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~Troutbeck Circular~

9th July 2011

A different approach to usual, I arrived by train at Windermere Railway Station. This webpage comes with a "U" certificate, it is suitable for all. After the excitement of the double-edged assault on Helvellyn and the short, sharp ascent of Red Screes, this is rather tame. However, it's a new route and one that others may like to try one day.

Troutbeck

Troutbeck

Scroll down for photos and a description of the walk....

Burnley Railway Station

Burnley (Manchester Road) Station

Burnley has four railway stations: Central, Barracks, Manchester Road and Rose Grove. This train, from West Yorkshire will take me to Preston where I will change for Oxenholme and then change again for Windermere. Journey time of 1hr 49mins; off-peak return cost £20.50. I wonder how long the committee sat before deciding which would be Platform 1 and which would be Platform 2.

Orrest Head

Orrest Head

Upon aarival at 08:46 at Windermere, I nipped into Booths for a little breakfast and supplies for the walk. Then it was the usual route up to Orrest Head. Something untoward has happened to the fell locator. From Orrest Head it was off in northerly direction to Near Orrest and then Moor Howe for Dubbs Road.

Dubbs Road

Dubbs Road

The route from Near Orrest to Moorhowe Road was unpleasant across wet, overgrown fields. But here on Dubbs Road, it's easy going and the first felltop target, Sour Howes, is up there on the right.

Dubbs Reservoir

Dubbs Reservoir

Warning signs advise of deep water and adders! They really don't want you in there.

Troutbeck

Troutbeck

The path has now left Dubbs Road, before it meets Garburn Road. The view up Troutbeck shows Troutbeck Tongue in shadow with higher fells further away. Sour Howes is the fell summit above Applethwaite Common. My only other time up here was on a very cold day last November - a link will appear later on.

Wansfell

Wansfell

On the other side of the valley is Wansfell Pike and further away are the Langdale Pikes.

Sallows

Sallows

Sour Howes

Sour Howes Summit (probably)

Lots of bumps around here and this one looks as likely as any to be the highest.

Sallows

Sallows Wall

The weather is better than expected.

Sallows

Sallows Summit

Like I said, it's not very exciting. Somebody could be burried here. I sat and planned the next bit. I was going to head for Kentmere and then I considered wandering over Yoke and up to Ill Bell. In the end, I chose to cross Troutbeck and head for Wansfell.

Yoke

Yoke

Garburn Pass joins Troutbeck with Kentmere and here you can see the start of the path up Yoke, part of the Kentmere Horseshoe.

Applethwaite Quarry

Applethwaite Quarry

Now popular with trees. Water is running into the quarry, but there is no pool, so there must be a drainage channel somewhere.

Sheep

Horny Beasts

The quarry is home to these sheep and two mobile phone masts.

Troutbeck Church

Jesus Church, Troutbeck

A lady studies her map, my route passes the church and then heads up the fields to the main part of Troutbeck village.

Applethwaite Quarry

Applethwaite Quarry

Looking across Troutbeck to the quarry. Limefit holiday park is down there and Sour Howes is above the quarry.

Nanny Lane

Nanny Lane

The route to Wansfell from Troutbeck goes up Nanny Lane. It has been very quiet up until now, but I came to the conclusion that there must be a leaflet on sale in Ambleside, directing walkers on a "Wansfell Wander". I saw some of these folk again later, on Robin Lane.

Wansfell

Wansfell

Wansfell

Windermere

Lunchtime on Wansfell. A group of giddy youths reached the top at about the same time as me, one young lass could not believe the views, obviously her first time on a felltop. "Wow" "Amazin". For me it's a bit of back-tracking to find the Hundreds Road, a route off Wansfell in the Windermere direction.

Red Screes

Red Screes

The dark bulk is that of Red Screes, a little bit of Angletarn Pikes shows above Kirkstone Pass.

Hundreds Road

Hundreds Road

The track is clearly seen and can be joined via a permissive path from the Wansfell ascent route. There is no straight line back to Windermere. Once back in Troutbeck, it's right a bit, left a bit, over this, past that and so on.

Hundreds Road

Hundreds Road and Wansfell

Troutbeck Lane

Troutbeck - Country Path

Troutbeck

Trout Beck Bridge

My route headed off Robin Lane and down the path, along a stretch of the road near Town End and then across Trout Beck using two footbridges (above) before joining the A592 and heading south for 250yds. Then it was uphill across fields to Far Orrest.

Troutbeck

Looking Back to Troutbeck

Howe Hill

Looking Forward towards Crosses Farm

The walk continued through High Hay Wood and along Ellery Bank before rejoining the foot of the path to Orrest Head and back to vicinity of Winderemere Railway Station, with 30 minutes to spare before the train was due to depart.

Windermere Railway Station

Windermere Railway Station

The 17:06 train is direct to Manchester Airport, so only one change - at Preston. It was full, another example of the growing demand for rail travel. If I'd used the car, the fuel cost would have been similar to the fare.

Walkers: Just me.

Time taken: 7hrs 15 mins over a distance of about 14.5 miles.

Route: Windermere Railway Station to Orrest Head, Near Orrest, Moor Howe, Dubbs Road, Sour Howes, Sallows, Garburn Road, Troutbeck Church, St.Margaret's Well, Nanny Lane, Wansfell Pike, Hundreds Road, Robin Lane, paths and lanes to Far Orrest, Crosses Farm, High Hay Wood, Ellery Bank and back to the station.

Weather and conditions: Sunny Intervals and Warm.

Greetings Count: Pilgrims on Orrest Head, nobody to speak to on Sour Howes or Sallows and then lots of folk on Garburn Road and particularly Nanny Lane to Wansfell.

Richard's Refreshment Review: Breakfast in Booths, not bad for a supermarket.

A cold November day in 2010 - press "Back" to return here.

Troutbeck

All photos copyright Richard Ratcliffe 2011 ©

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