ENJOY panoramic views of Glenridding and southern Ullswater on this undulating walk, writes JOHN EDMONDSON. With options of between four and eight miles there’s something to please all walkers. The route follows one of the many Lake District National Park guided walks. This one will be led on Saturday, July 22; Tuesday, August 1; Saturday, September 2; Thursday, September 28 and Sunday, October 29.

Start from the car park or bus stop on Greenside Road, Glenridding (grid reference NY 386 170, postcode CA11 0PD).

INFORMATION

Distance: up to eight miles with 1,600 feet of ascent

Time: four hours

Terrain: mainly good paths and tracks, but stony in parts.

Map: OS Explorer OL5

ROUTE

1 Walk by the green past Fairlight Guesthouse and along Barraclough Fold to join a footpath signed Greenside to the right of the play area. Follow the wallside path, going via a metal kissing gate across Rawhead Cottage lawn. Turn left at the lane, down a road and right onto the bridleway signed Glenridding Bridge. Pass Rattlebeck Cottage and bridge and continue up a stony track along the footpath signed Helvellyn via Miresbeck. After 100 yards where the track bends right, turn left onto the footpath signed Grisedale and Lanty Tarn. Cross the footbridge and follow the waymarked path to a wicket gate. Turn right up to a viewpoint with a bench seat. Descend to a gate beside Lanty Tarn. Before going through the gate, optionally turn left onto the permitted access to Keldas summit and return by the same route.

2 Walk past Lanty Tarn: just below the bank of the dam is an historic ice store. Descend the stony track then veer left to a gate and down to cross Grisedale beck. Turn right through a gate and, after 30 yards, left onto the footpath signed Patterdale. The path passes a stone barn and sheep pens then follows the edge of Glenamara Park: a 16th/17th Century deer park. Cross the path coming down from the fells and follow the contour track across a ford to a kissing gate then along a stony path down into woods. Turn right after crossing the beck then right at a track (toilets on the right) to the A592 opposite the White Lion. Cross the road and turn right, then left along the tarmacked No Through road crossing Goldrill Beck. Keep left (signed Side Farm Boredale Hause) past Rooking cottage. William Wordsworth purchased this farmhouse in 1806. The asking price of £1,000 was £200 more than Wordsworth was willing to pay but Lord Lowther made up the difference. Wordsworth was embarrassed by the arrangement and refused to live there, but let it instead. It was sold in 1834 to a local innkeeper.

3 To shorten the walk to four miles go through the gate along the bridleway to Side Farm then turn left to Patterdale. For the longer walk turn right on the path signed Angle Tarn and Boredale Hause. Cross Rooking Gill and walk up a steep slope for 50 yards then keep left, heading towards Ullswater. The path passes a quarry and a cave then continues past a small tarn before descending to Silver Bay. Turn left and walk along the Ullswater Way to Side Farm. Turn right down the farm road to Patterdale. At the A592 turn right and take the path alongside the main road back to Glenridding. Alternatively, turn left to catch a bus from just before the Patterdale Hotel.

Next week: Clapham to Settle

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.