Route: Hen Comb
Area: Western Lake District
Date of walk: 9th April 2015
Walkers: Andrew and Gilly
Distance: 4.7 miles
Weather: Sunny but very hazy
We’d planned to park at Church Bridge, but some engineering works meant that this small parking area wasn’t accessible. Instead we asked permission at the nearby Kirkstile Inn and this was granted on the basis that we’d have lunch there later on – which was our intention anyway. (Note: parking at the Kirkstile is for patrons only)
We walked along the lane past Kirkgate Farm and crossed Mosedale Beck over the stepping stones. Instead of heading up to join the ridge, we walked along the flank of Hen Comb for a while, gradually gaining height before we finally joined the ridge shortly after Little Dodd. The route was pathless in parts
The views from the summit of Hen Comb are normally superb but today they were poor on account of the hazy conditions
We made our way back along the ridge to Mosedale Beck and retraced our steps back to the start. We paid our ‘parking fee’ by having lunch at the Kirkstile Inn, an excellent bargain
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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The day before the walk - a red squirrel in our apple tree
Next day, we start the walk and pass by the famous Kirkstile Inn
We turn right at the ‘negative signpost’
Passing by Kirkgate Farm
The delightful track beyond the farm
Further along the track Hen Comb comes into view behind the trees
The track continues into lonely Mosedale, but we turn right here and descend to the beck. Hen Comb is ahead
Looking back to Low Fell
We cross Mosedale Beck
The path along the flank of Hen Comb (which disappears after a while)
Looking back over the Vale of Lorton, Mellbreak is on the right
We gain the ridge to the summit
Looking back to Loweswater on the left and Lorton Vale on the right
Bonnie waits for us to catch up as we climb up the final steeper section of the fell
Summit of Hen Comb looking down into Mosedale and its beck
There’s a superb view from here to Buttermere and Fleetwith Pike and more besides - but not today
Looking back along Mosedale, the long white building in the distance is the Kirkstile
The summit cairn, looking towards the Loweswater fells
We get out our battered old copy of Wainwright’s Guide to the Western Fells, still a good read though we’ve been up here often
Navigating the way back couldn’t be simpler, just follow the line of the ridge
A wire fence crosses the ridge line, which Bonnie jumps with ease
The Kirkstile, and Lorton Vale beyond
Loweswater
Descending to Mosedale Beck
Mellbreak
Stand clear, here comes The Shake
We cross Mosedale Beck again
Whiteside and Grasmoor ahead as we retrace our steps along the track back to the start
The price of our parking ticket, lunch to follow, what a bargain
Later that day, a zoomed in mono photo of Hen Comb taken from home
