(S) Leave the YHA Grasmere Butharlyp Howe taking the road (Easedale Road) left down to the village. At the T-junction with Broadgate, turn right (South-West). Past the bus-stop follow the main road as it bears left and weaves through the village.
A quick visit to the church yard by St. Oswalds will give you the chance to visit Wordsworth's grave.
(1) Then take the next road on the right Red Bank by the side of the garden center and out of the village past a hotel. The road bends to the left and goes close to Grasmere Lake. Stay on this road for a while (walking on the right to face oncoming traffic) until you reach a low white building on the left and a track leading off to the right, indicated "No Vehicles" and a Public Footpath sign to Hunting Stile Crag.
(2) Follow this track through Redbank Wood (ignore the path going right to the crag) to meet the road (Red Bank) again further on. Carry on up the road bending to the right to reach the YHA Langdale (High Close).
(3) After about 500m take the Public Footpath off to the left of the road (South-West), heading across Walthwaite Bottom to the B5343. Bear left then right to descend the road into the village (indicated Little Langdale on a stone and Elterwater on a metal post). Just opposite the bus-stop you'll find the Britannia Inn. Carry on across the bridge that spans Great Langdale Beck.
(4) On the other side, turn right (North-West) along a metaled road that runs alongside the river. This is part of the Cumbria Way and should be followed, taking care to go off the road to the right following the Public Footpath sign near some low buildings on the side of the river. Keep on this path until you reach a footbridge over the river heading to Chapel Stile.
(5) Don't cross the bridge but leave the Cumbria Way to take a path that swings left following the river. A short way further, the path bears left to leave the river and head back to the metaled road near Burlington Slate buildings.
(6) At the metaled road, turn right and follow the road to a T-junction. Go straight across to pick up the path that goes towards Banks Quarry at the edge of Baysbrown Wood. The footpath climbs steeply up to the col where a path leads off right to the summit of Lingmoor Fell (Wainwright 469m above sea level).
(7) From the summit, go back down to the col and head East following the cairns down Bield Crag into Little Langdale. Turn right at the bottom and go past The Bield and High Bield farms. Continue on this footpath, above Busk House to reach a tarmacked road (Side Gates Road).
(8) Turn left along the road, keeping the stone wall on the right. Take the dirt track off to the right to go down to the main road away from the cattle-grid, the Wrynose Pass and turn right. Follow this road down to cross over a bridge that spans Bleamoss Beck, then leave the road to the left (Public Footpath sign indicating High Tilberthwaite) to cross the River Brathay at Fell Foot Bridge.
(9) Go through the wooden gate onto a well defined path that heads over the fields to Bridge End that crosses Greenburn Beck. The path climbs gradually out of the valley alongside a dry-stone wall, bending to the right to go around Knott Head.
(10) Bear right at a fork in the track to climb above Atkinson Coppice. The route crosses a number of streams and passes a couple of disused quarries. Go past the waterfall at Knotts and continue south to reach High Tilberthwaite farm.
(11) Turn right to go through the farm then take the footpath left immediately after the farm, heading for Low Tilberthwaite. At a fork in the path bear left to reach Holme Ground farm. Cross over the road and head straight up hill to reach the cairn on the summit of Holme Fell (Wainwright 317m above sea level).
(12) From the top of the fell, head North-East to pick up the path that runs down the other side to Uskdale Gap. Once in the Harry Guards Wood, at a junction turn right to head south below Ivy Crag and Long Crag. Coming out onto pasture lands, the Yew Tree Tarn can be seen on the left. Keep heading towards some buildings just the other side of a small wood. The track leads out at YewTree farm.
(13) Turn left to walk up to the car park, cross Glen Mary Bridge and take the public footpath off to the right through Lane Head Coppice. This path will take you past some waterfalls before reaching Tarn Hows.
(14) The picturesque tarn is in fact a reservoir, man-made but with a certain eye for esthetics to make the area blend into the landscape. A favourite with day-trippers, you'll probably find that there are plenty of visitors, so once you've taken the standard photo, turn left to go around the west side of the tarn, as far as the path that leads off left towards the Arnside Intake.
(15) At the main path, turn right to go between the Iron Keld Plantation and the Torver Intake, heading South-East. The path comes out onto a road just South of Knipe Fold, near Borwick Lodge. Bear right then left along Skinner How Lane, past Sand Ground. This will soon meet the Coniston road where we turn left to the junction with the B5287. Here turn right to head into Hawkshead.
(16) Walk along Main Street, past the Red Lion Inn and check out the Queen's Head before turning right up Flag Street and into The Square. Here grab another drink in The King's Arms then head up to the St Michael and All Angels Church.
(17) Go through the grounds to pick up a footpath heading towards The Vicarage. At a gate, bear left towards Roger Ground. At the road turn right then left at a postbox, following a footpath sign to Howe Farm.
(18) At the farm follows the signs down to the main road and turn right. Esthwaite Water should be visible over to the left and in a short while, after another farm, the entrance to YHA Hawkshead Esthwaite Lodge should appear on the right. (E)