Bleaberry Fell and High Street from Keswick

Depart from the car-park through the gap in the stone wall near to the Century Theatre. Once on the path through here fork L. You are now in a fine, mature deciduous woodland, passing through glades of mainly beech trees. Your direction of travel is SSE. At a crossing of paths just before reaching a large sycamore tree, turn L down a hawthorn-edged path leading to the B5289 road. Along here there is a good view of Skiddaw rearing up to your L in the N. Cross the road, pass through a gap in the wall, and climb the steps. Follow the path uphill, initially to your L, and then immediately fork to the R and proceed further uphill on a wide gravel path NE. Veer round to the R and climb the slope to reach the rocky promontory of Castlehead Crag. This outcrop provides excellent views overlooking Derwent Water to the W.

To return to the main path below, retrace your final approach steps leading to the crag, and then turn R along this heading SSW. Follow the path down through the densely packed deciduous wood of mainly beech, oak and sycamore trees. You then take a L fork, and pass through a kissing-gate leading to a second edged pathway, which you proceed along. This leads to Springs Lane. Turn R along it, walking slightly uphill. A beck is then crossed by a stone bridge. Continue through Springs Farm, passing gates and reassuring signs, one of which reads 'Rakefoot Stone Circle'.

The stony path leads uphill into Springs Wood with its less mature trees, as a beck appears down below on your L. The way then bends to your R, from ESE to SSE, and is signed 'Rakefoot Farm Walla Crag Castlerigg Stone Circle'. Then you veer R away from a path on Your L that descends to the beck. Your way continues to climb, now squeezed between trees and a fence and lane. The lane provides access up to a communication pylon.

After coming to a stile and kissing-gate continue ahead ignoring a path off to your R to 'Great Wood'. You then walk SE up a path with a wire fence to your R and a steep-sided wooded gully on your L through which a beck flows. Another kissing-gate follows and then a yellow arrowhead waymarker confirms your direction of travel. Continue through a pleasant dell before reaching a wider path, along which you turn. You then cross the stream at a narrow footbridge, climb the steps on the far side and pass through a gate to reach a lane. Turn R here and walk towards Rakefoot.

The lane bends to the R in the direction signed 'Walla Crag' and a farm is passed to your L. Next cross the beck to your R by the wooden footbridge, turn immediately L and take the stony footpath leading uphill alongside a stone wall sw. Further up look around for a fine unobstructed view of Skiddaw NNW, Blencathra NNE and down to Keswick with Bassenthwaite Lake beyond to the Nw. A p-stile is reached and here there is a National Trust sign indicating 'Castlerigg'. Your good path continues up the wide grassy band veering to the R and heading s to sw as it follows the line of the dry-stone wall. Then the rounded heights of Bleaberry Fell, your first major target, come into view over on your L, to the S.
After passing through another kissing-gate the stony path leads round the more revealing edge of the fellside. Just beyond, some magnificent views open up across Derwent Water, right into the heart of the folded, high north-westerly fells. To the SW are Hindscarth and Robinson towering above Cat Bells, the Causey Pike ridge rising to the dominat­ing mass of Crag Hill w and further to the R the separate, distinctive peak of Grisedale Pike rises in the NW; and these are only a selection of the high­lights! You may also have the thrill of seeing falcons along here.
Advance along the well-used path close to the edge of the cliff-face of Walla Crag, which drops very steeply on your R through densely wooded slopes with intermittent rocky promontories jut­ting out. When you reach the next cairned, craggy outcrop of rocks at Lady's Rake you will be able to view the mighty Helvellyn range of mountains. These stand out on the SE skyline over to your L. From here descend slightly along the grassy path leading down SSW. Near the stile ahead, which you cross, the shapely, far-off peak of Bow Fell can be made out on a clear day on compass bearing SSW. Turn R over the wall and when you reach the cairn below, fork L to the SSE, and continue through the high moorland opening out to your L. Just past two further cairns, locate a less distinct track that bran­ches L away from the main path, and this will lead you SE towards Bleaberry Fell. The landscape now changes quite abruptly, and soon you are walking through an open terrain of bracken, heathers and scrubland above the tree-line, save for one solitary ash tree.
The ground underfoot becomes boggy in parts here, and this, unfortunately, is a taste of what is to come further on. You then cross a small beck above a miniature waterfall, and following more soggy patches, a firm grassy path becomes clearly established. Make for the rocky plug ahead to the S under the lee of which the remains of a dilapidated sheepfold still stand. Your path bends to the L of this structure, and then ascends further in a broad sweep to the L across more boggy ground to reach the final, severe slopes of Bleaberry Fell away to the ESE. The worst parts of these hags demand careful and wide detours, particularly after prolonged heavy rain. This area is, however, a site of special scientific interest and therefore merits minimum disturbance.
Next comes the ascent of the rocky mound of Bleaberry Fell. A large marker cairn is passed at the top of the steepest part of the climb, after which a wide stony path leads s over moderately rising ground to bring you to another equally impressive cairn at the summit. Bleaberry Fell rises to 590m (1,932 ft), and its isolated summit commands open views in all directions. You will already be familiar with most of these, but one further revelation is the relatively low-lying, but nevertheless, very interesting separated ridge of Low and High Rigg to be seen to the NE.
 

