View Windermere from the glorious heights of Gummer's How (From The Westmorland Gazette)

View Windermere from the glorious heights of Gummer's How

9:30am Friday 8th October 2010 in Walks By Mary Welsh

ON A VERY windy early autumn day a forest walk can be pleasant. If the sun is shining, the light slanting through the trees can be quite beautiful. Many deciduous trees will be beginning to change colour, fungi will abound, and paths carpeted with conifer needles and cones.

On just such a windy day we chose to walk in the forest behind Gummer’s How car park. We had problems with our map as some of the paths we had hoped to find weren’t there and some were there that we had not expected. A good sense of direction helped. Once we left the shelter of the trees, towards the end of the walk, we realised we had made a good choice.

Park in Gummer’s How car park, grid ref 389876, near the brow of Fell Foot Brow. Access this by the unclassified road off the A592, close to Fell Foot Park, or by the A5074 via Bowland Bridge.

1 Turn left out of the car park and descend Fell Foot Brow, enjoying the superb views of Windermere. After half a mile, look for the easily-missed signposted steps through the low wall on the left. These lead to a delightful footpath that takes you through the forest. After heavy rain, the first few yards can be a stream and then the way becomes a pleasure to walk. If the sun is streaming through the trees it is idyllic. The path is clearly waymarked and, after bearing right for a few steps, leads to a wall. Beyond, step over a narrow stream and follow a green marker and a green arrow. At the path end the way continues on a ‘velvety’ green swathe. Wind right between two houses at Staveley-in-Cartmel and go on to the road and walk left.

2 Ignore the triangle of roads on the right and walk on ahead, past the telephone box, to take just beyond on the left, a signposted track for Simpson Ground. Carry on for three quarters of a mile along the hedged way and watch out for the signed gate, on your right, into a large pasture. Climb the distinct path as it steadily ascends, eventually arriving at a deer gate into scrub woodland. Follow the path through young birch to arrive at another deer gate. Beyond, head up the short path to a forest road. Cross and take the continuing path opposite.

3 Stroll on through the trees and then enter an area of clear-fell that is now being colonised by shrubs and plants. Here ignore a waymark directing you right - where there doesn’t seem to be a path at all – and carry on bearing steadily left uphill through the clear-fell. At the forest road, wind left to a T-junction. Ignore the waymark and walk right. A short way along turn left down a signed forest path to walk a long stretch of duckboarding. From now on the path passes through sunny glades and below fine trees but the path can be boggy, where tiny streams are deeper and wider after rain.

4 Continue on, looking right through the trees to Simpson Ground reservoir. If you wish to visit the reservoir walk the narrow reinforced path that goes off right, otherwise carry on until you approach a wall and a waymark directing your left. Follow this path for a quarter of mile with conifers to your left. Enjoy the rolling pastures and scattered mature oaks beyond the wall, to your right. Climb the stile and follow the sign that directs you half right across a large pasture to come against the wall, now on your left, to a gated track.

5 Turn left, pass through the gate and walk the pleasing rising track through fields to pass between the buildings of Sow How farm. Head on along the walled tarmacked lane to reach Fell Foot Lane and turn left. Opposite the sign for Gummer’s How, take a footpath into the plantation on the left. Follow this as it winds right to return to the car park. Of course if you have any energy left you might like to climb Gummer’s How (wind permitting) before returning to the car park!

Information

Distance: 5 miles

Time: 3 hours

Terrain: Waymarked paths and tracks. Expect plenty of mud after heavy rain.

Map: OS Explorer OL 7

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.