Route: Brackenthwaite bluebells
Area: Western Lake District
Date of walk: 4th May 2025
Walkers: Andrew and Gilly
Distance: 3.0 miles
Ascent: 800 feet
Weather: Sunny, quite cold
Brackenthwaite Hows, otherwise known as Lanthwaite Hill, is situated near the head of Lorton Vale. This is one of my favourite places which we visit several times a year. We walked the same route exactly one month ago but decided to revisit in order to see the bluebell display, which rivals that of its better known neighbour, Rannerdale
As on the last occasion here we parked in one of the free spaces by Lanthwaite Green Farm. We decided to vary the direction of travel by walking clockwise (note that the route map goes the other way, but it doesn’t really matter which way the walk is tackled). We headed beside the Buttermere road for a few yards before turning left to walk past Lanthwaite Green Farm and across the fields into Lanthwaite Wood. A short and simple climb brought us to the top of Brackenthwaite Hows, also known as Lanthwaite Hill. The views were as good as ever, and a large chunk of the western Lake District may be seen from here including Crummock Water, Loweswater and Lorton Vale – follow the link for a panorama
We descended gently along the ridge in the direction of Lorton Vale, passing through swathes of bluebells along the way, a wonderful sight – and scent. We followed the narrow path down to Beck House, where we crossed the Buttermere road and passed through a gate. This leads to a section which is usually quite boggy, but in view of prolonged sunny weather it was relatively dry for a change. We crossed the field and climbed up to the fell wall below the crags of Whiteside. We turned right here to followed the elevated path above Lorton Vale which brought us back to Lanthwaite Green and the end of a perfect short walk. Even though it was a bank holiday weekend, we hadn’t seen another soul along the way
For other walks here, visit my Find Walks page and enter the name in the ‘Search site’ box
Click on the icon below for the route map (subscribers to OS Maps can view detailed maps of the route, visualise it in aerial 3D, and download the GPX file. Non-subscribers will see a base map)
Scroll down – or click on any photo to enlarge it and you can then view as a slideshow
View of Mellbreak from the car park at Lanthwaite Green
Looking across to Whiteside - our return route will take us past the fell
Mellbreak again as we head towards Lanthwaite Wood
The High Stile Range, and Rannerdale Knotts on the left, the subject of my previous walk
We follow a path around the edge of Lanthwaite Wood with Whiteside on our right
Bluebells in Lanthwaite Wood
We leave the wood to enter onto Brackenthwaite Hows
Bluebells on the hillside as we gently ascend...
A wonderful view looking back over Crummock Water
The top of Brackenthwaite Hows
Lanthwaite Green, where we started the walk, on the left
Loweswater, the lake itself is unseen from here
Sweet Lorton Vale
We descend along the ridge line, initially in the direction of Whiteside
A carpet of bluebells on Brackenthwaite Hows...
Looking back to the top of the hill
Whiteside on our right as we continue to descend...
Our return route will follow a path above the dry stone wall beyond the fields
Looking back to Mellbreak and Red Pike...
Lorton Vale ahead
We follow a faint path down the hillside
Low Fell on our left
On reaching a dry stone wall we turn right and pass by Beck House
We cross the Buttermere road here and pass through the gate on the other side
Footbridge over Liza Beck
We head to the gate at the foot of Whiteside and turn right
The distinctive outline of Red Pike
Mellbreak
Mellbreak again as we look back along the path
A wonderful section along Lorton Vale as we head back to the start
Mellbreak again, and Brackenthwaite Hows on the right of the picture
Further along the path
A glimpse of Crummock Water at the foot of Mellbreak
Lanthwaite Green Farm ahead
We cross Liza Beck again
Lanthwaite Green ahead, and the end of a wonderful short walk
Later that day, in support of a local conservation project, we went in search of curlew, an endangered species on the UK Red List. We thought we'd spotted a pair in a field which they're known to inhabit
On closer inspection they turned out to be whimbrel, a very similar but smaller species, also on the Red List - wonderful to see and a satisfying end to the day
