THIS short walk explores woodlands near Winster and tours Barkbooth Lot, a Cumbria Wildlife Trust Nature Reserve, writes JOHN EDMONDSON. It starts from three miles south of Bowness on Windermere and half a mile south of the Brown Horse Inn at Winster. The return route is a peaceful meander through Lambhowe Plantation.

Park in the layby by the A5074 south of the junction with a minor road (GR SD 422 925). There is another large layby about 200 yards north of the junction.

INFORMATION:

Distance: 5 miles with 800 feet of ascent.

Time: 2.5 hours

Terrain: woodland, field paths and some rough fell.

Map: OS Explorer OL7

ROUTE

1 Join the footpath signed Birks Bridge directly from the layby. Walk to the bottom of the valley, along a boardwalk, straight on over a rise then up the other side of the valley. Continue ahead through woodland, descending to meet a road at Birks Bridge. Turn left and walk along the road for a quarter of a mile then turn right on to the lane to The Wood Farm.

2 At Wood Farm go around the left side of the barn then along the walled bridleway and across fields (which may be muddy) to a lane leading to a road. Turn left down the road then up a steep hill and past a road junction on the left. Turn right on to the road signed Bowland Bridge. At the bottom of the slope turn left and go through two gates into Barkbooth Lot. This 67-acre site of rough fell, wetland, oak woodland and meadow grassland is a habitat for dragonflies, damselflies and rare butterflies. Cattle are grazed among the bracken and rough fell as part of a management plan to encourage native species. Make your way uphill, past the ponds and up to the highest point. Look across the other side of the valley to see Low Ludderburn, where Arthur Ransome wrote Swallows and Amazons. Continue ahead to a fenced wall. Gates at either end of the wall ahead provide access to Low Fell Plantation. Explore the wood following the waymarked permissive path in an anti-clockwise direction. On reaching the information board near the gate to the rough fell area turn right (northwards) and walk to the road by a parking area.

3 Turn left and walk down the road for a quarter of a mile then turn right onto a public footpath signed Lamb Howe one mile. Keep to the footpath, passing through a gate on the right, and continue to follow a waymarked path through the woods. Go over a wall stile, along the edge of a field then re-enter the wood over a ladder stile. Follow the faint path, crossing a small beck, to a gate into the field on the right. Cross the field and go around the right of the white Lamb Howe farmhouse. Cross the tarmacked lane and walk up the slope, through a gate and alongside a tall hedge to the edge of the wood. The path leaves the edge of the woods through a wicket gate on the right then continues on the outside of the wood to a wall. Go over the stile in the top left corner to meet the path that the walk started out on. Turn right and follow the path alongside the wall, across the valley and then up the other side to the left of the woods to the layby where the walk began.

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.