Route: Derwent Water from Grange
Area: North Western Lake District
Date of walk: 11th January 2017
Walkers: Andrew
Distance: 6.4 miles
Weather: very mixed
The mountain weather forecast didn’t mince its words – phrases such as ‘zero visibility’ ‘appalling conditions’ and ‘severe gales’ persuaded me that a low level walk would be a sensible option for today’s walk.
I decided to revisit Derwent Water and after joining up a few paths on the OS map I came up with a route I’ve not followed before, though I’ve walked most of the paths in different combinations on previous occasions.
I drove over to the pretty village of Grange and parked in the small car park by the double-arched bridge over the River Derwent. After crossing the bridge I followed the path beside the Borrowdale road, before turning off towards the head of Derwent Water
At the head of the lake I crossed the Chinese bridge and walked along the boardwalk into Manesty Park, and from there into Brandelhow Park. On reaching Hawes End Outdoor Centre I set out on the return leg along an elevated path running along the foot of Catbells – a wonderful section of the walk, with glorious views all around
The path gradually descended into Borrowdale and Grange to end a superb circuit. The photographic record of the walk has a few gaps as there were several violent showers accompanied by gale force winds and horizontal sleet, making it hard to stand up at times, let alone take photos
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
The day before the walk, a few pictures of ‘Blade’ in Hull City Centre, conceived by artist Nayan Kulkarni for Hull 2017
The blade is 75 metres long, 3.5m in diameter at the root and weighs 25 tonnes
It is the largest single-cast product in the world
Over the course of 2017, hundreds of blades will be made in the new Siemens factory in Hull
Next day, on the other side of the country a red squirrel in the garden
The start of today’s walk as I cross the double-arched bridge on the way out of Grange
From the riverside path, looking back to Grange along the River Derwent
Walking beside the Borrowdale road towards Derwent Water
Maiden Moor on my left
Just before High Lodore I leave the road to follow the path to Derwent Water
Comb Gill
Shepherds Crag on my right
Looking back
A passing sleet shower obscures the views of Skiddaw
The Chinese Bridge (I think the name derives from its low curving shape)
Looking towards Derwent Water from the bridge…
…and looking the other way into Borrowdale
The excellent boardwalk, without which this part of the walk would be impossible…
Manesty Park
Brandelhow Landing Stage, one of the stages used by the Keswick Launches as they ply their trade round the lake
Further along the lakeshore path, part of the Cumbria Way
View back along Derwent Water
Blencathra in the distance
Abandoned jetty at Victoria Bay
Brandelhow Park
Either path can be taken here, I go left which avoids a ‘there and back’ at Otterbield Bay
Old Brandelhow barn
Beyond Hawse End Outdoor Centre I start the return leg
Looking back to the unmistakeable outline of Causey Pike…
…and now looking back to Skiddaw from the start of the return path
Derwent Water islands and Blencathra
Catbells
The path contours around the fellside above the road
Another view back to Keswick, Skiddaw and Blencathra
Brandelhow Point
A well located house
Looking back
Brandelhow Point again
Stone bench…
The start of the descent into Borrowdale
Castle Crag, seen as I reach the road back into Grange
Grange, and the end of a great walk…
…but not the end of the day, as I then drove over to Whitehaven to catch the sunset
