Route: Circuit of Lorton Vale
Area: North Western Lake District
Date of walk: 7th April 2016
Walkers: Andrew
Distance: 9.9 miles
Ascent: 1,100 feet
Weather: mostly overcast but a few brighter spells
After yesterday’s lovely walk in Borrowdale I decided on another valley walk, this time around Lorton Vale. The scenery is more pastoral and lacks the rugged crags of Borrowdale but all the same it’s stunningly beautiful throughout, and has the benefit of being very quiet
I set off from Low Lorton, but this is a walk that could be started at various points along the way, as may be seen from the OS map. After walking through High Lorton I climbed uphill to join the wonderful mid level path which runs along the east side of the vale. It was a clear day and looking back from High Swinside I could see Scotland and the Solway Firth in the distance
When I reached Lanthwaite Green I made my way down to the foot of Crummock Water, which looked beautiful in some good light, and I then followed a succession of paths away from the lake and over to Crummock Water Cottages at Foulsyke on the far side of the valley. The view from here is one of the best in the whole district
As there is no public footpath along this side of the valley I followed the lane, which is very quiet and is only used by locals and C2C cyclists. During the whole of the 3 mile section I counted 4 cars, 2 bikes and a couple of stray sheep. The lane brought me directly back into Low Lorton to end a great low level walk
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
Walnuts for breakfast for this red squirrel in the garden before I set off this morning
The start of the walk, and I follow the road into High Lorton
High Lorton
The new Lorton Village Shop, recently opened by Arwen and Lee - best of luck with your new venture
‘There is a Yew-tree, pride of Lorton Vale…’ - slightly diminished by storms since Wordsworth immortalised it in ‘Yew Trees’
I follow a path out of the village towards Boonbeck and Scales
The path takes me past these atmospheric old buidlings
Start of the mid-level path along Lorton Vale
I pass through High Swinside Holiday Cottages, set in a wonderful position
Lorton Vale from High Swinside
I follow the path around the foot of Whiteside Dodd
Zooming back over Lorton, the Solway Firth and Criffel in Scotland can be seen quite clearly
The local farmer, Christine, has diverted the footpath to save frog spawn being trampled - successfully it seems as there were hundreds of tadpoles swimming around here
There’s no bridge over Hope Beck and it’s a question of hopping across the rocks
Looking across the valley to Thackthwaite, which I’ll walk through later on my return route
I pass by the outgang at Miller Place
Lanthwaite Hill
Carling Knott and Burnbank Fell above Loweswater, and Low Fell on the right
I continue to follow the path above the dry stone wall
Looking back
Crummock Water and Mellbreak
I leave the valley path here to descend to the foot of Crummock Water
I walk across Lanthwaite Green to join a path next to Lanthwaite Green Farm
Walking towards Lanthwaite Wood
I follow a track through the wood
I arrive at the foot of Crummock Water
Looking across to the boathouse
Lovely light as I walk round the foot of the lake…
I head away from the lake to cross Park Beck
Looking back to the High Stile Range
Low Fell ahead as I aim for the path just beyond Muncaster House
I resist the temptation to turn left to the Kirkstile Inn and instead follow a path over the fields ahead
Crummmockwater Cotttages at Foulsyke which enjoy one of the best views in England…
From Foulsyke, the remainder of the walk is along the quiet lane along the west side of Lorton Vale
Wonderfully situated Scale Hill Cottages
Grasmoor in the clouds
Thackthwaite has a problem with delinquent squirrels
A final glance back down the valley
It just remains to cross the bridge over the River Cocker at Low Lorton to end a superb walk
