Try a gentle stroll in Ennerdale (From The Westmorland Gazette)

Try a gentle stroll in Ennerdale

11:00am Thursday 25th June 2009 in

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ENNERDALE is a quiet remote dale, enjoyed by all who are looking for a tranquil part of the Lake District and who like to have the lovely countryside almost entirely to themselves. It is a long valley, gouged out by a glacier during the Ice Age. The head of the valley is composed of granophyre, a hard volcanic rock; the foot is of friable Skiddaw Slates, which allowed the glacier to splay out, widening the lower end of the lake, which is where this limited mobility walk takes you.

The deepest part of the lake is more than 130-feet deep. The water is clear and pure, supporting little life except brown trout, possibly char and sometimes salmon passing through on their way to spawn.

Since the middle of the 19th Century, Ennerdale Water has been used to provide water for West Cumbria. In 1864, a shallow weir was added to maintain the water level. In 1960, a £700,000 scheme was devised to raise the level by four-and-a-half feet, to get an extra six million gallons of water a day. This would have drowned the famous Anglers’ Inn, which enjoyed a glorious site right on the edge of the lake. The inn was owned first by Whitehaven Corporation, then by South Cumberland Water Board. In 1961, it decided the inn should be demolished before raising the water level. The inn was demolished, but the scheme to raise the water level never materialised, so the inn had been demolished to no purpose. In 1980, North-West Water tried again to raise the level by four feet, for use by BFNL Sellafield, and the chemical works at Whitehaven. Michael Heseltine, the minister concerned with the inquiry at the time, refused planning permission. Many people were absolutely delighted!

On your return up the track towards How Hall farm, stop beside the first barn that faces the road, on your right. Those who are mobile will want to look, high up, for the weather-worn plaque on the end wall. You can just make out the following: this house was built AD 1566 by Anthony Patrickson and Frances, his wife, daughter of Sir Thomas Swinburne, one of the Privy Council to King Henry VIII.

Park on the site of the demolished Anglers’ Inn, grid reference 094162. This is a grassy area, beside the lake, from where the shore-side path has been reinforced by the National Trust to make it easy for use by wheelchairs and buggies. To access the parking, leave Ennerdale Bridge (the actual bridge is now open after being closed for repairs) by the road, signed to the lake.

At the Y-junction, take the left branch and after half a mile, take a right turn, signed to How Hall Farm. Pass in front of the dwelling, then descend gently to go through a gate across the reinforced way. Follow the track as it bears right and goes on down through pastures to reach another gate. Beyond, the track slants left to join the shore path. A short way along is the large open area for parking.

1 From the parking area, return the few feet to the water’s edge and look for the remnants of a jetty jutting out into the lake. This belonged to the Anglers’ Inn. Wheelchair users should travel right (west) along the reinforced path. It crosses a footbridge and then continues on. If there are two pushers, you may be able to go further in spite of a few hazards. Buggy occupants may be taken further on, along the sometimes muddy path, to reach the outflow of the River Eden and the small weir.

2 Return the same way. At the parking area, you might be able to continue further east along the path. But what all will want to do, if the weather is kind, is to pause and enjoy the superb views of the surrounding dramatic mountains and the glorious lake.

Information: Distance: As far as you can manage.

Time: As above.

Terrain: Good. The two gates will involve someone getting out of their vehicle to open and close them.

Map: OS Explorer OL4. The parking area is not marked on the map.

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.