Going north from near Helsington church onto the Barrows and down to the outskirts of Kendal makes a longer and more varied 8mile walk, than the parent walk of March 2018.
As you ascend to the Church road from Park End Farm, aim diagonally for the gate seen at the north end. Cross a cattle grid and go right up the road, then soon left on a clear path. This is the open limestone area of the Barrows, good for wild flowers in spring and summer. Continue to a wall where the path goes sharp right and down into a dip. Carry straight on up the slope and then left, along or just “inland” of the edge, with good views of the Lakeland Hills. When a large cairn is reached, turn right on a broad path which has come up from Barrowfield farm seen down on the left. Just 50m or so before a wall about a km from the cairn, take a smaller path right, which leads down, leftwards at the bottom, to a gate and road. Right here and soon left on a marked footpath, round Lane Head and down to pass under the Kendal bypass (A591), then round Helsington Laithes to the A6. A few m left then cross to turn right down Scroggs Wood Lane, with more traffic than you might think as a small car park at the end is popular with dog walkers. A signed path at the bottom leads due S across fields to the River Kent, follow this to the minor road and cross the Kent on it. Take the path on the right just over the bridge and you are on the parent walk.
Leave a Reply