The National Forest Way, stages five and six

Saturday 7th March 2015

Ashby to Smisby via Ticknall

After taking a break from walking along the National Forest Way I jumped at the first hint of spring last year and returned to the Leicestershire market town of Ashby-de-la-Zouch where I had finished the previous stage before Christmas. I parked in the small and lovely village of Smisby, just to the north of Ashby, and made my way past the small wood of Woodcote onto a footpath that heads south over the bypass and into the town centre. Along the way I had to negotiate a new housing development that was encroaching upon the footpath, but eventually I was back on Market Street, Ashby’s main shopping street, where stage five of the National Forest Way starts. At a small lane between two houses I turned off the road and headed down the lane through a kissing gate into a field where I immediately glimpsed an example of the flower what would come to dominate this walk: the snowdrop.

After passing behind a large warehouse for a well-known biscuit company and over the Ashby bypass I came into an area of woodland where clumps of snowdrops were scattered excitingly across the woodland floor. I feel a lot of affection for these early spring flowers as they herald the start of spring and the promise of new growth throughout the countryside. I have snowdrops in my garden and after the New Year I eagerly follow their progress as they grow through the frosty winter until finally bursting into flower in February. I would see a lot more snowdrops on this walk. Following the course of the Ivanhoe Way I walked along a path that at times was atrociously muddy, especially when going around the young Park Pale Woods. I passed through many fields on this tedious section of the walk until I finally reached Heath End where I took a turning onto the approach road for Staunton Harold Hall and soon veered left towards Dimminsdale Nature Reserve.

To my shame I had never been to this former limestone quarry before, but I was now being treated to a spectacular sight as thousands of snowdrops covered the gentle slopes of the valley. I was in awe and spellbound by this stunning display of a carpet of snowdrops, and could hardly believe my eyes. Eventually I tore myself away and plunged further into this heartbreakingly small reserve soon leaving the idyllic surroundings to emerge onto a road. My walk along the road ended when the road plunged down to a large lake, where the Staunton Harold Reservoir overwhelmed the old road. My route continued with a pleasant walk in surprisingly warm and sunny weather around the edge of the reservoir and into Calke Park National Nature Reserve. With the National Trust property of Calke Abbey nearby I followed the path beside a series of ponds built in a delightful wooded valley. At the end of Mere Pond I climbed out of the valley, crossed the approach road for the Abbey and followed a path into the primrose-filled village of Ticknall.

I had now finished stage five of the National Forest Way, but I was not finished yet as once I had eaten my lunch I set off on stage six. I headed out of the village beside the church passing along the edge of Windmill Wood and soon reached the crossroads of two footpaths that is known locally as Hangman’s Stone, though there weren’t any stones in the area that I could see. Turning left I followed the edge of the field onto a road where I once again turned left to now head south back towards Ashby. Turning off the road I headed to my second reservoir of the day, Foremark, where I followed the well-designed woodland paths through the woodlands on the south-eastern edge of the lake. More snowdrops and primroses greeted me as I made my way along the path until I reached the millstone grit of Carver’s Rocks and came round to the southern tip of the reservoir where bright sunshine and cloudless skies made for an idyllic picture.

The picturesque walk continued through Hartshorn Bog and past the young plantation of Buildings Farm Woods to the village of Hartshorne where stage six of the National Forest Way ends. I was enthralled by my walk along the trail though I still needed to cover the short distance back to Smisby and intended on taking a route through the enchantingly named Daniel Hayes Wood, but I was now getting tired and was eager to get back to my car as quickly as possible so I actually started stage seven of the National Forest Way heading towards Several Woods Farm. I was so tired by this point I missed the turning at the farm and it wasn’t until I’d walked all the way along the farmer’s access track onto the road that I realised I had missed my turning and had to turn back. The correct path took me past a delightful small copse whose floor was covered with snowdrops, and eventually returned to the village of Smisby. This walk was the best that I did on the whole of National Forest Way, and was helped by staying on the trail for almost the entire walk due to a huge loop in the route. The highlight of the walk was undoubtedly the snowdrops that saw at their peak and in stunning splendour in many places, most notably in Dimminsdale.

