Route: A walk from Threlkeld
Area: Northern Lake District
Date of walk: 10th April 2014
Walkers: Andrew and Gilly
Distance: 4.2 miles
Ascent: 400 feet
Weather: plenty of bright spells
Those two spoilsports Messrs Clag and Murk scuppered our carefully prepared plans once more, but later on it cleared up and there was just enough time for a short low level walk
Without ado we drove over to Threlkeld and parked just beyond the school. Blencathra had its head in the clouds, but as we walked through the fields there were wonderful views ahead of the North Western Fells and to our left of St John’s in the Vale
We followed a lane downhill to join the disused railway line which provided an easy and delightful way back, with the River Greta by our side for much of the way
The weather improved as we progressed and, by the time we got back to Threlkeld, Blencathra could be seen in all its glory
We’d had our reservations about this walk due to its proximity to the busy A66, but in the event this wasn’t a problem at all and we both agreed it had been a fantastic walk which we’d happily repeat
Click on the icon below for the route map (subscribers to OS Maps can view detailed maps of the route, visualise it in aerial 3D, and download the GPX file. Non-subscribers will see a base map)
Scroll down – or click on any photo to enlarge it and you can then view as a slideshow
Plenty of entertainment in the garden as we waited for the weather to clear
From the car park at Threlkeld, looking towards Clough Head
Shortly after leaving the village the views open up - this is St John’s in the Vale
Blencathra can’t be seen, but the cloud will lift later on
St John’s in the Vale, with High Rigg to the right and Clough Head to the left
Looking back to Great Mell Fell
St John’s in the Vale again
It’s still cloudy looking towards Blencathra
Views of the North Western Fells appear, including the knobbly outline of Causey Pike
North West Fells from Wescoe
Heading down the lane towards the bottom of the valley
Brundholme Wood and the River Greta
On the return leg now, following the old railway line. This is one of the many iron bridges built to cross the meandering Greta
The River Greta
Further along the track
The engineers of the railway found a way through every obstacle
A telling contrast between the old and the new
On the way back to Threlkeld, the clouds have lifted from Blencathra
Looking back to the River Greta before returning to Threlkeld
Back in Threlkeld, with Blencathra towering over it
