Route: Nether Wasdale
Area: Southern Lake District
Date of walk: 10th October 2020
Walkers: Andrew and Gilly
Distance: 4.8 miles
Ascent: 300 feet
Weather: Mostly cloudy, a few patches of sun and some light rain
Wasdale is home to England’s highest mountain and its deepest lake. The head of the valley is a springboard to some of the finest fell walks in the Lake District. However the fells enclose the valley head to such an extent that low level walking opportunities there are very limited. Nether Wasdale, at the foot of Wastwater, is a better choice for a low level walk, and offers wonderful views towards some of the finest landscape in the country
We’ve followed this walk, or variations of it, on several occasions and parked as usual in the car park at Cinderdale Bridge, at a triangle of roads just beyond Nether Wasdale. After turning right out of the car park we crossed the River Irt, and then joined the track leading to Easthwaite. The path formerly passed directly through the farm, but has now been diverted around it. Beyond the farm, confusion may arise when a path to Lund Bridge, clearly marked on the OS maps as a public footpath, bears a sign ‘PRIVATE – no public right of way’. Either the OS map is wrong or the landowner has created a diversion in order to keep walkers away from his field. It’s not an issue, as the extra distance is not significant and the surrounding scenery is so good
We joined the path beside the River Irt and crossed Lund Bridge to enter into Low Wood, a good place to see bluebells in season. We followed a path through Low Wood and arrived at the foot of Wastwater. The view from here is one of the finest mountain landscapes in the Lake District, and didn’t disappoint today
We continued along the lakeshore path and just beyond Wasdale Hall climbed up to the road which we followed for a short distance before turning off at High Birkhow. The track beside the wood, and through the open countryside at Ashness How, is always a boggy affair and today was no exception. There are many good retrospective views to Wasdale Head along the way. We left the path to cross Scale Bridge and then followed the pleasant path through Mill Place back to the start of the 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)
Scroll down – or click on any photo to enlarge it and you can then view as a slideshow
We cross Cinderdale Bridge at the start of the walk
Just beyond the bridge we join the track to Easthwaite Farm...
Looking across to Whin Rigg and Illgill Head, the Wastwater Screes
Middle Fell and Yewbarrow
We head in the direction of the Wastwater Screes
Middle Fell
Yewbarrow...
Yewbarrow again
Beyond Easthwaite Farm now, we head towards Wastwater, unseen from here
Buckbarrow on our left
The OS map clearly shows a public footpath here, which leads directly to Lund Bridge, and I've used this path in the past, before the 'Private' sign appeared. Obeying the sign involves a diversion, but the scenery is so good that it's not an issue
Buckbarrow again
We make a short there and back detour to the foot of the Wastwater Screes
The foot of Wastwater at the point where the River Irt starts its journey. Yewbarrow is in the background
The River Irt
We follow the riverside path
We cross Lund Bridge and enter into Low Wood
The path skirts around the edge of the wood and passes by the boathouse at the foot of Wastwater
Wasdale Hall, and Buckbarrow beyond
View to Wasdale Head
Having crossed the foot of Wastwater, we follow the lakeshore path towards its head, dominated by Lingmell seen from here
Lingmell and the Wastwater Screes
We arrive at the road, and reluctantly turn our backs on Wastwater to start the return leg of the walk
We follow the road for a short distance before turning off at High Birkhow
Looking back along the path at the start of a wet section
We cross over this stile, with Buckbarrow in the background
The best views on this section of the walk are retrospective ones of the Wasdale Fells - Yewbarrow and Kirk Fell
Yewbarrow and the foot of Middle Fell
Illgill Head
Middle Fell
Scafell
Whin Rigg
A final look back along the path
We pass through Mill Place, and the end of the walk lies just beyond it
