of small fords.Follow the path as it swings left, descends above a nar-row ravine and drops to the gate on the High Skelghyll Farm driveway.Turn right, cross the cattle grid and up to the farm. Go into the farmyard and bear right to the gate. There is a small bridleway marker on the gate. Go through the gate, to the next gate and go through, bear left to keep on the path.Continue to the gate into Skelghyll woods.
Keep on the track through the woods and drop down to cross Stenkin Beck by the stone arch bridge. Bear left to drop alongside the beck a short way, past the massive Douglas Fir, and then swing right to stay on the track. Keep on the track, past the private entrance to Skelghyll Woods, after a while the lane becomes tarmacked. Con-tinue on down to Ambleside. At the road junction, bear right and climb slightly up keeping parallel to the main road. Dropping down back down to the main road opposite the shops bear right and return to the town centre and Tourist Information Centre/ Post Office.
Brant Fell from The Brown Horse/Bowness
From Bowness 2.1 miles, from The Brown Horse, 7.7 Miles.
If you are leaving from The Brown Horse, follow the main road (A5074) all the way taking no little turn so offs, keeping walking until you reach the restaurant called The Arts Bar it’s a purple building on a right hand corner.
From there turn right up Brant Fell Road, it’s quite steep but once you reach the end of the road you will reach an iron gate, head through the gate and continue up. You will then see a wooden kissing gate and a wooden sign, go through the gate and follow the sign pointing right ‘Brant Fell’.
Turn right, following the rough path through the woodland, the path curves round to the left and until you reach another gate. Head through here, where you will reach the view point at ‘Post Knott’, keeping following the path along through yet another kissing gate, this is where you will then see the walk up to the top of Brant Fell. Walk up which ever way is best suitable for you there are some longer less steep routes, or you can head straight up aiming for the large rocks at the top.
Once you have enjoyed the view, simply retrace your footsteps back down.
Winster Walkabout
Enjoy a Winster walkabout from your pod door, follow the link to download your directions and map.
Outdoor Activities
Golf
Why not add a round of golf to your stay, pre-book advised.
4 X 4 Driving
Both Graythwaite adventures or Kanku offer off-roading experiences, for fun activity all year round or more of a challenge in winter!
Grizedale Forest
Bike hire is provided if you don’t have your own, with a net work of forest tracks, for all levels of mountain biking. Or if you prefer a tree-top adventure Go-ape will be sure to have you swinging around the trees.
Alpaca Walking
Enjoy the views over Kendal and the Lake District fells with your own alpaca friend. The walk is over The Hel, to the south of Kendal, a public access hill with stunning 360 panoramic views. Trekking is offered throughout the year, providing its dry (alpacas don’t like the rain!).
Electric Bike Hire
High quality, comfortable Electric Bikes for Hire delivered to us to await your arrival at The Brown Horse Inn.
Cycle through the natural beauty of the Lake District and Cumbria, visit local attractions, cafes, shops, restaurants and participate in other leisure activities along the way.
Clay Pigeon Shooting
Why not try a taste of the countryside with the pursuit of clay Pigeon shooting, often located a short drive away in the Lyth Valley, contact Michael Coates to book.
Windermere Lake Cruises
Offer tours to take you to all points of interest on the lake. Their self-drive electric boats to hire are great fun for families, so pre booking is advisable. In summer their connections for the walk on the northwest shore of the lake, between Wray Castle and the Passenger Ferry, are particularly useful. They also offer the shuttle from Bowness with the Mountain Goat bus service to Beatrix Potter’s home at Hill Top. Or take a trip over the scenic Kirkstone Pass to Glenridding, and a cruise on Ullswater, with Ullswater Steamers’ heritage vehicles. These run between Glenridding and Pooley Bridge, with a smaller jetty at the most famous waterfall in the lake District – Aira Force.
Rainy Day Activities
Lakeland Motor Museum
With 30,000 exhibits of Vintage, obscure and record breaking vehicles, you will find great examples of motors everywhere you look, there’s plenty to keep you busy while the rain passes.
Blackwell House
An architectural gem offering a snapshot of 20th century living. Designed by noted architect Mackay High Baillie Scott, the grade 1 listed historic house is one of the UK’s finest examples of Arts and crafts architecture.
Windermere Jetty Museum of Boats & Steamers
Learn the history of Lake Windermere, the boats, the steamers and the speed record attempts. Set in the recently built £20 million museum on the side of the lake you can take in the history and enjoy the café.
Lakes Aquarium
If you haven’t been lucky enough to see an otter in the many rivers and Lakes of the Lake District, then the Lakes Aquarium will allow you to a glimpse of the cutest residents.