Windsta one

Verified Slow Way

Verified by 100.00% of reviewers

December 2023. Direction: Windermere to Staveley.

An excellent walk over the low fells to the south of the main road between these two places. A wet and windy day with occasional sunny intervals made for a bit of a soggy route with lots of puddle and stream jumping, but I made it through without too much difficulty in boots. I needed to search for the right path a few times going over the fells between Pinethwaite and Hag End, as there were several footpath options, and signposted only occasionally, but apart from this, it was easy to navigate and mostly following the Dales Way. The lane section for the last couple of miles into Staveley was also very pleasant, with not a single vehicle encountered.

A lovely and well-marked route that largely follows the Dales Way. For Lake District walking this is quite gentle, with only mild ups and downs along easy tracks and paths. We walked it from Staveley to Windermere, which has the advantage of great views of the higher Lake District fells.

The landscape is interesting in that it feels much more like Yorkshire Dales than it does Cumbrian fells, despite being in the the Lake District National Park throughout. Most of the route is over lush agricultural land with occasional sheep and cattle, but most of the cattle are in well-fenced fields adjacent to the paths, so no stressful cow encounters. Navigation is pretty easy because of the well-signposted Dales Way, but note it doesn't follow the Dales Way throughout, so keep an eye on the map/GPX. You get some stunning views of the full Lake District fell panorama, weather permitting (photo 9, but this doesn't do it justice). Highly recommended.

I walked this route from Staveley to Windermere in August 2022. Fully agree with the review above. Very nice walk, a bit of care in navigation needed, potential for a bit of mud and unevenness underfoot in some places.

One small tweak - at the Staveley end of the walk it makes sense to cross the footbridge with green railings (see my 3rd photo), rather that take the southeast-then-northwest diversion round it.

The route leaves Windermere via several residential roads with a width-restricting barrier near the start. Then there is a pleasant track passing through woods and across a delightful but very easy stepping stone stream-crossing. The surface going up onto the grassy moorland is a bit rocky and rough in places, but not too bad. The views form the moorland are stunning, but I didn’t manage to see any big lakes, despite checking frequently! The paths are very clear (well used!), except that there a lot of them across the grassland, so care is needed with navigation. Mostly the route is well signposted, as this is the Dales Way national trail, although one signpost was painted pink to help it stand out. A couple of quiet country roads take the route (and the Dales Way) down into Staveley, with a field crossing towards the village. There is a footbridge over the river at the end. Staveley is a lovely village with good facilities, and this was a lovely walk.

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