This walk takes you beside Goat’s Water before climbing steadily to the summit of Dow Crag (2,555 feet). The descent is made quite gently over its subsidiary tops of Buck Pike and Brown Pike to join Walna Scar pass now a better highway for walkers.

Park at Torver, either in the yard beside the church hall (£2 honesty box), grid reference 285943, or at the beginning of the narrow road, grid reference 286946, leading up towards Crook Farm. The latter avoids walking, right, along the busy narrow walled road for a short distance to reach the left turn. There are two laybys on the other side of the road, beyond the bridge over Torver Beck, but these are occasionally taken up by other vehicles.

Information

Distance: 7 miles

Time: 3 - 4 hours

Terrain: Good tracks and paths. Paths through or over rocks

Map: OS Explorer OL6 Dow Crag

1 Turn right out of the car park at the church and walk with care for a short distance along the narrow walled road to take the first left turn. Ascend the quiet way and wind left with it and then, right, to carry on out into the pleasing countryside. The way continues, climbing steadily, dropping a little occasionally, sometimes walled on both sides, and always with a fine view of Dow Crag the Old Man of Coniston. After just over a mile from the start, bear half right through a small gated gathering area for sheep and on along the track as it climbs between two huge waste heaps.

2 At the top of the slope, follow the track as it winds a little right and then continues upwards to come beside the newly fenced disused Banishead quarry. Pause here to see this lovely hollow, with the waterfall tumbling wildly into the water filled bottom, the sheer sides of which are clothed with rich vegetation.

3 Carry on up the way to reach Walna Scar Road, a heavily reinforced track and cross it to pick up a path leading ahead into the Cove. The way is fairly easy at first and then it moves in between and over rocks, climbing before descending to the side of side Goat’s Water, shadowed by the great buttresses of Dow Crag. After a pause in this dramatic corner, climb the continuing slope to the ridge, Goat’s Hause, and turn left.

4 Follow the straightforward path with some easy scrambling, which brings you to the delectable summit: A. Wainwright describes it as a ‘fang of naked stone elevated high above the tremendous precipice.’ If this is too formidable some walkers take one of the several little paths through the rocky top and keep on to walk the path to Buck Crag, and then on to Brown Pike, a pleasing airy walk. The descent to Walna Scar road is quite steep but once down turn left to walk towards Cove Bridge.

5 After nearly a mile and before the bridge take a gate on the right. Walk ahead to go through a wall and then pass between two huge quarry hollows, the one to the left where you paused on the way up to see the waterfall which is now out of sight. Descend the slope and walk a narrow path through high-sided quarry waste to emerge onto a pasture. Continue down to wind around the foot of a hill of slate waste and on through a gap at the left end of a wall to reach a path. Follow this to a gate into the fenced gathering area for sheep. Beyond a gate ahead join the track walked on your way up. Cross the bridge over the beck and carry on the fine walled way to reach several cottages. Wind sharp left with the track and then right to descend to the road to Coniston and to where you have parked.

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.