Rosgill Swindale

Tuesday 19th August 2025

After plotting this route I used Google Earth to find suitable parking. To my surprise, at the furthest north point on my map below I found a huge car park. This is an isolated situation on the road which drops down into Swindale eventually terminating as a cul-de-sac at the end of the dale, although there is no parking beyond Swindale Foot where my wslking route eventually remerged. I arrived at the car park about 9:15 and as expected there was no one else there. As I was having a quick coffee another car arrived and parked unreasonably close to me considering the huge empty car park. After a few minutes another car arrived, and then a procession until the area was almost full. Obviously a walking group, perhaps one of the  few days in a year when that car park is so used. I tried to chat to a couple of these guys but they were not friendly. I decided to get off as quickly as possible hoping they would not be following the same route as me.

A wide track lead off the road climbing steadily with splendid views all the way, the advantage of starting at a relatively high altitude. For the first quarter of an hour I kept looking back anxiously to see if I was being followed by the herd, but I didn't hear or see them again until the end of my walk when I arrived back at the car park to find they had mot yet returned. 

After a mile or so I had to leave the friendly wide grassy track to take a narrow but well defined path leading down into Swindale. There were sections quite overgrown with bracken and one or two rocky bits on the descent, but all in all a useful linking route.There were good views of Gowther Crag on the far side of Swindale where there is good climbing, unfortunately I never c.imbed there.

Emerging at Swindale Foot theere is parking for a few cars and I chatted with a party of three who were just setting off. They soon disappeared ahead wlking faster than me.

A rough path lead off the road to gain the path I wanted to climb up to Tailbert Farm. I couldn't find that patth as marked on the map and spent ages thrashing through bracken. In retrospect it would have been better to walk further down Swindlale and take the good path I know of which emerges on the unfenced road just short of Tailbert farm.

From Taillbert a another good linking path took me down to the "Concrete Road" marked in orange on the 1:25 OS map. That plunged down an elaborate bridge over Swindale Beck, then a long climb back up to my starting point where thankfully the cars were still parked and I left without being involved further with them.

The concrete road is I think owned by  United Utilities as part of their infrastructure. Perhaps it is private. I had arrived from Shap nnd then Rosgill on narrow lanes. I decided to give the concrete road a go. The UU road is shorter and would take me all the way to join the public road to Wet Sleddale just short of where it joins the A6 and only a short stretch to get back to the M6, thus avoiding Shap and the narrow lanes. The concrete road alternates with concrete and tarmac and for the majority of its length is well surfaced, but care is needed to avoid a few quite serious potholes, but it is a welcome short-cut gift.

CLICK TO ENLRGE

Problems with  black underlining captions again Whatever I try Blogger insists on having them.

More arrived after I made myself scarce

This ideal walking track lead off only a hundred yards from the car park

Leaving the wide track for the narrow but well defined path eventually dropping down to Swindale Foot

Looking down into Swindale Foot. and...

...across to Gowther Crag

Swindale

A short section on the Swindale road before branching left on the rough path before the climb to Tailbert

Gowther Crag. Thr main climbing is on the lower prominent buttress. I am not sure if there is any on the higher crag.

The high ground ahead is the ascent to Tailbert where I floundered in the bracken

One of Alan's own

Perhaps a bit more rare?

Arriving back at my start. Those cars were double parked nose to tail

Start and finish at furthest north. My route overlay obscures the orange of the concrete road on the U shaped section of my route back to the car park. You can see it continuing right on its way yo Wet Sleddale. See map below.
The blue zig zags are my spproximate bracken floundering.
The blue extension at Tailbert was a navigation error  (there and back.)

You can just see where the concrete road emerges south of Shap on the A6, bottom right corner

Don't always follow your sat-nav.

 Thursday 14th August 2025

I'm not sure if daughter Jill invented this new diversion or whether it is the latest craze gone viral

The idea is to fake something onto an old master painting that has a modern reference to what was originally there. 

I was hooked.

Just to forestall any wit who suggests it, I had thought of adding the Amazon Prime logo but it is late and bedtime calls.

Click to enlarge

This was how it started when Jill sent me this and I had to ask for an explanation:

"You take an old picture and then add in a Modern twist - I have added Snoopy and co. 

Just daft art

But fun to do"

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

Selside, north of Kendal

 Wednesday 6th August 2025

  A modest 4.5 mile walk, but significnt for me: 537ft. of ascent.

There is a large car park opposite the church in Selside.

Against what seems to be the current trend the church was open. It is modest in its architecture as is its interior. A brass plaque commemorates those fallen in The Great War from this tiny parish. There are no military awards against the nine names, but none the less poignant for that.

From the church's website:

"...the present church, which was built in 1837 and extended in 1890, is in a good state of repair.The former vestry has recently been refurbished, and is used for children's activities and PCC meetings.

Average attendance at services is in the order of 14 (note - this is approximately ten per cent of the population of the parish)"

Towards the end of the walk as I was coming back towards Seleside I came across the C of E Endowed Selside Primary School which is related to this church.

