Meet time 9.15am
Start time 9.30am
(Estimated finish time 15.30)
Distance 9 miles / 14.5 km
Ascent approx. 400m
Ramblers walk grading: B (moderate)
Start point: Scalehill Bridge National Trust car park
Postcode: CA13 9UX (this is the postcode for Scale Hill Hotel which is just further up the road from the car park)
Reference: OS explorer map OL4, Scalehill Bridge car park is at NY149215
Car parking: National Trust car park so free for members of the National Trust, but £7.50 for all day ticket, limited free parking on the roadside as you head to Loweswater village.
It is the responsibility of each walker to make sure they understand where to park. If you are not sure where the car parking/meeting point is, you must contact the walk leader at the latest the day before the walk. You should not rely on mobile phones or postcodes. There is often no mobile reception near walk meeting points and postcodes are for the nearest place nearby but should only serve as a guideline. Please allow plenty of time to find a parking space so that walks can start promptly.
Description:
From the car park, we follow the road towards Loweswater village. When we get to the red telephone box (NY143211), we go left and follow the road, past the church and past the Kirkstile Inn. We come to a junction (NY141209), we take a right, there is a footpath sign marked Mosedale. We stay on this footpath that runs along the west side of Mellbreak.
At NY140187, we take the path going left, at that point we are about half way along the west side of Mellbreak, and this path starts to climb a little. If the weather conditions are good on the day, at this point we will keep an eye out for a path on our left (at NY141186) which climbs steeply up the west side of Mellbreak. It’s a steeply climbing grassy path through bracken which leads to the col between the north top and south top of Mellbreak (about 270m of ascent to reach the south top). Once you reach the col, head south, although there is no cairn to mark the south summit of Mellbreak.
Continue over the south top and keep following the path that meanders south, we are heading down towards Scale Force and the footbridge just next to Scale Force (at NY151171).
Just after crossing the footbridge over Scale Beck, next to Scale Force, we go through the gate and take the path headed east, this path eventually joins the lakeside path at NY164169. We join the lakeside path for a short while, before going left over Scale Bridge and following the main footpath that leads to Buttermere village.
We then follow the B5289 road out of Buttermere and headed towards Lorton. This is a quiet road. We follow this road for about 3 miles, with lovely views over Crummock Water and up towards Mellbreak hopefully.
At NY162195, we leave the road and go through a gate on our left to join a path that runs parallel to Crummock Water and we head north-east along that path, which will take us through the woods, back to Scalehill Bridge car park.
Please contact Nathalie on number removed by 10pm on Friday 5 November if you are coming on this walk (text or phone only, I am not on Facebook). This walk is suitable for dogs but please make sure you keep your dog under control.
Please check the weather and bring appropriate clothing (waterproofs and spare warm clothing), footwear and enough food and water. The leader reserves the right to turn away any walker not suitably equipped. A torch or head lamp is also advisable at this time of year. The leader may cancel the walk or modify the route dependent on conditions.
Car sharing is now possible – please contact the walk leader to arrange.
New members: please note the walk leader may ask for more information about your walking experience. This is to ensure you have the fitness required to complete the walk that is planned safely.