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- round about gosforth along the river bleng
Round About Gosforth - Along the River Bleng
Route facts
Waterways:
Wastwater »
Distance: 3.36 miles / 5.4 km
Duration: 1 - 2 hours
Difficulty: Easy
Circular route from: Gosforth Village Car Park
From 10th to 20th Century - This short walk encapsulates much history of West Cumbria: The 10th Century Anglo-Saxon Cross stands beside a Norman church; one house (now the Library) is dated 1628 and Gosforth Hall 1658. Farming has continued in the narrow River Bleng valley throughout this period, Whinnerah Farm buildings are a typical example. From the brow of the hill the Irish Sea fills the horizon, with modern towers of BNFL in the foreground.
1. Start - from Gosforth Village Car Park, from whence turn left to walk right through village. The first building of interest is the Public Library, built as \"Gosforth Gate\" with the date of 1628 on the wall.Shortly after this the road divides, one road off to Eskdale and that on the left to Wasdale. Bear left. Pass the Church, noting the famous Gosforth Cross just inside the churchyard. The road meanders on passing older houses, a new housing estate and the busy Walkmill Garden Centre (refreshments available) to an area known as Wellington where the road swings right over the bridge en route for Eskdale.2. Keep to the left, not crossing the bridge, but go past a series of houses on the left, with the River Bleng close by on the right. This recently metalled lane heads up the valley towards Stockdale Moor and Ponsonby Fell, through a Forestry Plantation.3. After about 0.75 mile turn left into woodland track leading to a gate beside a water fall. Past the gate the track turns left up the hillside. Go through the next gate, the path being rather indistinct keeping near to the trees at the top of the field. It soon becomes a grassy track, bending round to the right and leading up to Whinnerah Farm.4. Take stile beside left-hand building, cross small paddock to another stile to farm lane. Turn left.5. Turn left again past cattle grid, where this track meets another, firmer track.This is the highest point of the walk, and affords great views all around. The open moorland of the fells behind, the Irish Sea in front, with the towers of BNFL Sellafield pouring forth steam and low-lying outer fells on either side.6. Turn left at the next junction, and then left again onto another metalled road.7. Just beyond the buildings of Wind Hall Farm. Turn right at Footpath signpost to go along a rather narrow walk with wall on one side and fence on the other to reach a stone stile, over which turn left immediately into a gated field.8. The path is rather obscure in this field, but once over the brow of the hill, another stile can be seen straight ahead lower down.9. The path bears to the right, becoming rather wet below a roughly enclosed area marked as \"Holy Well\"10. As the way flattens out, keep right, following the path into the next field, and look out for red topped posts on left to and beyond stile into the garden of a house. This is the correct route!11. Come into the yard of the Gosforth Hall Hotel (1658), which turns opens out onto the road beside the Church.12. Turn right and retrace the path back through the village to the Car Park.
Getting there
Parking: Gosforth Village Car Park
