An eagle's eye view of the walk

ROUTE:

Lingmoor is heavenly favoured, at the centre of the Langdales. The ridge walk genuinely offers a new dimension to one’s appreciation of the much adored twin dale-heads of Little and Great Langdale. Great expectations are fully rewarded with a gallery of fabulous outlooks. For all the slate quarrying the fell remains largely wild and in part luxuriantly clothed in heather, hence the ‘ling’ in the fell-name. The walk embraces two lovely sheets of water Blea Tarn and Little Langdale Tarn to end with the visual delight of Slater Bridge.

The walk begins effectively leading west along the narrow valley road from the Three Shires Inn. The volume of traffic as the season unfolds ensures that the walker needs to keep a alert. Rise by the up-the-steps first-floor chapel and adjacent post office. Take the right-hand bridle lane passing passing through Dale End Farm. After a gate watch for a gate left, rising to a hand gate. The path contouring to a furher hand gate before turning up the combe, zig zagging on a partially pitched path making steady progress onto the ridge and meeting up with a path from Bank Quarry, on the Elterwater side. One may visit isolated cairns left, on top of Bield Crag, and right, over a ladder stile on the eastern end of the ridge, both offer lovely outlooks the latter towards Windermere over the wooded vale. It’s largely grassy all the way. One may choose to follow a lower path from the Bield Crag cairn on the south side of the main ridge, passing along a high lateral valley, at a wall turing sharp right up to the summit. Easier by far to stick to the ridge path proper beside the well-constructed ridge wall, running its switchback course. The path crosses a causewayed marshy hollow before taking a hairpin turn onto Brown Howe, crossing the light fence stile to reach the summit plinth.

This is an excerpt from Mark's original article.  To see the full article, you will need to download the PDF using the link below

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© Mark Richards 2007

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