Wray Castle to Low Loanthwaite

Overview

About Wray Castle to Low Loanthwaite

Why go

Blelham Tarn and broad fell views
Mostly firm track through meadows and woodland

Heads up

A steep 1:4 slope with steps breaks the accessible sections
Road crossing and a narrow lane at the endpoint

Map & elevation

The route

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Full map

Elevation47–105 m

TrailheadWray Castle to Low Loanthwaite54.40075, -2.96508

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Plan your hike

Before you go

Parking

Use the National Trust car park at Wray Castle, postcode LA22 0JA. The mapped start is the top of Dower House lane on the castle driveway, grid reference NY 373009. Follow signs for Wray Castle from Ambleside or Hawkshead. The far end is a minor road at Low Loanthwaite, so the walk does not return to the car.

Best time to go

Look across Blelham Tarn for waterbirds, including goldeneye in winter, and expect traditional Lakeland livestock in the fields toward the Hawkshead end. Clear weather gives the best chance of seeing the surrounding fells. Allow about 1.5 hours one way at an ordinary sightseeing pace, longer if you stop at the tarn or turn around at the steep section.

Safety

A steep 1:4 gradient with steps in the middle lies just south of Blelham Tarn. One track has a grass strip and drainage channels, so the full route is not suitable for every wheelchair or mobility-equipment user. Cross the B5285 carefully. Livestock graze near the Hawkshead end, and dogs should be kept on a lead or under close control.

8 active Lake District alerts

ClosureChapel Stile footpath closed for retaining-wall riskPart of Footpath 543030 between Chapel Stile and Baysbrown campsite is closed because a retaining wall beside the path could collapse and material it supports could fall across the footpath.Official details
ClosureStanley Ghyll Lower Falls footpath closed for rockfallThe section of Footpath 408037 leading towards Stanley Ghyll Lower Falls is closed because severe rockfall damage has made the path unstable and further rockfall remains a danger.Official details

See all 8 alerts

A park ranger sits on a dash-mounted phone, talking, as Parkwolf’s Tour Guide plays “Army Cutworm Moths: A Grizzly Bear Buffet” on Grand Loop Road below Dunraven Pass in Yellowstone — Parkwolf Tour GuideThe highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.

Lake District Tour Guide

Your drive to Wray Castle to Low Loanthwaite, narrated.

Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Lake District National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.

Recorded for this trailhead

Wray Castle: Grounds and Blelham Tarn

0:00 / 1:12

“You're approaching Wray Castle, where turrets and woodland make an unusual backdrop to a walk beside Windermere. The towers and arrow slits look medieval, but this was built as a Victorian country house.”

Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Lake District Tour Guide.

Hiking Wray Castle to Low Loanthwaite

Quick takeThis is a linear 2.29-mile walk one way, or about 4.

This is a linear 2.29-mile walk one way, or about 4.6 miles round trip if you return to Wray Castle. It crosses a pastoral corner of the Lake District and earns its place in the app for Blelham Tarn, open fell views, and a useful one-way connection toward Hawkshead.

The routeStart at the top of Dower House lane on the Wray Castle driveway.

Start at the top of Dower House lane on the Wray Castle driveway. The path drops past historic farm buildings, follows the Low Wray access road, and crosses the B5285 before continuing through meadows and a small woodland. Blelham Tarn is the main midpoint payoff. Beyond it, the route climbs a steep slope, then passes traditional stone barns and open views before reaching the minor road at Low Loanthwaite.

What it feels likeMost of the route uses a firm gravel track or broad bridleway, but it is undulating rather than…

Most of the route uses a firm gravel track or broad bridleway, but it is undulating rather than flat. The steep section south of Blelham Tarn has a 1:4 gradient and steps in the middle, and another track has a grass strip. That makes this a moderate walk with a real accessibility split: large sections work well for wheeled users, but the full crossing does not.

PracticalitiesThis is a point-to-point route, not a loop.

This is a point-to-point route, not a loop. From Low Loanthwaite you can retrace the line to Wray Castle, arrange a pickup, or continue down the narrow lane and connect with the Hawkshead to Loanthwaite route. The Wray Castle end has the useful visitor facilities; do not count on facilities along the line itself.

Wildlife

Wildlife in Lake District

All Lake District wildlife maps

81 sightingsRed DeerMost seen around 7 PMSighting map

13 sightingsEurasian OtterMost seen around 6 AMSighting map

76 sightingsOspreyMost seen around 8 AMSighting map

51 sightingsEuropean BadgerMost seen around 8 PMSighting map

233 sightingsMute SwanMost seen around 6 PMSighting map

176 sightingsGrey HeronMost seen around 7 AMSighting map

Sighting maps show where each species has been reported across Lake District. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.