Route: Brackenthwaite Hows
Area: Western Lake District
Date of walk: 31st August 2019
Walkers: Andrew and Gilly
Distance: 2.1 miles
Ascent: 400 feet
Weather: Cloudy with sunny patches, heavy rain later on
Brackenthwaite Hows, known locally as Lanthwaite Hill, is one of our favourite places in the Lake District. This walk has featured on my site many times, but I take the view that no two walks are ever the same – changing seasons and variations in the light and weather make for an infinite number of possibilities – and there’s always something new to be seen
Torrential rain for the last two days at last gave way to some patches of blue sky in the late afternoon and this provided a good opportunity for a short walk
We parked as usual in the National Trust car park at Scale Hill. Instead of taking the obvious track ahead, which leads directly to the north shore of Crummock Water, we turned left up a steepish path through Lanthwaite Wood. At a junction we turned left again to continue uphill, climbing a steep rocky staircase along the way
After leaving the woods via a deer gate we were soon at the top of the hill, admiring the superb views over Lorton Vale, Loweswater and Crummock Water. We then followed the easy path back down into Lanthwaite Wood, following a path which hugs the edge of the woods, giving good views across to Lanthwaite Green
The path descends to the eastern shore of Crummock Water, and when we arrived at the lakeshore we followed the path to the foot of the lake, from where there were more good views towards Mellbreak and Rannerdale Knotts, in between some very heavy rain showers. From this point there are two ways back to the start – a path which follows the bank of the River Cocker, and the wide track leading through Lanthwaite Wood. We opted for the track today, and 5 minutes later were back to the car park to end a short but very sweet 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)
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Looking across a full River Cocker from the Scale Hill car park at the start of the walk
Instead of following the main track to the foot of Crummock Water, we branch off left to climb up the hill, quite steeply at times
We emerge from Lanthwaite Wood and enter onto Brackenthwaite Hows
We follow a curving path around the ridge
Looking north along Lorton Vale
Lanthwaite Green at the foot of Grasmoor
Views from Brackenthwaite Hows - Crummock Water...
...Loweswater...
...Grasmoor...
...and Lorton Vale again
We descend towards the foot of Crummock Water
Lanthwaite Wood, with Rannerdale Knotts beyond...
Rowan berrries, heather and Lanthwaite Green
Grasmoor again
We re-enter Lanthwaite Wood and follow a path around its edge
Lanthwaite Green...
We follow the path down to Crummock Water
The boathouse at the shore of the lake...
A view across Crummock Water towards Loweswater
We follow the shoreline path to the foot of the lake
Looking back to the boathouse from the foot of Crummock Water
The end of a short but very sweet walk as we follow the wide track through Lanthwaite Wood back to the start
