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A Long Walk in (Sallows and Sour Howes).
Start. Barley Bridge, Staveley.
Route. Barley Bridge - Browfoot Lane - Browfoot - Ullthwaite Bridge - Meadowplatts Plantation - Kentmere Park - Sallows - Moor Head - Sour Howes - Backstone Barrow - Dubbs Road - Moorhowe Road - Borrans Lane - High Borrans - The Heights Farm - Raw Ghyll - High Reston Farm - A591 - Staveley - Barley Bridge.
Notes. A Long Walk in, by the nature of the title it also has to be a long walk out, and on a glorious Saturday morning a quite wonderful ramble, gradually ascending on ancient tracks that criss-cross a vast tract of upland between the valleys of the Kent and Gowan, stretching from Staveley in the south, north to Applethwaite Common and Kentmere Park before plunging into the Troutbeck valley.
My day started wandering over the tarmac of Browfoot Lane, on reaching Browfoot Farm I descended to the banks of the River Kent, a short stroll to Ullthwaite Bridge saw me ascending to the delightful hamlet of Croft Head, passing through Acretarn Plantation and Meadowplatts Plantation to access the lower slopes of Kentmere Park. I started my ascent on an old quarry track, leaving it only when I thought I could see the route with the least line of resistance, the first and only grunt of the day saw me soon sitting enjoying a brew with exceptional views on the summit of Sallows.
A wall runs over Moor Head, I followed this to reach the summit of Sour Howes, it was time to descend, west to Backstone Barrow then over steep ground to reach Dubbs Road, just over a mile between dry stone walls saw me enter Moorhowe Road. With tarmac under foot I wandered south to be met by a finger-post directing me to High Borrans, striding out over the tarmac of Borrans Lane I soon reached and passed High Borrans before reaching yet more green lanes. With Hugill Fell in sight to the south, I wandered between dry stone walls on ancient way-marked tracks heading for The Heights where a path lead down to the main road. With the summit of Hugill Fell tantalizingly close I hunted for a path to take me to it's rocky top, by the time I found one I was a long way down the hill, tired legs protested at the thought, I carried on descending reaching the A591 just south of Ings, all that remained the short walk back to Staveley.
Between the dry stone walls of Browfoot Lane looking to Sallows.
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Looking to the sylvan slopes of Millrigg Knott.
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The wonderful view over Browfoot Farm, looking to Harter Fell and Kentmere Pike.
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Seen over Kentmere the dramatic rock scenery of Shipman Knotts with Green Quarter Fell to the right carrying a little snow.
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Heading through Meadowplatts Plantation looking to Sour Howes.
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Sleddale Fell seen through Sadgill, the pass between the slopes of Shipman Knotts and Green Quarter Fell linking Kentmere to Longsleddale.
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Sour Howes as seen from the lower slopes of Sallows.
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Ascending Sallows, as I gain a little height the Langdale skyline tilts into view.
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I've just crested the ridge, the views to the west are stunning, in the middle distance Wansfell Pike backed by The Crinkle Crags, Bow Fell and the Langdale Pikes.
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From the summit of Sallows views to Harter Fell and the Nan Bield Pass, with Mardale Ill Bell rising to the left.
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Stretching out behind the slopes of Sour Howes, Windermere Lake.
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A mouth-watering view from the summit of Sallows, from Coniston Old Man top left through the Langdale ranges to the the upturned basin of Great Gable far right.
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The formidable scene over Crag Quarter taking in Nan Bield Pass and the deep snow slopes on Harter Fell.
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Today the summit of Sallows is just too good to leave, here we have another view to the Coniston massif.
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And another view to Windermere Lake.
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On Moor Head looking to Sallows.
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Descending Sour Howes looking to Backstone Barrow, Wansfell Pike and Coniston Old Man.
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There are wonderful views to be had from the slopes of Sour Howes, here we have Troutbeck village clinging to the slopes of Wansfell Pike....
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Looking to the crown of snow capped Lakeland Fells closing the head of the Troutbeck valley, Red Screes top left, across Kirkstone Pass Stony Cove Pike, followed by Threshthwaite Mouth leading to Thornthwaite Crag, in the valley The Tongue.
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Between dry stone walls in Dubbs Road looking north.
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Under snow Red Screes seen over Dubbs Reservoir.
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Finally on the return leg, looking to Reston Scar from Borrans Lane.
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Looking to Sour Howes above Borrans with Red Screes to the left.
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En route to The Heights viewing Harter Fell and Kentmere Pike, the walls in the foreground enclose Browfoot Lane, I walked the lower section earlier today, the lane terminates just out of shot to the left, if the feet are sore and the legs tired it makes an easy walk over tarmac back to Staveley.