Much as I love colossal hikes and epic long days on the fells, there is also much joy to be had in a short (under 2 miles) walk. As you may know I've founded a project called #WalkOneStop aimed at encouraging folks to walk just a short distance - as Tesco would say "Every little helps" - and even a short walk can make a big difference.These past few days we've scampered around 3 gorgeous short walks in tucked away corners of the county and we only saw other people on one of them (the second one) and even then, on a sunny Bank Holiday Saturday, we only saw a few and still had acres of room to park.
Winster Wanderings
Winster is roughly between Kendal and Windermere and is an idyllic Lake District hamlet comprised a few stone houses and a fine pub - The Brown Horse. Obviously, even with a short walk, it pays to err on the side of caution when it comes to carbo-loading etc, so just to be on the safe side we wolfed down a hearty lunch before we set off - all freshly made and properly tasty.
They do rooms too - and after such a hearty lunch I was sorely tempted to take a bit of a nap but Steve insisted we should head outdoors. I offered to watch and shout directions from the patio outside the room, but he was having none of it!
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| Looking back to Brown Horse Inn in the distance |
The route:
Hidden Away High Dam
Ever wondered where the locals go on a busy bank holiday weekend? High Dam is tucked away up behind Stott Park Bobbin Mill and it's basically a smaller, quieter version of Tarn Hows. There's some roadside parking or a pay & display car park with a path leading up through the woods to the reservoir.
If you want to tag on a little extra then follow the path over to Stott Park Heights for one of the finest views of Windermere.
The route:
We found this one purely by fluke. As we were driving from Backbarrow to Haverthwaite Steve spotted a tiny tunnel under the railway line leading up into the woods, so obviously we had to explore. We parked by the river then headed up.
The circular route is 1 1/2 miles and marked with white topped posts which were easy enough to follow. There was a viewpoint marked on the map but in such a dense woodland we didn't expect much and then we popped out to see this - proof that the best views don't always require the hardest hike.
Cumbria has something to suit every hiking ability so please don't be put off by the big fells - take a chance on a random signpost through a woodland and you may just discover a magical new view.
The route:
For more awesome views of Cumbria check out Steve's new book - out June 15th and available to pre-order right now via Amazon - or, if you wait until June you can order it directly from us and I'll even persuade him to sign it too. 😀
