Splendid walk from Blencathra Centre (From The Westmorland Gazette)

Splendid walk from Blencathra Centre

8:50am Friday 1st April 2011 in Walks By Mary Welsh

This pleasing walk takes you through a lovely area of the Lake District. The paths and tracks are all good and the views superb. Take care as you round Lonscale Crags as the rocks can be slippery if wet, frozen or frosted.

Today’s Blencathra Centre for Field Studies was built in 1898 as a sanatorium for the care of patients with tuberculosis. Initially, it catered for 20 patients and by 1945 had 80 beds. Here patients were given rest, a good diet, fresh air and exercise, all of which appeared to improve the patients condition. By the early 1950s TB was declining and it became a long stay home for the elderly. In 1975 it became empty and was offered to the Lake District National Park, which converted it to a hostel for visitors. In 1994 it was converted into a Field Studies Centre run by the Council for Field Studies and was opened by David Bellamy.

Park on the north side of Blencathra Centre. To access this leave the A66 at the turn for Threlkeld. Drive through the village and bear right opposite the church. Remain on this road and also where it becomes a track, to park at grid ref 302257.

1 Leave the parking area and continue ahead on the wide track. Once beyond the trees a magnificent view opens up, left, of the Helvellyn range, the Langdales, Latrigg, Derwent Water, High Rigg, Grisedale Pike and its many satellites. Wind on round the high level track which hugs the west side of Blease Fell. Below in its deep gill flows the Glenderaterra Beck and ahead you can see the shapely summit of Great Calva. Go past a splendid waterfall and press on to pass another that tumbles white-topped beneath a bridge and on below a few birches that maintain a precarious hold in its gill. Carry on along the track as it eventually descends to the footbridge over the Glenderaterra Beck.

2 Cross and go ahead, steadily climbing the track with rough pasture to the left. Keep beside the wall on your right, ignoring narrow paths to your left, until you reach a T-junction, just beyond a ruined stone sheepfold. Turn left and begin your long walk halfway up the eastern face of Lonsdale Fell on an old packhorse route. Follow this narrow route with ever increasing views ahead – though it is better, in some places to stand still and enjoy them or to use your camera! The path is level for most of the way and then as it nears Lonsdale Crags it climbs and narrows. Use the path at the edge of the deep ravine, or you might prefer to walk over the fine layers of natural rock to the right.

3 Wind round with the track and continue on, with more fine views ahead. Drop down, easily, to Whit Beck gill through which descends the foaming beck, delightfully, under elegant larch. Cross the hurrying, but shallow, water on stones. Climb the steepish continuing track to the gate to a car park before which you turn acute left along another good unsigned track, heading to the right side of a fine plantation. Stride the lovely long grassy way as it descends steadily below the north side of Latrigg. Enjoy the fine view ahead of Blease Fell, with Blencathra behind. On reaching clumps of gorse the track winds right and goes on down to a gate to a road. Beyond, bear left and then descend the road right, with fine woodland to your left. Press on until you reach a signpost on the right side of the road, directing you left down a pleasing path, through the trees to a footbridge over the main beck.

4 Cross and wind left and then right to climb the hedged mossy walled lane to walk to the right side of charming Derwentfolds. Join its access road and walk right to where it makes a sharp right turn. Cross here to a stone step stile and a gate signed to ‘Blencathra Centre.’ Follow the path over pasture to a gate into a small wood. Go over the little footbridge and then ascend the winding stepped path all the way to emerge from the trees by a kissing gate. Beyond, cut right across the corner to pass through a waymarked gate. Walk the narrow path, with woodland to the left, keep left along the track between barns and cottages and, beyond a chalet named Helvellyn, go left up the slope to a kissing gate on to a track. Turn left to take a few steps to where you have parked.

Information

Distance: 6.5 mile/10.5km

Time: 3-4 hours

Terrain: All on paths and tracks

Map: OS Explorer OL 4

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.