ENJOY a peaceful stroll through the lovely lowland scenery near Crosthwaite and Crook, writes JOHN EDMONDSON. This undulating walk includes a modest ascent of Lord’s Lot and affords distant views to the east.

Park by the A5074 in a layby one mile south of Winster near the junction with a lane called Rickettrae (GR SD 422 927, postcode LA8 8JD).

INFORMATION

Distance: 6.5 miles with 1,400 feet of ascent

Time: 3-4 hours

Terrain: grassy paths and tracks, quiet roads.

Maps: OS Explorer OL7

ROUTE

1Walk off the A5074 onto the lane of Rickettrae. Pass Brackenrigg bungalow and turn right over a wall stile onto the path signed Hubbersty Head. Go to the right of the wood ahead and cross a farm lane. Bear right to a gateway then left uphill alongside a wall to a ladder stile beside trees. Continue ahead along an enclosed path, then down over fields to a gate on the right edge of a wood. Pass through the wood and cross the road at Hubbersty Head onto a bridleway. Pass the valley bottom; turn left to go through a gate beside a waymarker post. Walk beside the hedge, through two gates, over a fence stile then right to pass to the right of Mirk Howe. Cross a fence stile and walk down the driveway. Where the lane bends right, keep ahead beside the wall. Go through a gate on the left then straight on to cross a stile. At the road and turn right, cross the bridge and turn left at the road junction towards Starnthwaite.

2 After 150 yards turn right onto the track signed Low Fold. After a further 250 yards turn left at a footpath fingerpost. Go through a gate, alongside a hedge on the right, left then right following waymarkers. In the open area the path bends left to a stile next to a gate. Walk ahead up a grassy path to a waymarker on the gorse-clad slope of Lord’s Lot, so called because it was ‘allotted’ under the Act of Enclosure in 1797 to the lord of the manor. At the top the path goes alongside a fenced wall on the left to a ladder stile. Great views appear ahead. Cross a ladder stile to a tarmacked farm lane and turn left at the path crossing.

3 Go through Low Fold farmyard then follow a stony track ahead. Descend a field to a ladder stile at the bottom of a wood. Cross the next field to a wall and turn left. Turn right onto a tarmacked lane and right onto the road at Brow Head. In the valley bottom turn left onto the public way. Pass a fishing pond on the right and continue along the track towards Spigot House.

4 Bear left onto the path signed Bateman Fold descending to a gate on the opposite corner of the field. Walk beside the hedge on the left, across a wall stile and stone footbridge on the left then bear right to another stone bridge and fence stile. Turn left through a farm gate and walk alongside the fence and wall on the left to Bateman Fold. At the road turn right, walk up to a bend then turn left (signed Crosthwaite) downhill. At the sharp left bend keep ahead on the bridleway signed A5074, pass Thornyfields (now a smart new house) and continue along a stony track beside Bow Babble Breast, passing a pond on the left. On reaching the main road turn left and return to where the walk began.

Next week: Sleddale Forest and Skeggles Water

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.