Cowan Head – Bentham Footpath Group

Staveley Woodlands

7.3 miles | 11.8 km | 254 m Ascent | 8.6 Naismith miles | Rick Clapham
Staveley has long been a favourite of Bentham Footpath Group – this is the third time we have visited in the time we have been documenting our walks on our website, but a review of old program cards shows that we have visited here at least once a year for as long as the group has existed.
A quick glance at the gallery for todays’ walk explains why we keep coming back – the views are stunning, and the varied landscape provides a rich mixture of flora and fauna. Add a few fascinating buildings, and even an opportunity to go shopping, along with riverside sections featuring weirs and waterfalls, and we create a walk that’s too good to miss. Our members clearly think so, as evidenced by the great turn out. Lovely autumn sunshine helps, but this is a great walk at any time of the year.

Staveley Woodlands Read More »

Rather Heath and Burneside

Moderate

8.8 miles | 14.1km | 212 m Ascent | 9.8 Naismith miles |David & Sheila Longton
The Bentham Footpath Group have completed a number of great walks in and around Kendal – search on the website for Staveley, Levens or the Lancaster Canal to see some of them. This walk adds to that library and because it intersects with earlier offerings, creates a great opportunity to build our mental map of the area.
We start from a layby on the “old road” – once the main route from Kendal to Windermere – and then walk through woodland on Rather Heath passing the edge of Ratherheath Tarn before striking out to Plumgarths where we visit the Cumbria Wildlife Trust’s gardens. We then head parallel to the A591 before crossing onto Kendal Fell at Helsfell Nab. Unusually for a BFG walk, we then go into the outskirts of a town (Kendal), for lunch in the park, before we head out to Burneside. We have a good look at the Church and the paper mills before heading upstream along the Kent to Bowston on a section of the Dales Way. A final section over the railway, then under the main road brings us back to our starting point.

Rather Heath and Burneside Read More »

Staveley

Easy

7.4 miles | 11.9km | 290 m Ascent | 8.8 Naismith miles | Kate Rowe
Staveley is a lovely village sitting on the River Kent upstream of Kendal.
Less busy than the Lakes, Staveley has many attractions -as well as excellent walks such as this one, we find a brewery visitor centre, a chocolatier, craft bakery, pubs, cafes and other shops.
This easy walk tracks down the banks of the River Kent, through pretty woodland. If your timing is good – and this is best as a spring walk – expect to see the traditional host of golden daffodils.
The return journey first heads toward Bell Hill before returning to Staveley through pleasant and gentle farmland with excellent views of the Lakeland fells.

Staveley Read More »