Another new Bowland walk for us, although a 15 minute drive away in this plague year. Really a longer lead in to Haythornthwaite Fell walk, although as an extension to that would make it a very long round. This is 6+ miles and 1100 ft of ascent.
From Grizedale Bridge car park, Nether Wyresdale, take the clear path up the Fell opposite, by the info post. This leads to a cairn at spot height 283m, and from here go north on the best path(s) you can find then curve eastwards round the depression aiming for the cairn east, not the one northeast. A short down and up to the next cairn above the 330m contour leads down to a fence by a Boundary Stone, not the first you have seen, marked Hayshaw TLF 1846. Here, cross the fence and follow the northerly fence down, to see if you can find the mysterious “stones with inscription”, which surely can’t be the Boundary Stones. We found something, but the mystery persists. If the OS answer my enquiry, I will enlighten you, but I am not optimistic. Do not go on down at the next fence, pick up the wide path east which leads to an estate track, and follow this to its end. Grizedale Head is a short walk away, but it’s disappointing as a top. At the end of the track gravel a path leads down west of a stream to various Butts, then zig-zags down to cross Catshaw Greave at a ford and “car park”. The zig-zags can be seen better from a mile or two north of here than when you’re descending, and in fact the quad bikes have straightened out the last one! Descend to the road and turn left, carrying straight on at the right angled bend, on a signed path. Across two “brooks” and several fields the Access Land is entered by a sign, and from here a good path with increasing views of the coastal plain leads round Harrisend Fell to the moor road. A large cairn halfway along is another mystery. Why? If you don’t want more road, carry on down a green track to the plantation and go south then back up to the road near the start.
The black/white photos are due to camera malfunction!
The cairn at spot height 283m. A Boundary Stone. The path up/down from Catshaw Greave, and the ford, almost dry here. The mysterious cairn on Harrisend Fell.
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