A guidebook to 30 lower-level day walks in the Lake District, exploring some of the best beauty spots and smaller fells within the national park. Mostly circular except for a few linear routes that make use of public transport links, the walks are graded according to difficulty, ensuring there is something for all levels of fitness and experience.

The walks range from 7 to 17km (4–10 miles) in length and can be walked in between 2 and 6 hours. They are arranged geographically into five areas: South, Central, North and Eastern Lakes, and the Western Valleys. 

• 1:50,000 OS maps reproduced at 1:40,000 for greater clarity
• GPX files available to download
• Detailed information on terrain, refreshments and public transport for each walk
• Information given on local history and archaeology
• Easy access from Kendal, Penrith and Keswick

Introduction    
Geology    
Wildlife and habitats    
History    
Weather    
Where to stay  
Getting around    
Waymarking and access    
Maps    
Dogs    
Clothing, equipment and safety    
Using this guide   

SOUTH LAKES: WINDERMERE, CONISTON, DUDDON AND THE SOUTH
Walk 1    Tarn Hows and the Monk Coniston estate    
Walk 2    Kelly Hall Tarn and Coniston Water    
Walk 3    In search of Skeggles Water 
Walk 4    Claife Heights, Windermere and Latterbarrow    
Walk 5    Hampsfell    
Walk 6    Seathwaite Tarn    
 

CENTRAL LAKES: AMBLESIDE, LANGDALE, GRASMERE AND THIRLMERE 
Walk 7    Elterwater, Little Langdale and the waterfalls    
Walk 8    Great Langdale    
Walk 9    Circuit of Loughrigg Fell    
Walk 10  Orrest Head and Wansfell Pike    
Walk 11   Grasmere and Rydal Water    
Walk 12   Easedale Tarn and Tarn Crag    
Walk 13   Great How and Thirlmere shore

WESTERN VALLEYS: ESKDALE, WASDALE AND BUTTERMERE AREA   
Walk 14    Stanley Ghyll Force and River Esk   
Walk 15    Upper Eskdale   
Walk 16    Hardknott Fort and Harter Fell   
Walk 17    Loweswater Corpse Road    
Walk 18    Buttermere   
Walk 19    Crummock Water and Rannerdale Knotts 

NORTHERN LAKE DISTRICT: KESWICK, BORROWDALE AND DERWENT WATER
Walk 20    Walla Crag and Great Wood   
Walk 21    Derwentwater circuit    
Walk 22    A Borrowdale ramble    
Walk 23    Castlerigg Stone Circle and High Rigg    
Walk 24    Outerside and Barrow    
Walk 25    Wythop’s Fells   

EAST LAKE DISTRICT: ULLSWATER AND PATTERDALE   
Walk 26    Grisedale and Lanty’s Tarn    
Walk 27    Aira Force and Gowbarrow    
Walk 28    Steel Knotts and Hallin Fell  
Walk 29    Ullswater shore   
Walk 30    Ullswater and The Cockpit    

Appendix A    Route summary table    
Appendix B    Useful contacts    
 

Seasons

All year – each season holds its own delights, but there's a chance of encountering snow from December to March

Centres

Coniston, Hawkshead, Grange-over-Sands, Grasmere, Ambleside, Elterwater, Windermere, Boot, Buttermere, Loweswater, Keswick, Braithwaite, Glenridding, Patterdale, Pooley Bridge

Difficulty

Routes range from 7 to 17km and are suitable for walkers of all abilities. Each route is illustrated with OS map extracts and present no technical difficulties over terrain from wide constructed trails to narrow paths on open fell. Most of the walks easy to follow on the ground, although a few include short stretches of boggy moorland.

Must See

Borrowdale's ancient woodland; beauty spots such as Tarn Hows and Orrest Head; tranquil lakeshore walks beside Ullswater, Windermere, Grasmere and Crummock Water; spectacular waterfalls including Aira Force; Hardknott Roman Fort and stone circles; breathtaking views from Wansfell Pike, Latterbarrow and Hallin Fell

The map extracts used in this book are from the Ordnance Survey’s 1:50,000 Landranger series. They are meant as a guide only and walkers are advised to purchase the relevant map(s) – and know how to navigate using them. The whole area is covered by sheets 89, 90, 96 and 97. The OS 1:25,000 Explorer series provides greater detail, showing field boundaries as well as access land. To complete all the walks in this guide using Explorer maps, you’ll need sheets OL4, OL5, OL6 and OL7.
Harvey publishes an excellent series of Superwalker maps at the 1:25,000 scale. Its six Lakeland maps cover most of the Lake District National Park.
 

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