Dig Dig Dig Audio Trail

This is an out-and-back audio trail, not a loop and not a summit. You walk from Stock Lane car park in Grasmere up beside Greenhead Gill to the old lead mines, then return by exactly the same route. Distance is quoted as the full round trip, about 3.5 miles (5.67 km), which is 1.76 miles (2.83 km) each way. Allow around 2.5 hours in total, including the four audio stops and the walk back. The climb to the turning point alone takes most people 60 to 70 minutes.

From the car park (grid reference NY 339 073) a permissive footpath heads north into the village. You thread through Grasmere on village roads, meet the A591 near The Swan, walk a short stretch of main road, then turn onto the small road just before The Swan and take the left fork uphill. Leave the road for a public footpath, follow a paved section to a gate and bridge at the edge of the fell, double back over a footbridge, and from there the character changes completely: it is Greenhead Gill and open hillside all the way up.

The four listening stops space themselves out neatly. A steep, narrow, uneven pull beside the stream brings you to a bench above a bridge (stop 2, NY 344 084). Higher up the route passes Rowantree Gill (stop 3, NY 349 085), then crosses rough ground into the mining landscape, with stop 4 just short of Grains Gill (NY 349 087). That is your turnaround. The payoff is the combination of water, small falls, quiet upland ground and visible industrial remains rather than a big panoramic view.

The authority calls it fairly strenuous, and a 6 out of 10 feels right. Two very different halves:

Boots with grip are the sensible choice, and walking poles help on the descent. The fell section is not suitable for wheelchairs or pushchairs. Assume no dependable shade and no water on the route, so carry your own. The published trail map is indicative only, so bring OS Explorer OL7 and know how to use it, especially if cloud comes down.

• Village and road section: easy to follow, but tarmac and traffic, including a short stretch of the A591.
• Fell section: a genuine rough hill walk. Expect a narrow footbridge, steep and uneven ground, rock that gets slippery next to the stream, rough open ground higher up, and exposed upland conditions.

The upper valley crosses the Greenhead Gill Lead Mines Scheduled Monument. What survives is on the surface: spoil, workings and traces of both Elizabethan and Victorian lead mining, sitting in a landscape that looks pastoral until you start reading it. The audio stops are what make the difference here, turning lumps of stone and hollows in the ground into a story about who worked this valley and why.

This is protected archaeology. Look at the surface remains and leave them exactly as they are. Do not enter any workings, and stay well back from shafts, hollows and unstable edges, which can be obscured by vegetation and are not all fenced.

Pet rules for this route could not be confirmed, so check locally before bringing a dog rather than assuming either way.

If what you actually want is a classic tarn and wide fell views, nearby Alcock Tarn is the better pick. This trail is a more focused thing: industrial archaeology, a beautiful stream, and a story told in your ears. It does not reach Alcock Tarn or Heron Pike.

• Start and parking: Stock Lane car park, Grasmere, with toilets on site.
• Public transport: buses 555 and 599 serve Grasmere from Ambleside and Keswick.
• Refreshments and disabled toilets: available in Grasmere village and at Dove Cottage.
• Permits: none found to be required.

The main hazards are consistent rather than seasonal: slippery rock beside the water, a narrow footbridge, steep uneven ground where a slip matters, rough open terrain that hides ankle traps, and exposure once you are above the trees. Keep children close near the gill and around the mine remains. Turn back at the stop 4 turnaround; pushing on further takes you into rougher, less obvious terrain than this trail is designed for.