For those of you that are thinking of going onto the hills I would strongly recommend that you read the advice given by the Mountain Rescue organisation of England and Wales. To read this advice, which will open in a new page please click HERE. If you would like to make a donation to the Mountain Rescue organisation which is purely voluntary please click HERE. Please make the time to read the advice page.

A fine, glorious day but very hazy. Not wanting to travel far we decided on yet another visit to the Outlying Fell of Whitbarrow. It is easy to take the fells for granted, particularly those that lie virtually on the doorstep but even though we have been up on Whitbarrow many, many times it never fails to impress. Wainwright in his Outlying Fells of Lakeland describes  this walk as "the most beautiful in this book ; beautiful it is every step of the way"  our walk does follow AW's route apart from the short section from the bottom of Bell Rake to Witherslack Hall which can now be done on a permissive path through High Park wood rather than down the road. We also added a little extra onto the walk by starting from near Raven's Lodge so we could walk through the old quarry

White Scar and Raven's Lodge from near where we left the car.

Approaching Raven's Lodge

There is a bridleway to the left as you approach. This leads to Mill Side and would be our return route. Our path goes around the farm and then left into the old quarry.

Whitbarrow Quarry

Just follow the track through the quarry and into the woods.

Arriving shortly at this old seat which is shown on AW's map.

To the left of the seat there is a narrow path leding upwards which after a short while goes through a wall only to go back through it after a few short yards.

From there it is just a few minutes walk to gain the open ridge

Looking S'wards into the sun and haze towards Arnside Knott

Looking down into the valley to the farm that Ediths cousin runs.

The way ahead is plain to see

A close up of Witherslack Hall now a school.

Part way along the ridge there is a cross wall with stile where you enter the nature reserve

A tree on the escarpment shows the direction of the prevailing wind.

The final section to the summit

The cairn on Lord's Seat

Looks like some overnighters are here.

The views from the summit were disappointing. Even Cunswick & Scout Scars across the Lyth Valley were hard to make out only 3 miles away.

From the cairn it's simply a case of heading N'wards until this cross wall is reached

Then follow it downwards to Bell Rake

On the way you should pass this open level

Then down the limestone scree of Bell Rake into High Park Wood.

AW had to use the minor road to get to Witherslack Hall but now there is a permissive path through High Park wood to the school

It emerges from the wood near the playing fields which lie under Chapel Head Scar. Our path now goes down to the palying field and through the woods to the right.

The path runs through High Crag and Low Crag Woods to Beck Head

Arriving at Beck Head...Another of Ediths cousins used to live in one of these cottages

The aptly named Yew Tree Cottage

The beck at Beck Head

Walking down to Mill Side we came upon this colurfully clad wall

Dragonfly?

Update:  I am told it is a male Black Darter. Many thanks to Sheila from Gosforth.

The duck was determined to spoil any chance I had of a reflection.

Our path now took us up to Low Fell End to access the bridleway back to Raven's Barrow

The southernmost tip of Whitbarrow as we walk through Low Fell End

The path enters Buckhouse Wood and heads back to Raven's Lodge

Back to Raven's Lodge

While we've been away the farmer as been busy gathering in the last cut of the year which was drying in the first picture

And finally......back to the car

Next Walk:      23rd September 2008 -- Arnside Knott from Arnside

Last Walk:       18th September 2008 -- Lake District -- Langdale Waterfalls

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