Cumbria Way Day 4 - Keswick to Caldbeck

Day 4 - Wednesday 28 April 2021

Keswick to Caldbeck (15.6 miles)

The Texaco Garage at High Hill was the start of todays leg from Keswick to Caldbeck. We had already dropped one car off in Caldbeck.

The route heads up through Crosthwaite to Brundholme Road

From Brundholme Road we turned off to the left onto Spooney Green Lane in the direction of Latrigg which can be seen ahead

Continuing along Spooney Green Lane the route crosses the A66, thankfully via this bridge.........

......... to reach a gate which leads into the woods at Whinny Brow

Looking back to Keswick and the North Western Fells

Clearly an old stone gate post - one end still upright with the other sadly now deep set into the ground

Looking back along our path of ascent to the Car Park at Gale Road - the couple in the distance are taking the path up to Latrigg

The Car Park at Gale Road which is a popular starting point for Skiddaw. For what its worth the best way up Skiddaw in my opinion the steep scree path from the col just below Carl Side. The route to Skiddaw from here is a bit of a trudge with normally lots of other people for company.

We headed along the Skiddaw path for a short while. The fell in view to the left is Lonscale Fell with Blease Fell on Blencathra to the right.

The junction of paths - Skiddaw to the left, Cumbria Way to the right

Above Whit Beck - soon we would cross the beck and swing sharp right. The motorway to Skiddaw can be seen over to the left.

Crossing Whit Beck

From the crossing of Whit Beck the route contours the lower slopes of Lonscale Fell to reach a gate. Depending on your mood and time you have a choice of route option here - either turn left and climb steeply up to Lonscale Fell, descending back to the Cumbria Way via Burnt Horse or secondly, continuing straight on the official route to pass beneath Lonscale Crags.

Once through the gate the route turns sharp left to contour around Lonscale Fell with Glenderaterra Beck to the right. This is a delightful section of walking and it is a shame we had overcast conditions today although we did have good visibility.

Blease Fell

Lonscale Pike on Lonscale Fell

Below Burnt Horse the route arrives at a gate - Skiddaw House is ahead

Skiddaw House

Skiddaw House is an independent hostel. It was built as a gamekeeper's lodge in the 1800s and first began providing accommodation to walkers, runners and bikers in 1987. The House was leased in 1986 by John Bothamley who had already created the YHA Carrock Fell Hostel a few miles away. A new staircase was built, several internal walls and three doorways were knocked through to convert the two dwellings into one. After much effort and expense the building was handed over to the YHA and operated as a simple hostel until 2002, when it closed and began to fall into disrepair again. But with the help of the previous hostel manager, many volunteers and the Skiddaw House Foundation (a registered charity), the hostel was renovated and reopened in 2007. It has been welcoming guests ever since, operating as an independent hostel affiliated to the YHA.

The hostel's website can be found here. At the time of writing (November 2021) it was up for sale for £1.5 million.

Great Calva from Skiddaw House. At this point the route splits into two and gives the walker an alternative should the weather be poor. To the left and out of shot is the low level route via Dash Falls, Orthwaite and Longlands and ahead is the high level route via High Pike. We had good visibility today and the forecast was set to hold therefore we took the high level route. Both routes converge just before Caldbeck at Nether Row.

Looking back to Skiddaw House, Lonscale Fell & Sale How

The route crosses Wiley Gill via a footbridge near a well preserved sheepfold.

Level walking now as we follow the infant River Caldew

Carrock Fell comes into view as we continue to handrail the Caldew

Crossing the bridge at Grainsgill Beck - the going is now along a metalled track between here and the Carrock Mine ruins a little further up the valley.

The ruins of Carrock Mine

Wolfram was mined at Carrock Mine. The mine was the only locality outside of Cornwall and Devon to have produced wolfram. Along with Castle-an-Dinas Mine, near St Austell in Cornwall, it was the only mine in the country where wolfram was the sole ore produced. Wolfram and scheelite are the chief ores of tungsten. The mine has worked spasmodically since 1854, but never for very long, as mining is only viable when the price of tungsten is at its peak. The last period of working finished in October 1981.

Once past the mine ruins the path follows the right hand bank of Grainsgill Beck. The going here can be boggy and the path indistinct at times.

The cascades of Grainsgill Beck

The view towards Mosedale from the top of the Grainsgill Beck path with Carrock Fell over to the left.

Heading for Lingy Hut

The wooden Mountain Bothy of Lingy Hut. It is a bit cosy inside therefore I am having a socially distanced chat from the doorway.

Lingy Hut - and what a spot. A former grouse shooting box, the hut now provides shelter for the weary walker.

Fudge looking extremely underwhelmed on the summit of Hare Stones

The junction of paths below High Pike and in mist this could be easily missed. The left hand path heads on a gentle rise to the summit and the right hand track leads to Calebreck although following it north can be used as an alternative to climbing High Pike and will bring you out at the cleared site of the Potts Gill mine buildings.

The summit of High Pike and at 2159ft is the highest point on the Cumbria Way. The slate seat is a memorial to Mick Lewis of nearby Nether Row and replaced a wooden one which sheep kept getting their horns stuck in.

The summit of High Pike looking to the northern cairn. In mist the descent from High Pike can be confusing as there are paths going off all over the place. Therefore it is important to be on your navigation and keep to the north.