YHA hopping in The Lake District - YHA Hawkshead to Staveley Station

Start : YHA Hawkshead

(S) Walk down to the road from YHA Hawkshead and turn right along the road, admiring the beauty of Esthwaite Water on the left, to Esthwaite Hall Bridge. Bear left at the fork (signposted Newby Bridge) and follow the road past Ridding Wood to bear left again at a fork in the road (signposted Sawrey and Ferry). Follow this road over Ees Bridge and up to a junction with a wooden bench and bear left (signposted Near Sawrey). At the next junction, bear right into Near Sawrey and reach the B 5285.

(1) Turn right to go past Beatrix Potter's House and The Tower Bank Arms. Best not to hang around but press on along the road to pick up a permitted path on the other side of the dry stone wall, running parallel with the road. This will take you quite safely to Wildin Beck and behind a group of trees. The path leaves the road and follows the beck over the fields to Town End.

(2) Go through the wooden kissing-gate and turn right. Go past the houses and St. Peter's Church to a footpath on the left. Bear right to head east across the fields towards Hawkrigg Farm and the B 5285. At the road turn right and follow it down past two junctions to pick up a permitted path on the other side of the wall on the right. The path crosses the road further down to go into the woods above the road and along to Ash Landing Car Park. At the back of the car park, take the path up to the Claife Viewing Station.

(3) From the Claife Viewing Station, drop down the other side to reach the Windermere Ferry landing stage. Put your feet up on the crossing on the ferry but enjoy the views from this peculiar perspective of Lake Windermere. Once on dry land again, head up the road and take the footpath off to the left heading to the camping and caravan site. Cross the road and keep straight on to meet up with the A592 next to the Tourist Information office in Bowness near the ferries and jetties. From here, follow the Lake Road round to the right, past St. Martin's church and bear right up to St. Martin's Place towards the Arts Bar. Carry straight on up Brantfell Road towards Brantfell Farm. Go through the gate at the top of the road and keep straight on until you reach the farm then bear left along the Dales Way to Matson Ground

(4) Follow the signs of the Dales Way, and at a junction turn left towards Heathwaite on the Lickbarrow Road. Go past Heathwaite Manor and Pinethwaite to a lane on the right (signed Gated Single Track Road and a footpath sign to Lickbarrow). Past the farm bearing left the path comes up to a bridleway where you turn left to go alongside the housing estate at Droomer and a stream to eventually go under the railway. The path continues through the wood and meets another path coming from the left. Bear right across the fields to another junction of tracks and bear left. Before reaching the road, pick up a path on the right heading north to a stone style at the A 591. On the other side of the road, follow the road to Common Farm.

(5) Follow the road to a crossroads (with a bench on the right hand corner) and keep straight ahead to Moorhowe Road. Bear left along the road to reach a gravel bridleway on the right (indicated No Through Road). This is Dubbs Road and follows Dubbs Beck (on the right) up to Dubbs Reservoir (on the left). Follow this track all the way until you see two wooden ladder styles. Go over the one on the right and head up open moorland to Sour Howes (Wainwright at 483m).

(6) From the summit (a small cairn or a knoll close by) head north to a dry stone wall, skirting round Moor Head to reach Sallows (Wainwright at 516m). Descend directly south to pick up an old track that heads south-east down to a fence and a track that leads to a sheepfold. Cross over the wall and bear left along the path that follows Park Beck down to Croft Head Farm. Carry straight on to Ullthwaite Bridge but don't cross the River Kent but bear right to Browfoot Farm. At Browfoot Lane, turn left and follow this road all the way down to Scroggs Bridge. The River Kent flows downstream to our left and after Barley Bridge the road takes us into Staveley. Keep straight on past the church, over the crossroads to reach Staveley Station.(E)

Note : This is a long walk but fairly flat, so good progress should be made. You'll get a short rest on the ferry to eat a sandwich and drink some water but the need to keep going will be on your mind throughout the day. There might be time for a pint at the end but keep an eye on the time as the trains don't tend to wait.

Accommodation : The YHA is a great institution and I guess most fell walkers have stayed at a hostel at some time in their lives. They were created "to help all, especially young people of limited means, to a greater knowledge, love and care of the countryside, particularly by providing hostels or other simple accommodation for them on their travels".

A visit to Claife Viewing Station is worth 10 mins to look through the coloured glass. You should be able to see the ferry from there and gauge how much time you have to get to the landing stage. Even though time will be nagging at you constantly, set your pace and enjoy the landscape around you. There are long stretches of country road when your legs can look after themselves whilst you look about and wonder at the beauty of The Lake District.