Tag: Wainwright

A Coledale horseshoe Escape. How to get out of it on wet and windy summer’s day.

We set-off to do the Coledale Horseshoe on Saturday in August. We started from Braithwaite towards Grisedale Pike. Unfortunately, the weather kept on getting worse and we had to abandon the rest of the horseshoe. Still ticked one Wainwright (Grisedale) and one Birkett (Kinn) … and not forgetting a (saving grace visit to the) pub !
Do not attempt this walk if your mountain experience is limited. We came off the side of Grisedale pike on the scree towards Hobcarton Gill. As far as descending on scree; I have seen worse but only OK to do if you have experienced this kind of terrain before or you are accompanied by seasoned mountaineers.

I had to abandon my first attempt to complete the Coledale horseshoe from Braithwaite as the weather was too wet and windy. I came off my first Wainwright summit (Grisedale Pike). Only attempt if you have experience on scree or are with experienced mountaineers. — Click on the picture to see the full slideshow and route video

Stats

Difficulty	Technical – only attempt if you have experience on scree or accompanied by someone who does
Length	11.1 mi – 17.9 km
Total elevation	3,153 ft – 961m
Highest point	2,458 ft – 749m
Walking time	5h20
Terrain	Walking paths, Alpine paths and scree (Off-piste)
Equipment	Layers, layers, layers ! Even if it is a beautiful day in the valley, it can get chilly and exposed on top. Sufficient water for 6 hours / 11 miles, there are no pubs before the start / end. Good boots, you will be going down scree.

View route (Click on menu to reveal the image)

Getting there

Driving: Whinlatter Pass car park is free but only has 12 spots. Alternatively, you can park at the primary school and put a donation in the box.
Public transport: The X5 runs once per hour from Keswick; unfortunately, public transport options from the North West are limited but not impossible. I personally took the train to Penrith and then two busses to Braithwaite.

Watering Holes

The Coledale Inn – Braithwaite – At the start or end of the walk
Built in the late 1800’s as a woolen mill and later converted as a country inn. Muddy boots and paws are more than welcomed.
Home-made food and good ales. The kitchen is open every day from 12:00-21:00. Expect pub classics including delicious pies.
Beer garden with stunning views of Skiddaw during the summer and roaring wood-fires to warm up in winter.

Make a week-end of it – Where to stay and eat

For a walking week-end, Braithwaite is definitely the place the stay. Endless possibilities on the door-step for both low and high level walks and of course, the Coledale horseshoe.
But if you are after a mix of walking, wining, dining and shopping; Keswick is only 2 miles down the road.

For camping and glamping: Braithwaite Village camping and caravanning site
Grass pitches for tents and camper vans with awning, hard-standing pitches for caravan and motor-homes.
Outstanding range of services: from dedicated accessible facilities, parents and baby room, and bike servicing area.
In terms of comfort it has everything, from shower blocks, flushing toilets, wi-fi in the club room, washing machine, dog-wash area.

For a cosy week-end: The Coledale Inn – Braithwaite
Definitely a Inn made for walkers. They have drying facilities.
Cosy rooms and they offer good deals for 2 nights mid-week DBB.
Family rooms availabl.

For groups or families: The Old Farmhouse – Braithwaite
A beautiful cottage dating 1656. It has 2 king rooms and 1 double.
For larger groups, rent out the cottage as well as the annex and you can sleep up to 12 people.

August 28, 2024

Lake District – Scout Scar: A castle, a cafe at the dairy parlor and a pub

This low-level walk near Kendal is under 10miles but punches above its weight. It takes in a medieval castle owned by the National Trust, a cafe and farm-shop where you watch the cows being milked and a pub that serves delicious food.

Scout Scar is a Wainwright Outlying Fell in the Lake District. This is a walk 10 miles walk starting from Sizergh, near Kendal (South Lakes). It also takes in a Medieval castle run by the National Trust, a farm-shop at a dairy parlor where you can watch the milking and the Strickland Arms pub — Click on the picture to see the full slideshow and route video

Stats

Difficulty	Moderate
Length	10 mi – 16.2 km
Total elevation	1,506 ft – 459m
Highest point	735ft – 224m
Walking time	4h15
Terrain	paths, roads, walking paths, streets
Equipment	Enough water to walk 8 miles or 3h30. There is a cafe at the Beginning and the end but nothing in between.

