A linear walk up one of eastern Lakeland’s most beautiful valleys - OS Explorer Map OL7. A shorter 3.75km route for all if you turn at Hartrigg turning point.
Upper Kentmere valley opens up with some steep, craggy slopes on your left. Look out for buzzards, ravens and peregrine falcons along this stretch. As you round the corner to Scales Farmhouse, the high peaks of Kentmere Horseshoe come into view.
The tarmac road ends at Hartrigg Farm. The following stone track is rough in places and more suited to powered wheelchairs and the most robust all-terrain pushchairs.
The mountain scenery becomes more dramatic beyond Hartrigg. Huge Rainsborrow Crag looms up on the left and above the old quarries, which are reached after another 2 km. A steeper section follows, bringing you to the outflow of Kentmere reservoir.
Postcode: LA8 9JN
Grid reference: NW456042
W3W: ///prospers.limo.fevered
Grid reference: NY 455077
W3W: ///daunted.snipped.curbed
None on route. Toilets and refreshments at Staveley, 6 km to the south.
No direct public transport. Car: follow signs for Kentmere out of Staveley. Limited parking by church and Kentmere Institute. The road from the church is steep, so you could drive to the gateway of Hartrigg and drop people off. No parking is allowed here. Go through the gate and follow the tarmac road uphill. The route levels off after 200m..
