Esthwaite Round  
 
12 miles (Can be shortened) Mixed undulating woodland, good paths/tracks. Some quiet road walking. Boots or stout shoes recommended.

‘One of the best woodland and valley walks in the area - no crowds!’

1. Turn left out of our gates up the side of the house and follow track into forest to the first forest road. Turn left and then right following footpath up the hill.  (Good views looking back) At next forest road turn left passed tarn on the right, left again and down to road at Moor Top.

2. Turn right and immediately left onto farm track. After about 150 yds watch for footpath on right, take this through the deer gate and back into the forest. Left at next forest road and right after 300yds onto a footpath.

3. At the next forest road turn right, then left, and after 150 yds turn left onto bridleway. Follow this through an area where the forest has recently been felled, onto the next forest road. Here turn left, and then in 200yds turn left again onto a bridleway. Descend gradually to a road.

4. Turn right and then left across stream (no bridge) and up the hill. Follow track straight through woods and drop down to road. Turn right, then next left. At ‘T’ junction turn right into Near Sawrey.

If you wish, at this point you could walk back to Hawkshead on the road at the side of Esthwaite Water – 2 miles, or catch bus – check timetable runs seasonally.

(The Tower Bank Public House – High Green Gate Tea Rooms are in the village for refreshment’s.)

5. Next ‘T’ junction turn right, then after 50 yds. left onto farm road. Follow this road/bridleway as it climbs up onto Claife Heights. Follow the signs passing through the pastureland, passing tarns on left, and with exceptional view over to the Langdales. Eventually you come to a gate and back into the woods.  Follow the track and look carefully for a footpath on the left, which descends (steep and rocky) to a forest road. Turn left and left again at next junction. After 50 yds you reach Guide Post (see Latterbarrow walk)

At this point you have a choice; you can pick up the Latterbarrow route onto the top (see Latterbarrow walk) or retrace that route back down into the valley, as below.

6. At the Guide Post go through the gate and carry on the track down the hill to the road. Turn left and then right onto track. After 25yds. turn left round the back of a house, through gate and then across fields, first bearing right around the back of a house, and then left, to stile.

7. Over the stile and down the short hill to a lane.  Straight across, through a stile and follow track to another stile. Bear left across the field over another stile to small bridge over stream. Go up the side of the houses to main road.

8. Straight across the road and through the stile, and follow the lane into village. Straight across junction, keeping Co-op on left, into Vicarage Lane and home.