VISIT a High Street with no shops, a racecourse with no horses and the home of the last eagle in England, writes JOHN EDMONDSON.

The walk begins at the head of Haweswater reservoir near where the Dun Bull Inn once stood in the drowned village of Mardale (whose name means valley with the lake) before the reservoir was completed in 1935. This wild fell walk displays some of the best examples of glaciated landscape such as U shaped valleys, corries and moraines, including one of the deepest waters in the Lake District, and offers superb views.

Park in Mardale Head car park (MR NY 469 107)

Information:

Distance: 6.5 miles with 2,800 feet of ascent

Time: 4.5 hours

Terrain: fell paths, some scrambles on descent

Map: OS Explorer OL5

Route:

1 From beyond the car park follow the footpath signed Nan Bield, ascending to the left of Mardale Beck. Higher up, the path gets closer to the beck (here called Small Water Beck) and its waterfalls. Small Water, one of the loveliest of the corrie tarns in the Lake District, suddenly appears ahead. The hanging valley was scoured out by a glacier. Below the crags above the tarn lies one of the largest glacial boulders in the district. The three tiny stone shelters next to the path were built for travellers. The path next ascends Nan Bield (Anne’s Pass), once an important packhorse route between Kentmere and Mardale, to a stone shelter. Turn right and continue ascending to the summit of Mardale Ill Bell, at 2,496 feet the first of two Wainwrights on this walk. A good path heads northwesterly to a wall then bends northwards beside a wall along a former Roman road over Racecourse Hill to High Street, at 2,718 feet the highest point of the walk and the second Wainwright. In the 19th Century this was the site of sports days that included horse racing.

2 Continue beside the wall for 300 yards beyond the OS survey column to where the path begins to descend more steeply and the ridge becomes narrower then turn 90 degrees right (due east) to a cairn. Descend the steep path of loose stones down the ridge of Riggindale Crag and continue eastwards. The valley on the left is Riggindale (a valley below the ridge), once home of England's last remaining golden eagle. The bird failed to appear in 2016 so it is feared that he has died at the advanced age for an eagle of about 20 years, having been single since the last female died in 2004. Blea Water (Blã means dark, deep blue) appears below on the right. Its depth of 207 feet is exceeded only by Wastwater (259 feet) and Windermere (213 feet). It is also one of the highest and smallest of the lakes called a water rather than tarn. Descend some easy scrambles to a small tarn at Caspel Gate. The path rises a little before more scrambles go down to beside a wall on the left. Continue alongside the wall towards the The Rigg woodland and descend steeply along the winding path to the edge of the wood. Turn sharp right and follow the path around the end of Haweswater back to the car park.

Next week: Levens - village, hall and park

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.