The Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway

Return along the dale road, this time keeping close to Wastwater all the time, to pass the youth hostel at Wasdale Hall and, just before Strands, turn left onto the Santon Bridge road. Another left turn onto the Eskdale road leads past the entrance to the little-visited Miterdale and through Eskdale Green, which has two stations on the narrow gauge Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway.

Keep on the Eskdale road to Dalegarth, where there is a car park which enables motorists to stretch their legs with a stroll around Boot highly recommended, since there is much of interest. Don't miss the little church of St Catherine, down by the river near some stepping stones; the packhorse bridge over the Whillan Beck; or the adjacent, recently restored, woollen mill.

Above Boot the valley narrows and becomes less sylvan in character, with the rocky summit of Harter Fell prominent on the right and the first hints of the major peaks at the head of Eskdale, beyond the statesman farmhouse at Brotherilkeld, on the left. Leave the car near Brotherilkeld and walk up to the Roman fort of Hardknott, perched high above the Esk and a tremendous tribute to the determination of the Romans.

The remains, painstakingly restored, are considerable and include the walls of the fort itself and the principal buildings, together with the bathhouse some distance away to the south, and a parade ground somewhat higher up to the east. And the Scafell range, Esk Pike and Bowfell form an effective background at the head of the Esk valley.

Dunnerdale and Hardknott Pass

The final dale, Dunnerdale, can be reached across Hardknott Pass, but those who are deterred by the extraordinary gradients and hairpin bends will return down Eskdale until, a little beyond Boot, a left turn can be made onto the narrow road which leads over Birker Fell to Ulpha in the Duddon valley (Dunnerdale).

A track on the right can be followed to the remote tarn of Devoke Water, but attractive though this is the panorama to the left is even more dramatic, with the highest land in England seen in perfect perspective across Eskdale. Beyond Crosbythwaite the road drops steeply down into Ulpha, with its typical dale chapel.

Seathwaite the Lake District

A little further up Dunnerdale is Seathwaite, a tiny hamlet but the centre of dale life. It is well worth exploring here, with stepping stones across the Duddon and the rocky buttresses of Wallabarrow Crag and Low Crag amongst the attractions. Higher still, as the dale scenery becomes more bleak and the shapely peak of Bowfell asserts itself on the horizon, the magnificent high arched packhorse bridge of Birks Bridge crosses the Duddon, which at this point is trapped in a particularly attractive gorge, with sheer rock above deep green pools of clear water a fitting climax to an exploration of the western dales. 5. Easy walks in the Lake District

We all like to think of ourselves as modern day Alfred Wainwrights when it comes to walking in the Lake District, but some of the easy walks are much better suited to visitors who come to the region once a year.

The vast majority of those who come to walk in the Lake District and the appalling state of some of the main routes shows that there are many of them aim to conquer at least some of the major peaks. But walkers who confine themselves to these popular, and often crowded, high fells, such as Helvellyn, Skiddaw and the Langdale Pikes, are robbing themselves of a wealth of interest and enjoyment. The Lake District's valleys and less exalted fells are not just the preserve of the very young and the very old, or to be regarded as worthy of exploration only on days when weather conditions put the high fells out of bounds for the majority: they have their own character and attractions.

There are, indeed, some quite outstanding walks in the dales and amongst the lower fells, often following ancient routes or using paths which offer magnificent views of the main mountain groups. In this chapter I have divided the walks into four types: those around the lakes, those which explore the dales, those which traverse the many lowlevel passes which connect adjacent dales, and finally a selection of those which conquer some of the lesser-known lower fells.

Famous lakeside walks

Some of the best low-level walks are those which follow the shores of the major lakes (either completely around the lake or, in the case of the larger lakes, for a convenient section of the circuit); they have the dual attractions of marvellous views close at hand, sometimes linked to boating activity too, and outstanding panoramas of mountain systems hemming in the dalehead. Not all of the lakes can provide a satisfying circular tour, however. The shores of Wast water, for example, are too close to the valley road on one side, too hemmed in by the dangerously loose, steep slopes of The Screes on the other. But the examples I have chosen, whilst they might be said to represent the cream of the available routes, by no means exhaust the possibilities for shoreline walking.

