Map Guide: OS outdoor leisure 4, north western lake district (1:25,000).
There is ample parking near Ashness bridge(GR269194), just of the B5289 Borrowdale Road, south of Keswick.
From the car park walk down towards the bridge. Follow the public footpath sign on your right up and over the first stile. There is a path in between the undergrowth which does not completely grow over during the summer so its fairly easy to follow. Continue up the track keeping Barrow Beck to your left.
The path soon becomes steeper before you cross another stile. After another short distance you will go through a gate in a wall (GR276194). Now follow Ashness Gill up the fairly steep path, keeping to left at any junctions in the paths you find. You can see Derwent Water and Bassenthwaite Lake from here.
Soon you will walk very close to the water on your left and the path turns sharply right up a short steep rocky path. Following this path takes you to a set of small outcrops named Dodd (GR280190). You can see Borrowdale to the west along with the peaks of Cat Bells, High Spy, Dale Head and further to Great Gable and Scafell to name but a few.
Looking to the SE you will see the peak of High Seat (608M, 1994ft). Follow the meandering path, through some boggy patches after rain, to the summit (GR287181).
You will get superb views from here also but now you will be able to see Thirlmere Reservoir and the slopes of Helvellyn to the east. You can also see the next part of the walk to Bleaberry Fell.
Continue the walk north keeping to the left of the wire fence. Descend the summit and head a small stile in the north of the fence. Climb over this and follow the broken path now starting to gradually climb. The paths around here all head up to Bleaberry Fell (590M, 1935ft) (GR286196). It takes around 30mins to walk between the two summits.
You can easily see Skiddaw and Blencathra from here. Follow the path NW which starts to descend quite steeply from the summit. Soon the path levels out and you will start to walk over grass in places, boggy after rain. After 1/2 mile you will pass a sheepfold on your left (GR278201). Follow the path around and down. The path disappears from time to time down here and is again wet and boggy in places after rain. Head NW for approx. another 1/2 mile until you can see a lone tree with a small bridge (GR275206).
Turn left here and follow the stream along the path until you come to a more well used path crossing. Turn left here again and follow the path around Falcon Crag until you can see Derwent Water again. The path continues downhill from here towards two gates (GR270198). Either one of these will take you down to Ashness bridge, but the less steep one is the one directly ahead down a grassy slope.
Retrace your steps from the bridge back to the car park.
Walk first completed: July 2000
Walk last updated: November 2001