Walk Summary
Easy walking along forestry roads on Windermere's west bank. Great views across the lake. Drop in at the National Trust's Wray Castle. Wander through the extensive forestry plantations of Claife. Ideal walk when the mist is down on the high fells.
Date: 06/05/2023
Length: 9.76 miles
Height Gain: 302 m
Terrain: Forestery roads, stone tracks, muddy tracks, grass tracks
Navigation: Map, compass and gps required. Signage is reasonably good and the OS map indicate forestry roads and footpaths well.
Start: Red Nab Carpark
Route: Red Nab Carpark, Windermere West Lakeside, High Blind How, Claife Woods, High Wray, Wray Castle, Wray Crag, Wray Castle
Map: OL7 South Eastern Lake District
Weather: Hazy sun, greyish
Walkers: Nun, Cabin Boy, Kapitan Mo
Captain's Log
Change Of Plan
Rain greeted us as we had our breakfast at our base in Grasmere. The weather forecasters predicted a storm arriving (possibly thundery) around 2pm. We were going to do a long walk day today, but given the conditions I opted for a shorter one around the Clafe forest on the west side of Lake Windermere. Our carpark was at Red Nab which is at the end of a single track road that is pockmarked with mega potholes. I was surprised to find a circle of motorhomes at the carpark; they obviously have better suspension than my car. As we disembarked and started kitting up, a drooling Staffy watched me with keen interest from a motorhome window. I think he wanted to come out to play. We set off along the forestry road that took us southwards alongside Lake Windermere's west bank.
Despite the 10 mph signs along the lake, there seemed quite a lot of users flaunting the limit. A speed boat and water skier seemed to be doing well over the limit. The dog seemed to be enjoying life on the front of the speed boat though. It had been a bit grey after the morning rain, but it started to brighten up as we progressed down the lake. A Mandarin duck brightened things up even more with its colourful display of feathers.
We branched off the forestry road on to a bridleway to Far Sawrey. Hearing a kafuffle ahead, we stepped off the path to let the first of four mountain bikers steam downhill past us, each one of them telling us how many more bikers were to come. Before reaching Far Sawrey, we turned on to a path that led us back northwards into the forestry plantations. At one point some trees had fallen across the path and it was either a case of limboing beneath them or frisby flopping over them. We'd gained height now and we got occasional glimpses through the trees back down to Lake Windermere. At 10:00 we could hear church bells ringing from Windermere's town centre across the lake. They seemed to go on forever. There must have been quite a few weddings going off. We were only able to escape the cacophony when we headed of through the forest to High Pate Crag. The crags were clear of trees and we sat down for a break. We weren't that far from High Blind How that looked, according to the OS map, to be the highest point in the Claife forest plantations.
Windemere Boats
Windermere Water Skier
The Tracks Were Reasonably Well Signed Throughout The Plantations
High Blind How
We never got to High Blind How. The Tree Troublers had nuked the area and the hill was a tangle of stones and tree trunks. A Tree Troubler notice told us that the footpath was closed and that they were in no rush to reopen it again. Fortunately there was a forestry road a stone's throw away and so we joined that. It was a shame we couldn't get to the highest point though.
The forestry roads and the footpaths on the grounds were true to the OS map and that gave us some confidence when progressing through the plantations. We wanted to make our way to the village of High Wray at the northern end of the plantations and so we combined footpaths and forestry roads to take us in that general direction. Our route brought us out at what was labelled Basecamp on the OS map. It is actually a National Trust residential volunteering base. I've walked past the camp a few times and never seen anybody about. The last post on their Facebook page was back on the 12th of February 2021 and so maybe it has shut down.
Sometimes The Forestry Roads Provided Good Views
High Wray, Castle And Grounds
At High Wray the villagers had put buntin and flags out to welcome us. Some were draped over the road junction sign and yet more along the garden walls of the cottages in the village. Curiously there weren't any locals about to greet us personally, even so I did think the decorations for us was a nice touch.
On the footpath down from High Wray to the Windermere shore, a dozen or so people suddenly appeared behind us. I thought it might be villagers coming to apologise for missing us on our trundle through their village but it turned out to be a group of ramblers. The footpaths suddenly became quite busy. Most of the people seemed to be coming from the direction of Wray Castle. We headed in that direction along a very pretty shore line. I knew there was some seats near to the castle and I thought they'd provide an ideal place to have our lunch. Looking up at the area I could see some people using the seats and others milling around. I suggested to the Cabin Boy that I might have to show them my National Trust member card, if we needed to evict anybody from a seat. Luckily we were able to find an unoccupied picnic table to have our lunch.
Wray Castle is a bit of an oddity. It's history goes back to 1840 when it was built for a retired Liverpudlian surgeon using his wife's money. It's unknown what she thought about the idea. I guess it was the Disney castle of its time, right down to the turrets and arrowslits. In 1929 the castle and the grounds were given to the National Trust and judging by the number of people out today, it is a very popular attraction.
After lunch we continued walking northwards along the shoreline. There were plenty of boats out on the lake. I noted that the ferries that tour the lake don't seem to stick to the 10 mph limit either. There were some wonderful views across the water to the Red Screes and the hills of the Fairfield Horseshoe. At the entry to the Low Wray campsite our foray to the north was complete and we started returning back down the shore line to the Red Nab carpark.
High Wray Welcome
Red Screes
Wray Castle
Return To Red Nab
In the Wray Castle grounds our progress kept being interrupted by the slowest family on mountain bikes that I've ever encountered. They'd pass us and then 20 yards later they'd stop to take a photo, have a domestic argument or sort out a puncture. They were so slow that we actually left them behind when leaving the castle's grounds. Back at the Red Nab carpark, the motorhome with my drooling Staffy onlooker from this morning was still there, but apart from a couple of empty chairs near the lakeside, it looked all quiet on the west shore front.
Driving back to Grasmere through High Wray we came across the the slow family of mountain bikers. They were stopped, of course and having some sort of discussion at the roadside while cars queued to get around them.
The weather forecasters had promised a storm for 2pm (possibly thundery). It was now 4 pm and gloriously sunny weather. They now predicted the storm to arrive at 6pm. I guess you shouldn't always believe the weather forecasters. It had been a great walk with a good selection of views, wildlife and oddities to keep us interested. I think it'd be a good walk to do when it is showery or misty on the high fells...and of course, when it is sunny like today.
Lake Windermere Fish Botherers