Brant Fell above Bowness-on-Windermere

This is a circular walk, 2.1 miles for the whole loop, with about 137 m of ascent. It starts and finishes at the town-centre mini-roundabout where the A592 and A5074 meet, beside St Martins Church. From there you climb Brantfell Road, cross a field and follow a fenced track up to Post Knott, then pass through gates and up steep grass among rocky outcrops to the summit of Brant Fell. The return turns sharply north, runs above a reservoir, drops through a partly hidden step-stile into a muddy lane, crosses a stone stile into a field, picks up the Dales Way back to the junction, and finishes on the road network and Helm Road.

Difficulty 4 out of 10. It is short, but the climb is steep in places and the ground includes mud, rough rocky sections, grassy slopes, gates and stiles. Allow 1.5 to 2 hours with stops for photos and the summit. Surfaces shift from town pavement and road at each end to tracks, field paths, grass and rocky ground in the middle.

The two things that catch people out are the steep grass among outcrops below the summit and the stiles on the return. The step-stile leading into the muddy lane is partly hidden, so slow down and look for it rather than pushing on along the fence line. Mud in that lane and in the field sections is a recurring feature rather than a one-off, and the grassy pull to the top is awkward when it is slick. Assume no water on the route and carry what you need.

Park in the Bowness town car parks, such as Rayrigg Road or The Glebe, then walk to the start. Town parking gets very busy at weekends and on holidays, so build in time for that. The route mixes town roads, a private upper stretch of Brantfell Road where public access is allowed, tracks, field paths, gates and stiles. Dogs can use the route under ordinary public-footpath access; keep them on leads anywhere livestock may be present, and supervised near the summit rocks.

For a walk that starts at a roundabout in the middle of town, the height gain per mile is generous and the view from the top is far better than the distance suggests. The limits are honest ones: it is short, it never leaves earshot of the town for long, and the climbing and mud make it less casual than the mileage implies. Post Knott also exists as its own separate short, steep walk of about 1.5 miles with varied views; on this loop it is simply one stop on the way up to Brant Fell.