Naddle Valley, Haweswater

Tuesday 12th. August 2025

In memoriam for thousands of Grouse.

I should know better. When I looked at the Naddle Valley on the map it cried out for exploration. Straightaway I could see that paths for a circuit were not marked as public rights of way, although it is all on Access Land, so no problem there. Public paths are usually more or less identifiable on the ground and furnished with crossing points for walls and fences, and their position on the map is pretty accurate. Those attributes are not always as precise for other paths shown on OS maps. Also, I could see there was no connection of paths at the head of the valley for a short distance. Lack of topographical information should be taken seriously, but The Naddle Valley just had to be explored.

At  Burnbanks there is a small free carpark for about eight cars, so get there early. I was off at 9:15.

After a short path through the woods and a bit of tarmac I turned off on a concrete track to Naddle Farm. Notices informed me that the farm was being renovated for use by the RSPB* who seem to have taken over a large part of the Naddle Valley as a bird reserve, and so immediately my vision of a wild and rarely visited location was slightly diminished.

At the farm work was well underway and the path had been diverted for a short distance round the buildings.

A double width track progressed through alternating old woodland and open areas of rough terrain even too rugged I reckon for sheep. Old woodland dominates large parts of the valley and perhaps gives some idea of what recent debate has suggested to be more appropriate to the rest of the Lake District rather than the artificially sheep grazed hillsides. I don't kow enough about all that to give an informed opnion. This really is a superb wild valley, and would be worth a trip there and back just on the northern side, There were distant views of High Street and Kidsty Pike.

The track gradually diminished in quality and eventually ended at a gate and junction of walls from where I had to make some decision about crossing the valley floor to find the marked path on the southern side of the valley.

If you look at the map below you will see a yellow route alongside my pink plotted route. In retrospect I should have followed the wall running just west of south to gain the far side path, which on the map eventually runs on the south side of a wall. I beelined across the worst terrain of deep tussocks, chest high bracken, heather, and humps and bumps that I can remember anywhere. The wall where my desired path was running on its southern side is now protected (I suspect by RSPB) by an eight foot deer fence, but not the more substantial ones that I climbed in years past in Scotland, and in any case deer fences of any height or stability are now out of my league. I pressed on through all this energy sapping terrain, and to add to all that this was perhaps the hottest day so far this year.

Eventually I came to a joining of fences with a wooden section that was just about climbable, see photo. That yellow section on my route measures 0.8 miles and it had taken more than one and a half hours I reckon. I sat down  for the first time, now quite exhausted, drank some water and coffee, but had a kind of upset stomach feeling of foreboding as I looked up at the fence climb. I couldn't face my sandwich. Now slightly refreshed I tried to put my rucksack on top of the fencing but to no safe avail, so  I  managed to climb still wearing my rucksack. Even more rough terrain followed until I found the proper double width track high up on the southern side of the valley taking me back down to Naddle Farm.

At over five miles, in that heat and including that difficult terrain this had been a tough challenge, but I am glad I have explored this fringes of the Lakes unspoilt gem further than I guess than most RSPB visitors.

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*RSPB for any foreign viewers =  Royal Society for Protection of Birds.

Leaving the road for the Naddle Farm track

Naddle Farm

Mixed woodland and untamed terrain, and below

Distant High Street and Kidsty Pike. Note also the rough terrain off the path

Zoom to Kidsty Pike

Looking back at the fence I climbed. Note the deer fence running several feet above the height of the wall on the far aide

At last on the proper track back down to Naddle Farm