Route: Brothers Water
Area: North Eastern Lake District
Date of walk: 18th January 2017
Walkers: Andrew and Gilly
Distance: 5.1 miles
Weather: Low cloud, light drizzle much of the time
Brothers Water is one of the less well known lakes in the district, but is well worth a visit. The lake was once known as Broad Water but was renamed in the 19th century after two brothers drowned in it
We parked at Cow Bridge car park and followed the beck for a short distance before reaching the shore of Brothers Water. This may be regarded as one of the district’s smallest lakes or one of its largest tarns, according to your preference. However you define it, it’s beautiful
We walked as far as Hartsop Hall before heading over to the other side of the valley and walking into the picture postcard village of Hartsop. The path to Hartsop is alongside a dry stone wall just below the road leading to the Kirkstone Pass
After leaving Hartsop the path climbed up the fellside giving us great views back to Brothers Water and the surrounding fells. This was a delightful part of the walk. The return leg back to the start was across fields and through woodland
The weather wasn’t on our side today, and most of the surrounding fells were hidden behind the clouds, but it was an enjoyable walk all the same
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 in the garden before we set off this morning - by all accounts they are thriving in the Lake District at the moment
Cow Bridge at the start of today’s walk
From the bridge we follow a path beside Goldrill Beck, which flows out of Brothers Water
Looking across to Hartsop
Brothers Water
We follow the lakeside path
Looking back towards Angletarn Pikes
Head of Brothers Water
The path continues beyond the head of the lake
High Hartsop Dodd
Grade I Hartsop Hall, one of the oldest houses in the Lake District and dating back to the 16th century
Old barn near the valley head, looking towards Dove Crag
We follow the track to Sykeside on the far side of the valley
Dovedale
Approaching Sykeside
Having walked through Sykeside, we follow a path below the road leading to the other shore of Brothers Water…
The head of Brothers Water again
Approaching the foot of the lake - just beyond this point we leave the shore to cross over the road on our right
Angletarn Pikes and Brock Crags
Hartsop Dodd
We cross the footbridge over Pasture Beck and walk through the attractive village of Hartsop
Looking back over Hartsop and Brothers Water from the path below Brock Crags
Hartsop and the foot of Hartsop Dodd
Brothers Water again
We continue along the elevated path…
Angletarn Beck
Dubhow
The path splits here - the right hand fork leads to Boredale Hause but we descend left into the valley
We will cross Goldrill Beck and follow the track below, turning off about half way along it to walk through the fields
Heading for the bridge over Goldrill Beck…
We pass through Bridgend
We walk beside the road for a short distance before joining a path through Low Wood which takes us back to the start
Back to Cow Bridge, here looking across to Hartsop
And back home, more red squirrel action…
