This is a quiet walk through pleasing countryside above Broughton. It makes use of the old railway track together with wheelchairs users and cyclists. Enjoy the large lake where there is always something enjoy and wonderful reflections on most days.

Park in Broughton Square, grid reference 213876

Information

Distance: 4.5 miles

Time: 2.5 hours

Terrain: tracks, paths, and quiet lanes

Map: OS Explorer OL 6

Route

1 Leave Broughton Square by the north-eastern corner. Pass the toilets. Beyond, wind around right and walk the rough way to join the old railway track by taking the second left. Once you have passed under an old railway bridge, take the left branch leading to a seat overlooking the largest of the two lakes. Look for dragonflies flitting over the water, fish leaping and ducks heading in a line from overhanging bushes on the opposite bank. Walk on the lovely way to a locked gate at its end. Before it, descend right on a continuing path to the Five-arches road, alas no five arched-bridge today.

2 Turn left and stroll the road to where it makes a sharp left bend. Here take a signposted track, right, and stride the pleasing way with fine views over pastures and the hills beyond. Go through a very narrow squeeze stile and keep ahead over the next pasture to enter fine Buttstead Wood where coppicing took place in the last century. Carry on through the trees and beyond until you can pass through a gate onto a narrow road. Continue ahead between a barn conversion, a house and cottage.

3 A few steps on, turn left up a long unsigned track towards High Rosthwaite farm. Wind left after the house and then right to go between barns and on through a gate into pasture. Keep beside the wall on the right for a short way and then follow the indistinct grassy way as winds gently, half-left, across a pasture to a gate onto a narrow road. Walk left, climbing steadily.

4 At a junction of roads and an obvious red post box in the wall ahead, take the lane going off left. Walk the pleasant way until you reach a house, Hen Croft, on the left, which stands at the point where the lane turns right. Bear left at a gate beyond the house and look for a waymarked gate ahead. Once through turn right and walk a little path towards a wall and a gate. Wind left before them and go through the tunnel under the old railway track to reach the road. Turn left to walk ‘back on yourself’ for a short way to the gate, set back, now on your right, which you used to emerge from Buttstead Wood. Stroll through the wood once more and at the road, continue slightly left and then ahead.

5 Go past the exit gate from the railway track and walk on along Five Arches road, past the farm on the right. Continue until you reach woodland on the right. A short way along take the wide track on the right. This is sometimes muddy in two places. Climb the track to reach an indistinct grassy Y-junction. Take the short right branch leading to the narrow lane to the farm. Either climb the stile opposite, or walk right for a few steps to a gate onto a path, left, beside the wall, right. Continue ahead, beside the wall, watching out for a gap stile in the wall into the second field - this can be obscured by tall bracken; this summer‘s weather causing great growth of the weed, particularly in height. Follow the cross wall which is now on your right and continue through a squeeze stile or the gate and follow a narrow path across to the hedge above the railway track. Continue left between two gate stoops and at the corner, climb the steps onto the railway track. Turn left to walk a short way to reach the road and turn right to return to the Square.

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.