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The walk is best started from a small layby situated
on the eastern side of the road next to the small knoll
of High Tongue about a mile north of Seathwaite Village.
It is a small clearing with ample space for several
vehicles. A bridleway passes over the road here so you
should see a sign on either side of the road for a bridleway
and footpath. The path you need to take from the car
park heads west or from the other side of the road.
The path follows the bridleway as it heads slowly downhill
through bracken on an obvious route heading to the bottom
of the valley where you will come to the stepping stones
at the River Duddon.
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Bracken Path
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The Fickle Steps
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These stepping stones are known as the Fickle Steps
to some, Fickle relating to the small crag above the
river in the Dunnerdale Forest. The stones are not that
easy to cross and because of this a helpful wire hawser
has been installed for people crossing to hold onto
while they jump from boulder to boulder trying hard
to keep a grip on these often slippery rocks. If when
you reach the stepping stones the river is in spate
then unfortunately there is no alternative way to cross
the river. In this case you will have to return to the
car and drive down to Seathwaite Village and start the
walk from there instead. Apart from the small section
from the car to the River Duddon, the walk is actually
a circular walk so just start the walk from Seathwaite
instead. You can do this by reading the route description
from the Newfield Inn onwards then completing it by
reading from this point onwards once you make it to
the stepping stones again.
Once on the other or west side of the stepping stones
follow the path that heads west uphill through the enchanting
Dunnerdale Forest signposted to Grassguards. As you
head uphill through the forest floor you will see the
huge cliffs of Fickle Crag on your right, the path eventually
skirts the crag and the path becomes quite rocky for
a short section, after which the path levels out and
reaches the banks of Grassguards Gill. This is a lovely
spot with hundreds of birds singing away in the forest
to the right and Grassguards Gill falling down the hill
on the left. After a while you will reach a small road
at Grassguards which goes through a ford in the river.
Walkers are signposted to walk to the small wooden footbridge
just beyond the ford and cross it to a gate in the wall
on the left just a little further on.
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The Fickle Steps
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Grassguards Gill
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A footpath has been created that heads round the back
of the farm here and eventually meets back at the road
that went through the ford and has now come out of the
other side of the farm. Do be careful on the diverted
path as it heads behind the farm, the owner there seems
to feel the need to have wire fence with large holes
in holding back a few rather unfriendly ankle biting
dogs who's heads soon fly through the holes and are
in easy biting distance. When you get back to the track
road follow it to the right heading south towards the
fields.
You should be able to see the impressive stone walls
that surround most of this areas farming fields. These
walls are some of the best built I have ever seen, the
family who ran the farm here in the middle of the last
century had several strong sons in the family, it was
there man power that enabled the fields here to be turned
into excellent farming land and enabled the building
of such grand walls. They really are something to be
seen. Follow the road through the last of the farmers
fields and then out onto open moorland of Rowantree
How where the track eventually passes under the craggy
Basin Barrow to the right.
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Rowantree How
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Low Stonythwaite
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After passing Basin Barrow the road crosses between
Wallowbarrow Crag on the left and Hollin How on the
right before heading downhill towards a lovely little
valley where you will come to the impressive Low Stonythwaite
buildings. About a hundred yards before the house a
bridleway sign points to the left, follow this route
left and downhill, after about ten metres there is a
small path heads uphill to the summit of Wallowbarrow
Crag for anyone interested in the view from this excellent
lookout over the Duddon Valley. Continue downhill now
on a rough track passing the huge crags of first Wallowbarrow
Crag and then Low Crag on the left hand side.
The path will eventually reach the small Rake Beck
as it zig zags through Lily Wood. At the point where
the stream crosses a small beck that runs into Rake
Beck stop and look back up at Wallowbarow Crag and Low
Crag and you'll be amazed at just how big they actually
are, approaching them from behind gives no aspect of
just how grand these huge crags are but seen from below
they really are special, especially with the foreground
of an autumnal Lily Wood.
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Low Crag above Lily Wood
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River Duddon Bridge
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When you reach the gate a few hundred yards from High
Wallowbarrow farm follow the path to the left towards
the farm. The path here goes straight through the farm,
go through the large gate into the main part of the
farm and then turn immediately left through two other
gates away from the farm. The path now heads across
towards another forest, go through the gate into the
forest and follow the track until you get to one of
the most impressive stone arch bridges your likely to
see in the Lake District crossing the River Duddon.
If your brave and the water is low then there are also
some stepping stones down stream from here.
Cross the stone arch bridge and follow the path to
the right as it follows the bank of the river bending
left after a few hundred metres. The path will eventually
come to a rather less aesthetically pleasing stone bridge
which you can cross to reach the other side of the river
and then through a gate onto the road. At the road turn
left towards Seathwaite Village where you will find
the warmth, comfort and hospitality of the Newfield
Inn. The Newfield Inn is a 17th century free house situated
in the quiet Seathwaite Village in one of the quietest
Lake District valleys. It is a place full of character
with exposed beams, a log fire and a unique slate floor.
Walkers are always welcome and the food, refreshments
and local ales are all excellent. What more could you
want?
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Seathwaite Village
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River Duddon
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After taking in the delights of the Newfield Inn take
a path that is signposted and heads in between the two
barns on the opposite side of the road to the pub. The
path goes through a few gates and then onto the farming
fields, cross the final field and head slightly to the
left once on the other side to reach a small footbridge.
Cross the bridge and then head straight on through the
woods. You will get to the old dam in the river, here
follow the path left as it heads over a marshy boggy
field, the path too ends up quite wet here. After the
boggy area the path bends slightly right and heads into
the forest before reaching the beautiful stone arched
bridge yet again.
Cross the bridge and turn right heading upstream following
the River Duddon which at this point turns from a wide
calm river into a torrent crashing over fallen boulders.
The path starts to get difficult as it crosses large
boulders, this can be extremely slippery and care should
be taken for the next mile or so. In the river you will
see a huge boulder which indicates the start of the
Wallowbarrow Gorge, a deep wooded ravine with crags
of loose rock and scree on either side and the excitement
of its spectacle the River Duddon in the valley floor.
The river here when in spate is phenomenal and adventure
seeking canoe and kayak experts love taking advantage
of it.
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Duddon Stepping Stones
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Wallowbarrow Gorge
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Follow the path along the banks of the river and eventually
it will head uphill, a slight scramble is required.
As the path heads uphill it passes a large scree spill
to the left and then settles down as it passes through
the valley high in the woods. The path stays high for
a while and then gets boggy before it starts to descend
again and eventually reaches a small footbridge over
Grassguards Gill at the point where it joins the River
Duddon. Follow the path for a few hundred metres and
you'll reach the Fickle Steps at the start of the walk,
simply cross the Fickle Steps once more and head uphill
back to the car park.
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Duration
: 4 Hrs
