3:40pm Friday 9th April 2010
By Ron Freethy
ANYBODY wanting to experience a potted history, and learn about the natural history of Cumbria, should spend time at Brockhole visitor centre, close to the shores of Windermere. Add to this a splendid walk into wonderful countryside and you have the perfect location.
How to get there: from the A591 road, which links Windermere with Ambleside, turn off left to Brockhole. A short driveway leads to the large pay-and-display car park.
1 Although it adds some distance to the walk, time should be taken to explore the extensive grounds of Brockhole and be sure to go down to the shores of the water. There is a landing stage from which cruises on the lake can be booked. The gardens have been designed to provide interest and colour throughout the year. Neither should visitors miss the informative displays on offer within the building itself. There is an excellent tea-shop. The house itself was built for William Henry Gaddum in the 1890s. He made his fortune from cotton in the days when Manchester was the textile capital of the world. From the car park, approach and cross the A591 with care. At this point a bridle path can clearly be seen.
2 Turn left along Mirk Lane. Pass Merewood Cottages and House on the left. This is a delightful stretch and passes the well-named Wood Farm. About half-a-mile along a narrow path, lined with trees, approach Holbeck Lane, which is a quiet, narrow road. Follow this for a short distance and then turn left.
3 This leads to a delightfully-named track called Robin Lane. Take the time to look at this area closely and you will see evidence of an ancient Celtic settlement. Look out for a number of grassy mounds which local people still refer to as Castle Dyke. Robin Lane is also of ancient origin connecting Ambleside with Trout-beck, which was once - and still is - full of fish. It was later part of a Roman highway which ran between the fort at Ambleside to Penrith and then on to Hadrian’s Wall. Ascend to a National Trust sign, indicating Martin’s Wood.
4 Robin Lane meets a minor road leading into the hamlet of Troutbeck. Turn right and head south along this road to a junction. Turn right and in just a few yards, look for a national Trust car park and the entrance to Townend. (A fee is payable). Townend is a beautifully restored house of a prosperous farming community, dating back to the 17th century, and the interior fixtures and fittings reflect this period, and around the main house are even older barns and buildings. This is a real time-warp of a settlement and I particularly enjoy looking at the domestic implements of the period. You can have a lot of fun comparing your own kitchen at home with that of Townend.
5 After visiting Townend, turn right along the narrow road for about half-a-mile. Spare a thought for the farm-workers at Townend who would have to journey to Ambleside to reach the market.
6 At a bridleway sign, turn left along Wain Lane and descend back towards Brockhole. Although the going is easy, you do need to stop frequently to admire the views of Windermere ahead, and magnificent old barns to right and left. Near to the 18th century house, called Middlerigg, is a man-made tarn which was excavated for the use of farm animals in the early 1900s. The wildlife has adapted very well to this welcome water supply - winter wildfowl and summer botanists who visit the area are not disappointed. An autumn visit is also of interest to those who study fungi.
7 When Wain Lane reaches the A591, turn right to reach Brockhole in about 300 yards. The old name for a badger was brock, and these mammals must have dug their holes (setts) long before human settlers arrived on the scene. This may persuade walkers to return to the tea-shop and find more details of the wildlife of Cumbria.
Map: OS Explorer OL7; grid reference 389008.
Distance of walk: 4 miles.
Time: Allow 2 hours (plus at least one hour if you visit Townend, at Troutbeck).
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.
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