The ‘Needs to Know’
Distance: 3.6 miles (5.8km)
Time to walk: This is only a short walk, but the views are amazing so you might want to dally a while & just make it a stroll
Difficulty: Mainly flat & on a mixture of paths. There will be livestock so dogs will need to be on leads at times
Parking: At Wray Castle Pay & Display or free if you’re National Trust members
Public toilets: Wray Castle at the start & end of this walk
Map of the route:
Wray Castle is a actually a Victorian gothic house at Claife, near Ambleside, in Cumbria & was built in 1840 for a retired Liverpudlian surgeon, James Dawson, who built it along with the neighbouring Wray Church using his wife’s fortune. After Dawson’s death in 1875 the estate was inherited by his fifteen year old nephew, Edward Preston Rawnsley
In 1877 Edward’s cousin, Hardwicke Rawnsley, took up the appointment of vicar of Wray Church. To protect the countryside from damaging development, Hardwicke Rawnsley, building on an idea propounded by John Ruskin, conceived of a National Trust that could buy & preserve places of natural beauty & historic interest for the nation
The house has an association with another key player in the National Trust, Beatrix Potter, who spent a summer holiday there when she was 16 in 1882. She bought a small farm in the Claife area, Hill Top, in 1905 with royalties from her first book ‘The Tale of Peter Rabbit’. She went on to buy considerable tracts of land nearby, though she never owned the castle itself. When Potter died in 1943, she left 4,000 acres of land & fourteen farms to the care of the National Trust
In 1929 Wray Castle & 64 acres of land were given to the National Trust by Sir Noton & Lady Barclay, the owners at that time
Let’s Walk!
1. The position of Wray Castle overlooking Lake Windermere is simply spectacular. Take some time to simply sit on the wall & enjoy the surroundings…
If you’re lucky you may also be able to experience jets screaming up the valley
2. Only the ground floor is open & usually has exhibitions in it…
When we visited it was an exhibition of the 1922 Everest expedition, including clothing, photographs & stories – it was superb
3. To start this walk come out of the house…
…& walk across & down the main drive
4. Follow the drive, being careful of any traffic coming both ways…
…not forgetting to admire the views
5. Eventually the drive reaches the entrance gate…
Turn right & walk carefully down the lane
6. As the road bends go through the gate on the left in the picture below.
…& follow the excellent path, continuing ahead when you reach the next gate
7. This really is excellent walking & although we did it in early September, we hardly saw a soul
Across to the left you get your first glimpse of Blelham Tarn which is well known for its diverse number of fish species in the tarn including brown trout, eel, perch, pike & roach
Blelham Tarn & Bog, at a total area of 49 hectares, is designated a site of special scientific interest & Blelham Bog is designated a National Nature Reserve containing lots of rare mosses, sedge & insects
8. Pass through another gate & the small path now enters a delightful wooded area…
Stop for while on the lovely bridge…the stream was flowing quite quickly when we did the walk
9. Continue along through another gate where we met a couple of the locals. Just be careful if, like us you had your dog off the lead..
You’re now getting near one end of the Tarn & will soon begin to get some spectacular views
10. The path now starts to climb through another gate…
…crossing another stream & then bearing right up a hill. There may be cattle in this area so be careful with dogs
11. Halfway up the hill stop & take in the stunning view down to your right…
…before continuing to the top. Now you have a choice of climbing the stile or passing through the gate
12. Once through, or over, stop & look at the view to the left, back over the Tarn to the Fells beyond…
Ignore all the paths going off in other directions & keep going in a straight line, through a small gate to arrive at the large gate with the fingerpost in the picture below
13. Walk ahead keeping the farm (what a view) on your left…
Follow the track through the gates down to the road
14. Turn left on the lane & walk down to the bend with the white house ahead in the picture below…
Although it looks like it’s private the route heads straight in front of the house past the barn…
15. Go through the gate in the yard & continue along the track…
…but you just might to stop & admire the view
16. Go though the next gate…
…& continue along the track keeping towards the right side of the field…
…where you’ll find a stile to cross
17. Keep to the right edge to cross another stile in the corner – the good news is that these stiles have dog passes…
The field begins to dip down now & the hedge you’re following becomes a fence. Look for a gate on the right
18. Pass through the gate & cross the stream…
Walk up the grassy slope, keeping to the right
19. The trees change to a fence on your right…
…& the path arrives at a gate out onto a lane
20. Turn left & carefully follow the lane, passing the Old Vicarage as it bends left. Just before the entrance to Wray Castle bear right at the National Trust sign down the path beside the gate in the picture below
Follow the path down the hill & turn left through the gate on the left to enter the Wray Estate once more
21. The final part of this walk is through the estate & beside Lake Windermere…
Take some time to sit & watch the world go by
22. As the path splits the choice is yours! If you fancy steps it’s straight ahead, if a gentler slope bear left…
At the top follow the path in the direction of the arrow towards the wood
23. Pass through the gate into the wood & simply follow the track which is quite undulating…
…dropping down to the lake again
24. Walk past another boathouse…
At the path bear left up the hill to arrive back at the start of this walk once more
So that’s it…a wonderful house (castle) & a cracking little walk with fantastic views
So if you’re in the area…
Go Walk!