• Andrew's TravelsNorthern Lake DistrictTraveler
    The Bowder Stone; 30 ft high and 2,000 tons in weight
    On the Bowder StoneA cubic shaped boulder entering the walk around Grange FellView over to Maiden Moor from Grange FellView of Troutdale cottages with Derwentwater and Skiddaw in the backgroundBorrowdale, from Grange BridgeView of Derwentwater en route to Castle CragNearing Castle CragEntering the walk up to Castle CragAt the top of Castle Crag; Derwentwater behindAt the top of Castle Crag; Borrowdale behindAt the top of Castle Crag; BorrowdaleAt the top of Castle Crag; view towards RosthwaiteAt the top of Castle Crag; the memorial to Borrowdale men who fell in WWIDescending Castle CragView back to Castle Crag en route to SeatollerEn route to SeatollerEn route to RosthwaiteNearing Rosthwaite

    Grange to Rosthwaite via Castle Crag

    May 21–24 in England ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

    We take the bus from Keswick to just south of Grange, to the stop for the Bowder Stone. This is one of the most famous rocks in the Lake District and weighs 2,000 tons; it is 30 ft high, 30 ft across, and 90 ft in circumference. From here, we follow the route around Grange Fell, passing a cubic shaped boulder and an old quarry before reaching Comb Gill en route to Troutdale Cottages. We follow the road a short distance to Grange Bridge and then, from Grange village, walk via Holmcrag Wood to join the Cumbria Way to Borrowdale (as yesterday) for a short way before turning off to take the path to Seatoller via Castle Crag.

    Castle Crag is an impressive slate hill overlooking Derwentwater; the other side of the hill is where we were yesterday, at the High Hows Quarry and the Millican Dalton Cave. The top of Castle Crag offers magnificent views of the surrounding area and has a memorial to the Borrowdale men who fell in WWI. The slate makes it a tough ascent and descent.

    We then carry on the route to Seatoller, crossing several gills en route. From the small village of Seatoller, the path to Rosthwaite is actually part of the coast-to-coast walk. We eventually reach Rosthwaite to take the bus back to Keswick.

    Surprisingly, it has been a walk of 1,854 ft ascent and 8.3 miles in length, and the weather has been fantastic again..    Read more