Jenkins Crag and Sallows

Thursday 24th December 2015

I spent a lot of time during the previous evening to this walk trying to decide where to go and never came to a decision. Ultimately I needed to get to the railway station for Windermere and after the recent flooding in the Lake District I was wary of relying on buses preferring to walk all the way, but there is not a clear, obvious route to take. The weather forecast had been of no help to me with a potential for both good and bad weather during the day. It was raining when I got up, but by the time I left the Ambleside Youth Hostel this had stopped leaving behing a damp, grey and windy day that didn’t inspire me to trek up any of the fells. The only place that I definitely wanted to visit was Jenkins Crag, which lies on the western slopes of Wansfell in amongst the trees of Skelghyll Wood. On the other side of the road from the hostel I climbed past Stagshaw Gardens into this delightful wood that was overflowing with winter damp and patiently waiting to spring forth with new growth when the season warms. I had never been in this wood before but I am now eager to return when the season displays it in more luxurious colours and delights.

The view from Jenkins Crag extends over the northern stretches of Windermere including the hills of Claife Heights that I had walked over the day before with the secluded Blelham Tarn that I had passed lurking in the hollow below Latterbarrow. Just before reaching the crag I passed a sign marked for Wansfell and I briefly considered taking it, but the low clouds that enveloped the top of the fell put me off. This path is not marked on my OS map and was not mentioned in Wainwright’s guides until the latest, recently published edition. With hindsight I would have loved to have taken the path, but only if the weather had been better. Instead I continued along the path that enjoyably travels through the wood to emerge with views down the length of Windermere. There is a path marked on my map that goes from the end of Hundreds Road up to the top of Wansfell and I did consider taking it, but the clouds were still too low and I really couldn’t be bothered to make the effort up a fell that I hadn’t been impressed with when previously at the top.

Soon after the junction with Hundreds Road is a squat cairn, marked as a pillar on my map, where a good view can be seen down Windermere, but whose purpose otherwise escapes me. Continuing along Robins Lane I descended into the sprawling village of Troutbeck, and after crossing the valley I started to climb one of the many enclosed lanes that crisscross the slopes above Trout Beck. I was heading towards one of the most famous enclosed lanes in the Lake District, where there are many, the Garburn Road. I’m not sure what my intentions were when I started the climb, whether I was planning on turning south onto Longmire Road or Dubbs Road on my way to Windermere station, but as I climbed an astonishing thing happened: the clouds parted and sunlight filled the valley. With this unexpectedly improving weather I decided to continue heading along the Garburn Road all the way up to the top of the pass even though by the time I reached the top clouds had once again enveloped the Lake District.

I had never climbed to the top of Garburn Pass from Troutbeck before, and as I slowly made my way up the track I remembered the previous times that I had been there. In 2004 I had climbed to the top of the pass from Kentmere as part of the Kentmere Round, and in 2006 I walked from Windermere station up to Sour Howes and Sallows before descending to the pass. A reverse of that walk was now what I intended on doing even though when I had considered it the previous evening I had dismissed it as being a waste of effort on two fells that even Wainwright admitted ‘are not strictly walkers’ territory’. Nevertheless when I reached the top of the Garburn Road I turned off the track onto a wet and muddy path that climbs onto the horribly windswept and boggy top of Sallows. After battling through savagely strong winds that thundered over the fell, I made my way to the summit of Sallows where I could barely stand, so I immediately turned around and headed around the top of the waterlogged valley of Park Beck.

I was seriously questioning my wisdom in coming up to the top of these two fells as the conditions were horrendous at the top of the ridge while I tried to shelter from the wind as much as I could. After reaching the top of Sour Howes I followed a delightful path that took me down a line of outcrops through Applethwaite Common while the sun once more came out to reveal a majestic view of Windermere glistening before me, which should have made this a really enjoyable descent if it wasn’t for the ferocious winds on the side of this exposed fell. All I had in my mind was a desperate desire to get off the fell as quickly as possible and away from that savage wind. Finally I reached the enclosed lane of Dubbs Road where after collapsing with exhaustion I slowly made my way along the lane to Moor Howe. In 2006 I had started my ascent of Sour Howes by passing over the viewpoint of Orrest Head and I considered returning on this walk, but the wind had been knocked out of me on the fells, so I just stayed on roads following them all the way to the railway station. It had been distressing to see the Lake District so badly affected by flooding on this short holiday and as I left I hoped it wouldn’t be long before it had fully recovered, and that I would return.