Continue along the path s from the summit of Bleaberry Fell towards the craggy promontory of High Seat some 2 km (11 miles) away. The way

undulates through less distinctive terrain, which in the hollows becomes somewhat featureless. Small narrow tams are passed tucked away in the many folds of the fells you are walking over. Keep to the highest ground whenever you can, always tracking between s and ssw towards the approaching outline of High Seat.

There is one particularly frustrating spot along here. Eventually your path will lead you to a newly constructed taut wire fence that runs across your way forward. A minimal low stile has been provided for you to get across. The problem is on the other side. The land is quite boggy, especially along the line of the fence to your L, which appears to be the way the interfered-with path is intended to lead you. There are alternative ways forward, either directly ahead, or by circumventing the nasty wet area on the rising ground to the R. None of these alternatives is entirely satisfactory, and in wet conditions you will have done well if you manage to keep your boots dry here.

Through the worst of the boggy area take a diagonal line to your L to reach a well-defined path ahead bordered by defunct fence posts. Turn R along this sanctuary and climb to the summit of High Seat at 608m (1,995ft). There are magnificent 360° views from this interesting craggy top.

Descend from High Seat through heathers along a grassy path leading NW. At the division of the ways veer to your L. Continue towards the rocky promontories and hillocks ahead on which cairns have been positioned. You will have to contend with more wet, soggy patches before you reach firmer ground ahead. This is attained after crossing the remains of a dry-stone wall at rising ground further on. Veer R here along the distinct path before continuing NW and making for a cairn on the near horizon. In this area there are several variants possible, and your exact route will depend upon how many of the rocky crags you wish to visit along the edge of the high ground overlooking Derwent Water. Whatever else you do in this area, do not yet surrender significant height to the W, and quickly abandon any paths, including canned ones, leading steeply down in that direction.

Continue to work your way along the tops between N and NW, forging your own route among the mounds with the aid of paths that start and finish with bewildering complexity. Your next goal is a prominent fell above Ashness Gill, which is a meeting point of the ways. From this confluence of minor and indistinct tracks, a definite, narrow, stony path leads down, initially in the direction of Bleaberry Fell ENE. The descent becomes steeper as the path bends northwards to transport you quickly to the stream below. The final section is quite difficult, down a packed earth shoot, where secure footholds are not easy to maintain.

The stream at the bottom compensates for the exacting descent. Continue down round the spur of the fellside along the clearly marked pathway, with Ashness Gill below in the rocky gully to your R. Your path then rounds a pleasant terraced traverse, and the way continues through heathers and bracken. The path drops to a p-stile, and then you continue downhill to reach the road near Ashness Bridge. Turn R and cross the famous Ashness Bridge.

Take the footpath immediately to your R snaking up the fellside to a crooked p-stile ahead. There is a sign here that reads 'Footpath to Great Wood and Keswick'. Select the lower path, which descends gradually to the N. The stony way traverses along the fellside, undulating through sparse hawthorn trees, gorse bushes and the inevitable bracken. Falcon Crag is passed on your R with its great sheer rock buttresses and steep scree and rock-shattered slopes below. You may be able to watch the athletic endeavours of climbing parties testing their skills on the rock pitches along here.

The path continues N, and at the fork ahead keep to the higher path on the R. Your way then enters Great Wood and rises alongside a stone wall to the

L before you cross a stream. Walk downhill from here to your L. At the next junction keep straight on, avoiding a path off to the R leading to Walla Crag via Rakefoot. Proceed along the forest trail and keep to this wide track as a car-park is passed on your L. The track leads to a gate and a p-stile on your L about 50 paces from the entrance to Great Wood car-park. Turn L over the stile and walk down the car-park entrance lane. Cross the busy B5289 and veer R down the path through the woods, crossing a wooden footbridge before the way bends back to the R, alongside the road. An excellent path then leads N beneath a shading canopy of mainly coniferous trees. Some distance along here turn L down a surfaced lane signed 'Public Footpath' and pointing WSW.

Pass through a gate at a cattle grid ahead. Turn R through a further gate and walk along the path into another wooded area alongside a tiny watercourse on your R. After a footbridge and gate, your way leads down to the attractive shoreline of Derwent Water. The path continues across a footbridge, round a sweeping shingle bay and on towards Keswick through another gate. Turn L along here for a short detour to the well-regarded viewing point of Friar's Crag on your L. Then continue along the wide gravel path, which will bring you past the boat moorings back again to the car-park situated beyond the Century Theatre.