View route (Click on menu to reveal the image)

Getting there

Driving: 6 free car-parks along the way: On Nannypie Lane before the Stricklands Arm / Near St John’s Church Helsington / Underbarrow Road before the paid Scout-scar car-park / Brigsteer Road / Scroggs Lane / Hawes Lane
Public transport: Kendal Bus X6 to the Approach stop (C. 20 mins)
From Manchester: Train to Carnforth then bus 755 to the Approach stop (c. 2h05)
From Preston: Train to Arnside then bus 552 to the Approach Stop (c. 1h50)
From Lancaster: Bus 555 to Ashbank lane stop (c. 45mins)
From Carlisle: Train to Kendal then Bus 555 to Ashbank lane stop (c. 1h35)

Watering Holes

The cafe at Sizergh Castle – Sizergh – C. half a mile after the start (15 mins).
National Trust Cafe
This is handy if you have forgotten water, your lunch or want a perk me up coffee before starting the walk.
Wheatsheaf Inn – Brigsteer – Technically not on the original route, but worth the small detour. It would only be 2.29 miles in (c. 1h00) and would add an extra mile to your walk. Happy to customize the gpx, AllTrails or Komoot to include on the route.
Owned by Robinsons breweries. This cosy tenanted pub offers good ales, pies, pub classics and sandwiches; a beer garden for the summer and a roaring log-fire in the winter. Food served from 12:00-15:00 and 17:00-20:00 Monday – Thursday and 12:00 to 20:00 on Friday to Sunday. The pub also has 6 rooms. (See below sections). Muddy paws and boots are always welcome.
Romneys – Helsington / Kendal – Again, not on the route but a detour worth making. This would be at the 6.5 miles (c. 3 hrs) and would add an extra mile to the walk.
It is a traditional Cumbrian pub with rooms. The local ale and food with delicious pub classics, carvery on Sunday. Prices are very reasonable for the area and there are several options in the children’s menu.
Beer garden with a children’s play area, log-fire for the winter and dogs are welcome. The pub also offers accommodation (see below section for details)
Low Sizergh Barn Cafe – Sizergh – C. 9.2 miles after the start (4h00).
The best one if you are walking with the kids – A dairy parlor where you can watch the cows being milked at 15:30.
Delicious ice-creams, farm-shop and the raw milk is on sale.
The Strickland Arms – Sizergh – At the end (or beginning) of the walk.
The best for gourmets – it is listed in Michelin and Good Food guide. The food is home-made and cooked to order. The ale is just as good and the pub recommended by the good beer guide. A favorite with the locals and dog-owners. It is a very cosy pub with a large beer-garden, outside dining with a view and a roaring fire.

Make a week-end of it – Why South Lakes and Kendal ?

For those who have never visited the Lake Districts, Kendal is not a bad place to start from. The first largest town in the National Park, yet less crowded with tourists and more down to earth than Windermere. You will find the genuine cumbrian hospitality that made the region, a good selection of places to eat and drink; shops for the outdoors enthusiast offering better value than their counter-parts in Ambleside and further north. A farmer’s market and great brewery for the foodies. There is an array of scenic low-level walks in the area and good bus connections to the Lakes.

For the seasoned mountaineers and fell-walkers a wet and cold day on the fells is not always a pleasant experience. Whether you have ticked all all your Wainwrights already you do not fancy a high-level walk with poor visibility on a day where the weather is unkind; the outlying fells are perfect to keep you ticking.

For the culture enthusiasts there are multitude of place to visit around Kendal: Sizergh Castle, a medieval castle owned by the National Trust; the Levens Hall, an Elizabethan country manor with gardens and a deer park; Abbot Hall art gallery for fine art from the 18th-20th century and last but not least, the Kendal Museum with its collections of Natural History, Cumbrian history and World Wildlife gallery

For the adventurers: Kendal has a climbing hall, Adventure Makers has a meeting point not far from the climbing centre and offers guides to take you Ghyll scrambling, Canyoning, and caving.

Make a week-end of it – Where to stay and eat

For walkers: The Weatsheaf Inn
The Inn has 6 cosy rooms above its pub

For a lazy Sunday: Romneys in Helsington offers 5 self-catering cottages and 5 snugs. Very close to both Kendal town centre and the walk route. Stay overnight and enjoy an amazing Sunday Lunch at the pub.

For the campers and families: Sizergh Barn and Farm – tent and caravan pitches as well as a glamping pods that sleeps 4 and has a kitchenette.
Enjoy the walk, a visit to Sizergh Castle with a unique stay on an Organic Dairy farm. It has an award winning farm shop and cafe. Sells raw milk and you can watch the cows being milked everyday at 15:30.

July 15, 2024