Buttermere walks

Amongst these lakeside walks the first to spring to mind for many people would probably be that around Buttermere, set in one of the most romantically scenic of Lakeland dales. Starting at the village, the route lies past the Fish Inn and across the flat meadows which now divide Buttermere and Crummock Water; in earlier times these meadows, too, were under water, and the two lakes were joined together as one. Below the ravine of Sour Milk Gill, recently scoured out afresh by a savage winter landslide, the lakeside path keeps to a good track which bears left through the trees, keeping a little above the lake. There are increasingly fine views of the head of the lake and the spine of Fleetwith Pike at the dalehead.

Wasdale Head and Ennerdale walks

Below High Crag the old track from Wasdale Head and Ennerdale, coming down from the Scarth Gap Pass, joins in from the right, and the path now crosses the lake flats to the farm at Gatesgarth. The lowlying land here was all once part of a much larger lake. A little road walking follows now, though it is by no means dull, for there are splendid views across the lake to Haystacks, one of the most delectable of the lower fells in the Lake District, with its succession of summit tarns, and to the High Stile range. Soon the lakeside footpath can be rejoined and followed through fields which can be thick with buttercups at times to the tiny cluster of farms, cottages and hotels which makes up the popular village of Buttermere.

Derwentwater walks

A more exacting circular tour follows the shores of Derwentwater though perhaps it is best if two segments of the circle, along the busy valley road from Grange to Friar's Crag, and from the landing stages around Keswick as far as Portinscale, are omitted. The first walk, from the landing stages south to Friar's Crag, is short but delectable, past Cockshot Wood and along the lake shore opposite the equally wellwooded Derwent Isle. Friar's Crag is, of course, one of the most famous beauty spots of the Lake District, easily accessible from Keswick and blessed with one of the best overall views of Derwentwater, with the jutting summit ridge of Causey Pike prominent across the lake.

The second Derwentwater walk, along the western side of the lake, is much longer, from Portinscale to Derwent Bank and then through the gardens of Ling holm, renowned for their rhododendrons and azaleas, to Copperheap Bay, the point from which the ore won from the mines at Goldscope and Dale Head was once shipped across Derwentwater to the smelter at Brigham, near Keswick. The path then runs below Hawse End, where the popular and very easy walk along the Catbells ridge begins, before plunging back into the woods of Brandlehow Park, the first acquisition of the fledgling National Trust.

Brandlehow Lead Mine

A delightful feature here is the profusion of little rocky bays with white shingle beaches:The walk then passes the remains of the Brandlehow lead mine, the largest and oldest of Borrowdale's lead mines, and skirts Manesty Park - the island in Abbot's Bay is called Otter Island before finally reaching Grange-in-Borrowdale, best known for its double bridge across the Derwent, by path and the stonewalled Field Lane. As its name implies, the village was once the site of a monastic 'grange', built by the monks of Furness Abbey to control their land in Borrowdale.

Ullswater walks

The third of the lakeside examples is the classic walk along the shores of Ullswater from Howtown to Patterdale. For much of the way the walk traverses the lower slopes of Place Fell, itself an attractive destination for a short excursion, with an unparalleled view of the upper reaches of Ullswater and the surrounding peaks. Regarded by many as the best low-level walk in the district, the lakeside stroll is distinguished by a series of intimate views along the upper reaches of Ullswater, from Howtown Bay to the head of the lake, and into the craggy recesses of the dalehead peaks, whilst itself traversing rocky country which gives the feel of a real expedition. The journey through the woods on the lower slopes of Hallin Fell, from the boat landing at Howtown past Kailpot Crag to Sandwick is especially memorable. And the best way back to Howtown is by ferry from the landing stage at Glenridding Pier, a memorable way of reviewing the highlights of the walk which has just been completed.

Tarn Hows walks

Tam Hows is the final destination in this section; not one of the major lakes at all, it is nevertheless eminently worthy of inclusion because of the very pleasant nature of the immediate scenery (best viewed out of season, for it is enormously popular despite rather haphazard signposting from some directions) and the outstanding views to some of the high fells, in particular the Helvellyn range and the Langdale Pikes. The tam, though, is an artificial addition to the landscape, created in the nineteenth century by damming a small stream and flooding an area of swampy and low-lying ground. Nowadays it is in the care of the National Trust, and good work has been done in controlling erosion and providing pleasant lakeside paths.