Route: Lorton Vale
Area: Western Lake District
Date of walk: 27th August 2017
Walkers: Andrew and Gilly
Distance: 4.1 miles
Ascent: 500 feet
Weather: Light cloud
Lorton Vale is a chain of valleys stretching from Cockermouth in the north to Buttermere in the south. The middle section, with the villages of High Lorton and Low Lorton at its centre, may lack the drama of the Buttermere area but is full of rural charm and is an ideal place for a quiet walk, especially on a bank holiday such as today
We parked in High Lorton and set off in a clockwise direction so as to have the best views ahead of us as we progressed. We climbed out of the village via Boonbeck and Scales and joined the mid level path which runs along much the valley. The section near High Swinside is beautiful, with wonderful views along and across the valley
Beyond High Swinside we joined the gated road for a short distance and then rejoined the path, which curves round the foot of Lorton Dodd. After some dithering we managed to ford Hope Beck, which was very full after recent heavy rain, and then carried on round the foot of Dodd along a path which is juicy at the best of times, and was even more so today
It’s hard to leave such an enchanting path, but we had to do so at Miller Place in order to start the return leg. We walked down the outgang from the fellside and followed the quiet lane through Hopebeck. Just beyond Hopebeck we took a path across the fields back into High Lorton. It was two hours well spent in sylvan surroundings
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 Lorton Yew at the start of the walk - the tree immortalised by Wordsworth in his poem 'Yew Trees' has been halved in size by storms
Looking back over High Lorton as we climb up the lane to Boonbeck
We leave the lane to walk through the field to Scales
We pass through the farm buildings in Scales
Looking back over Lorton towards Cockermouth, and beyond it the Solway Firth
The path to High Swinside
The track leading from High Swinside holiday cottages...
The track leads to a gated road which we follow for a short distance
Looking along Lorton Vale to Mellbreak and the Lorton fells
Zooming in on heather clad Mellbreak
We leave the gated road to follow a path towards Hope Gill
A view back to Lorton
We follow the path by the dry stone wall...
Hope Beck
This section is always wet underfoot, whatever the weather
Low Fell and Fellbarrow on the far side of Lorton Vale
Herdy on the path
Mellbreak again
We leave the valley path at the outgang near Miller Place
The track from Miller Place
Gilly admires the view across the vale as we join the lane leading to Lorton
Low Fell
Heather on the lower slopes of Ladyside Pike
Further along the lane
Fellbarrow on the far side of the vale
Ladyside Pike and Hopegill Head
We leave the lane here to walk across the fields
Ladyside Pike and Hopegill Head again
High Swinside, which we'd passed through earlier in the walk
Dodd, which looks like a separate fell seen from here, but which is an extension of the ridge leading to Whiteside
Ladyside Pike
Looking across the vale
Lorton comes into view beyond the old barn
We pass by the barn...
High Lorton
Bonnie climbs the steps in the wall
Whit Beck, and the Lorton Yew again
Cottages in High Lorton at the end of today's walk
Back home, a red squirrel in the garden
