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A snake around the Newlands Valley 74It is hard to believe, but this bucolicvalley was once a hive of industry

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3 Over Causey Pike 78If you do only one ascent, do this.Perhaps the finest mid-height fell inthe Lakes

6 Buttermere’s other lake 84Spend a gentle hour bound for thecompany of alluring Crummock Water

7 Cinderdale and Rannerdale 86Save this delightful walk for late springwhen the lower reaches of Rannerdaleare resplendent with bluebells

4 Along the Edges to Buttermere 80Spare some of the huff and puff with ahigh-level start from Honister Hause

8 A Mellbreak traverse 88A stirring ascent, a celebrated waterfalland an unspoiled lake shore combineon this invigorating walk of contrasts

9 Loweswater overlook 90Discover, in one of the quietestcorners of the National Park, a magicalview across the western panorama

By the shores of Ennerdale 92There are plenty of ways to walkaround lakes in the Lakes – here is the wildest, remotest and best

11 Ennerdale solitude 94Lovers of windswept peace andsolitude rejoice, for lonely Crag Felland Grike await

A Coledale trio 76Orthodoxy has it that there is onlyone Coledale Horseshoe, but here’sanother (of sorts), just a little smaller

5 From top to bottom 82Explore the violent rock landscape at the head of the (otherwise) cosyButtermere Valley

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NEWLANDS, BUTTERMERE AND THE WESTERN WATERS1

turning right beyond the cattle grid ontothe lane to Skelgill. Just before the roadgate, step up to a wide stone path initiallyrising and then contouring south abovethe intake wall flanking Catbells. Fromthis elevated line the view opens over thevalley and the encircling ring of fells.Approaching Yewthwaite Gill, through thespoilheaps from one of the many formermines, divert briefly from the wall to thefootbridge, then turn west beneathLooking Crag towards Little Town. Do notdrop to the village; instead, leave the pathat a sharp bend above the last cottage andwalk south along a green path to meet amuch more substantial stone trackadvancing towards the progressivelywilder upper reaches of the valley.

After almost 1km, as the wall to the rightwithdraws, cross the footbridge overNewlands Beck (1h). Now rise to a greentrack raking right towards Low Snab Farm.Ignore the gate into the farmyard and

Distance 11.5km Time 3 hours 15Height gain 330m Map OS Explorer OL4Access supply hardly meets demandwhen it comes to parking by HawseEnd/Catbells. Spare yourself the chaosand enjoy a bracing chug across the lakeon the launch from Keswick.Alternatively, from March to October, the77/77A Honister Rambler stops by thecattle grid referred to early in the walk

Within the soft pastoral beauty of theNewlands Valley linger the hard edges ofa long-abandoned mining industry.Contrast the rough with the smooth on asinuous route through the tangled lanes,gentle folds and lazy pastures of asublime valley.

Start at Hawse End landing stage,Derwentwater (GR251213). Walk up the hillfrom the lake, over the driveway to theoutdoor centre, and by the remains of ametal fence to the road. Remain upwards,

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A SNAKE AROUND THE NEWLANDS VALLEY

continue up around the nose of Scope Endinto the mouth of Little Dale. At a patch ofspoil, take the path branching left to a cleftcutting the fellside. Turn up a few metresto find a path traversing the western flankof Hindscarth to the small reservoir at thevalley head. Hardly ever used, easyunderfoot and with a strong sense of thehills, this is one of the best ‘secret’ pathsin the Lake District.

Some 100m short of the dam, the pathdissolves in a wet patch; press on to thewater, a charming spot framed byLittledale Crags and waterfalls, crossingthe footbridges over the outlets to theRobinson side (GR215177). Rise briefly to

locate a wide green path rolling easily back down the valley to the lane end byLow High Snab Cottage.

Descend along the peaceful metalledlane past hedgerow, pastures andscattered copses to reach the whitewashedrustic charm of tiny Newlands Church(2h30). Continue to the T-junction, turnright to cross Chapel Bridge and ascendwith the road into and through LittleTown. Leaving the village, take the walledlane to the right (SP Skelgill) over a ford(footbridge too) and on to its end at openfields. The way now undulates NNE acrossa succession of pastures to a run of threegates by Skelgill Farm. At the road, turn upto the gate across it, retracing your stepsfrom here to Hawse End (3h15).

�Newlands Church