Moors and other high places

10:18am Friday 26th September 2008

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As I drive from Ulpha over Birker Moor I have often been intrigued by the path, high on the left, that makes large zigzags through the ubiquitous bracken up the steep slope of Brantrake Crags. Now the bracken is less aggressive and soon it will be fading and changing colour, making the ascent easier. This is a tremendous walk, rather challenging, but one that takes you through glorious deciduous woodland, up a rugged fellside, and over lonely pathless moorland. It returns through remote gentle pastures and then down a glorious gill to round off a great day. Park in the small car park near to Dalegarth Hall, grid ref 172003. To reach this, take a minor road off the A595 between Bootle and Ravenglass. If approaching from Eskdale Green, take a narrow right turn opposite the old school, just before Dalegarth Station, on the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway line.

1/ From the parking area, just beyond the bridge over the River Esk, turn left and walk on along the wide track and follow it as it bears half left to come to several signposts and waymarks. Here take a gated track, on your right, which continues on, with Dalegarth Hall and its fine round chimneys, to your right. The waymarked, gated way carries on through fine woodland. At times the path comes close to the River Esk. Ignore an elegant suspension bridge over the river and continue on to arrive at Forge Bridge and the road to the George IV Inn, from which you turn away. Walk left, soon to use the wide grassy verge on the left. Go past Forge Cottage (1750) and then, with the utmost care, walk on facing the on-coming traffic. This short stretch of road is narrow and can be busy. Then take the next right turn, Birkby Road, a very quiet narrow lane. Pass Brant Rake Cottage, and then go by Brantrake Farm. Stride on where the lane passes through woodland. Here look for a small signpost directing you acute left, to a stile.

2/ Beyond, wind round left with walled woodland on your left. In summer the path can be overgrown and at two places the path moves away from the wall, a short way uphill, to avoid wet areas. Follow the path, still beside the wall, as it moves out onto the open fell, where the path becomes clearer and drier. Watch out for a grassy trod, with a low waymarker, rising straight up the fell slope at a right angle to the wall. This soon slants left and begins your ascent of Brantrake Crags. The path is buttressed for most of the way, but when the bracken is high this is not easy to spot. Whoever put in the path made a good job of an arduous task. The path climbs steadily, slightly left, for about 500ft. It then winds round right and becomes grassy in places (but still through bracken) and climbs steadily up for another 500ft. And so the way continues, until it comes to a small piece of wall on the right. Just beyond, the path you need to take is bare red earth – the red of Eskdale’s granophyre. This soon becomes a grassy trod climbing upwards through lower growing bracken. The now easier path climbs steadily, veering a little left. Pause often as you go to enjoy magnificent views of the central Lakeland fells. The way eventually brings you to a gap in a low stone wall, close beside a solitary rowan. Go on climbing gently to reach a cairn. Just ahead is another. At the second one you look down on Brantrake Moss, a bog for most of the year.

3/ Leave the already indistinct path and begin to make your way, left, keeping above the bracken and curving round, well up the slopes, to come to a low crag overlooking Hare Gill, which you need to cross at the narrowest part you can see. In summer it is barely a stream but it does have boggy margins. Carry on up the far side of the gill and then, at the brow, curve round, right, away from the gill. With the rough moorland in front of you, look directly east for three-quarters-of-a-mile mile over the lower ground, to see a Lakeland house, High Ground, surrounded by sheltering conifers, and aim in that direction. In summer keep above the tiresome bracken and carry on until you reach a small path made by the farmer’s quad bike. Follow this gently downhill and, where it divides, take the left fork for a few steps to reach the fell road over Birker Moor.

4/ Opposite is a small waymark that directs you along a bridleway to reach the wide access track to High Ground and a signpost. Cross the track and walk ahead along a narrower track towards Birkerthwaite. Once this was a lonely farm, but now most of its outbuildings have been converted to holiday cottages. Ignore the first gate, on the left, and walk on to wind left through the outbuildings of the farm and the cottages. Follow the track as it curves slightly left and becomes grassy. Go through a gate and take the immediate gate on your right to carry on along a pleasing walled, grassy track. Pass through a meadow and stroll on, with the wall to your right. Follow the wall into a walled track, which descends to a pretty bridge over a stream just inside a small wood. Stride on through the trees to join a wide track coming in on your left.

5/ Turn right and begin to climb a little. Ignore a right turn and continue on the walled track to pass Low Ground, another remote farmhouse. Beyond the next stile, continue along the delightful way, with wonderful views ahead. Then, away to your right, look for a fine stand of mature trees and listen for the sound of Stanley Force. Look out for the narrow footpath, which leads off right and heads for a stile into the trees. Heed the notice that warns you of an unfenced sheer cliff edge overlooking the gill. Keep to the footpath through the massive trees to avoid the drop and then wind down and down on a needle-strewn path. Follow it as it winds tightly, right, round a small stream to come to a long flight of railed steps. At the foot of the steps the path winds right to join the main path through the gill.

6/ In summer you can hear but not spot the waterfall and reaching it needs care, though the approach to it, over the top bridge, has been improved. To continue from the bottom of the steps, turn left and then cross a bridge over the tumbling beck. Walk on downstream, a wonderful experience and not to be missed. When, eventually, the way levels, look for a track that swings left away from the beck and brings you to a gate onto a wide rough track. Turn right and then left to pass, on your left, the gate taken at the outset of this walk. Head on to reach the car park on your right.

Distance: 7.5 miles Time: 5 hours Terrain: The climb up the zig-zags requires lots of little breaks. The route over the high moorland is mainly pathless. The way through the woodland and past Birkerthwaite is most enjoyable.

Map: OS Explorer OL 6 NB: Restrictions on space mean that this article provides a general summary of the route. It is advisable for anyone who plans to follow the walk to take a copy of the relevant Ordnance Survey map.