A good path just north of the church lead off, but quickly continued as an overgrown path until opening out into sheep pasture. For years I have praised the valley of Borrowdale a little further morth and it was rewarding to have the skyline dominated throughout this walk by the southern ridge of Borrowdale with Whinfell Beacon the most to the fore.

Pleasant pasture walking passed through several farms, usually with holiday homes or second home  conversions. Just after a stile approaching the strangely named Yoadpot farm I was confronted by a large herd of cattle, including young heifers and lady cows with calves, and a large black bull. Thst was a huge field with no cover. I made a large diversion climbing to get round the back of the higher ground, See the blue route marked on the map below.

I passed by the C of E Selside Primary School as mentioned in connection with the church. You csn see it marked on the map just to the east of Selside Hall. It is in a remote situation at the end of a cul de sac road. I wondered at its viability but their website implies a vibrant and successful school.

A good start on this path from the church, until...

...this overgrown path

The southern ridge of the Borrowdale horsehoe, Whinfell Beacon prominent.
I walked that ridge with daughter Jill and her Springer Jake many years ago, happy memories

I'm always impressed how those centuries old farms were built so sympathetically into the landscape, something a bit beyond  merely maximising shelter

There were many more cattle than the photo could show. The gent at extreme left is a malevolent looking bull

Not rare but worth a snap

Holiday cottages

Oh dear!. This about fifty yards on from where I had sat uncomfortably for twenty minutes on a large rock for my sandwich and coffee break

More farmer's diversificstion

A good example of a large part of the walking terrain on this trip

Clockwise from Selside, top left of toute. Note the blue diverdion from the threat of cattle

Oxen Park and Three Foot Oak

 Wednesday 30th July 2025

Driving from the east there is no direct approach to the start of this walk at Oxen Park. Whatever route one chooses narrow twisty lanes prevail.This an area of isolated farms, cul-de-sac roads, old bridleways and terrain only suitable for sheep farming, and as such, rewarding for walking. The fringes of the Lake District are still rarely visited and provide excellent peaceful and interesting day walks, but be prepared for rarely walked overgrown footpaths, a challenge to the connoisseur devotees of country exploration. 

As I plotted this route on the OS 1:25 map I noticed the intriguing location named Three Foot Oak, a must for further investigation, but more of that later.

I was able to park near  the defunct telephone box in Oxen Park. My first error of judgment from my plotting arose from extending the walk to make it into a respectable five miles.  I had opted to walk north up the road to take a track from which a footpath doubled back to take me almost back to Oxen Park to join my main route from there for my circuit. That footpath branching back was indistinct, overgrown with nettles and lush deep wet foliage, but that's all part of the fun?

Steady climbing on a good path followed all the way to the farm at Abbot Park. That is now established as an attractive looking camp site. There was a smart, purpose built toilet and shower block which appeared to be open to anybody passing by which could be a bonus to any walkers who may have need.

Climbing continued through varied pleasant pastures, woods and streams to arrive at my high point of Stock Farm situated at the end of one of those cul-de-sac roads. I continued now on a  more level old bridleway permitted for vehicles, but only practical for the 4WD drive variety. 

I was now approaching Three Foot Oak. I had searched the Internet but only found a site that listed a six figure OS Grid reference, that is to within a one meter square! I have since measured the distance on the map from the track and it is about 50 meters. If there had been anything to see I would have seen it. The terrain was moorland in nature and unlikely to support significant tree growth, and it descended steeply through impenetrable reeds and huge tussocks. There was no way I was going to venture even for that modest fifty meters.  So much for this mystery. Several hundred meters away I could see a prominent tree which may, or may  not have been an oak, but its location bore no relation to the grid reference. If anybody can find out more please, please let me know.

The undulating track continued, now with that on-top-of-the world feeling and all was joy. I could even see Morecambe Bay away in the distance to the south. Since Stock Farm I was passed by one lone mountain biker, and later by a party of three others, but thankfully no 4WDs

I had been looking for somewhere to stop for my coffee and sandwich, always a problem. At Ickenthwaite, just a farm and holiday cottages, there was a bench outside an unoccupied cottage. There  I lingered and took in in the ambience of this attractive area before completing the last mile or so back to Oxen Park.

Leaving the road for the track. A footpath branched off taking me nearly back to Oxen Park

The overgrown path doubling back nearly to Oxen Park, and below

There were sections of steep uphill through head high bracken

Approaching Abbot Park farm. Camp site, and toilet apparently available to passers by - see below

Click to enlarge, quite interesting

Toilets and showers at Abboot Park farm

Now on the bridleway after Stock Farm

Zoom to Morecambe Bay

Three Foot Oak location is fifty yards steeply down this rough terrain. The distant tree right of centre is zoomed to below but its location is nowhere near the grid reference I had  found

lunch stop. Ickenthwaite

Clockwise from Oxen Park