Hawkshead sometimes looks like the set for a pantomime, with a cast of visiting tourists. But the surrounding countryside is little changed from when Wordsworth was here as a boy. Quiet paths lead to picturesque hamlets, an ancient chapel and a medieval Courthouse.
LOCATION: Between Coniston & Ambleside
START: Hawkshead pay car park, toilets
Grid ref: SD353981 Postcode: LA220NX
DISTANCE: 4 miles
GRADE: Easy
TIME: 2 hours
MAP: Explorer OL - English Lakes South-eastern area Landranger 96
NOTE: Grammar School & Courthouse open daily
REFRESHMENTS: Betty Fold (Fri to Mon) & Hawkshead
EN ROUTE: Knipe Fold, Borwick Fold
This walk was originally published by
The Manchester Evening News