Route: Circuit of Mellbreak
Area: Western Lake District
Date of walk: 15th June 2014
Walkers: Andrew
Distance: 6.2 miles
Weather: low cloud at first, then lifting and ended up sunny
Unlike many lakeland fells, Mellbreak is not part of a group but stands proudly on its own, and this makes it possible to walk round its circumference. I parked at Church Bridge near the Kirkstile Inn (a perfect way to end the walk) and walked through Kirkgate Farm and into lonely Mosedale. The cloud was very low and the surrounding fells couldn’t be seen. Mosedale is very remote – a vast wilderness with Mellbreak on one side and Hencomb on the other. I saw no-one on this section and the only sound was that of skylarks
At the end of Mosedale I followed Scale Beck down to the western shore of Crummock Water. By this time the clouds had lifted and I enjoyed some glorious weather as I followed the shoreline along the other side of Mellbreak
Just before the foot of the lake I headed back inland, returning to the start via Park Bridge. Sadly I didn’t have time to call in to the Kirkstile today – but never mind, it had been a great low level walk
For other walks here, visit my Find Walks page and enter the name in the ‘Search site’ box
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
Red squirrel drinking from our birdbath just before I set off this morning
Mellbreak, at the start of the walk from Church Bridge
Heading towards Mosedale
Hencomb on the right with its head in the clouds
Bonnie
The Mosedale Holly Tree, the only tree in the Lake District to be named on the OS map and given its own symbol
The holly tree again with Hencomb in the background
I’d really enjoyed Mosedale. Now the character of the walk would change as I round the corner of Mellbreak
Crummock Water ahead
Rannerdale Knotts
Grasmoor as I approach the shore of Crummock Water
Grasmoor again
Low Ling Crag protruding into the lake
Rannerdale Knotts from Low Ling Crag
Looking back along Crummock Water to Fleetwith Pike
A couple of fishermen pass by Low Ling Crag
The path continues along the shore under the slopes of Mellbreak
Whiteless Pike and Wandope
Fleetwith Pike and the fishermen
Further along the shore, with Low Fell to the left
Climbing away from the shore and looking back to Rannerdale Knotts
Heading away from the lake in the direction of Low Fell
Park Bridge
The quiet lane back to the start
The Kirkstile Inn on the left and St Bartholomew’s Church Loweswater on the right
The negative signpost - all roads lead to nowhere
A last look up to Mellbreak as I arrive back at Church Bridge
