Got a ride including Walna Scar planned for this weekend, was planning to drop to Seathwaite then push up.

Noticed there was a Duddon Valley route in the mag a couple of issues ago, so was wondering a couple of things:

Is it worth tacking on a mini-loop that goes past the WS turning, crosses the river at Birks then returns via Grassguards and Wallowbarrow (as described in the mag), then climbs Kiln Bank, up across Long Mire and up to Walna Scar via Natty Bridge.

Subsidiary question: From Stephenson Ground, should I just head across Long Mire to get to the Seathwaite descent (done this before, was OK), or track around via Carter/Stainton ground which looks like more interesting riding?

TIA

I’ve only run along the BWs on the west side. Grassguards to Wallowbarrow is a vehicle track – http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/1943045  it’s a bit rougher where it drops down past the crag http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/544592 . The loop that goes west from Grassguards is usually a bog!

Going up from Stephenson Ground: the BW on the west side is probably better as a descent, that on the east is a forestry track. Don’t know about the Carter/Stainton Ground part.

Cheers Bob. The bit past Wallowbarrow looked promisingly zigzaggy, but perhaps not worth the effort.

As for the bit from Stephenson Ground towards WS, it’s a bit of a toss-up – shorter more direct push or longer easier climb once you’ve dropped down into the forest and up to the forest track.

Can’t remember the bit zig-zagging through the woods. It’s steep but I don’t remember it being rough, probably no different to that second shot.

Hi Martin,

Not done the Long Mire bit, so can’t compare but the route around Raven’s Crag is fairly interesting – done it twice. The option of taking the road and then the BW through Carter Ground is through someone’s garden and then a push through thick bracken – only did that once!

RM.

Was thinking of climbing the forest road to Natty Bridge in the first place, crossing over, descending to SG, then carrying on the BW that contours around Raven, so interrupting someone’s garden party probably isn’t on the menu!

@martinhutch What you’ve described there is the best way in my experience, contouring after taking the forest road to Natty Bridge and down the other side (rode it last week).

The zig zag descent past wallabarrow crag is good, but fairly brief considering the extra tarmac and forest road mileage to get to it via grassguards. Kiln Bank is a hard climb for minimal reward, nothing special between the top and Long Mire, whereas the bit from Long Mire to the Newfield Inn is a belter (park head road).

Cheers – sounds like a plan. Just have to resign myself to riding less of the climb to WS.

Maybe just do Hole Rake on the other side if I want extra.

Yep descending to Coppermines and up over Hole Rake to Tilberthwaite is a good addition, or if you’ve not tried it, climbing from Coppermines up the access track to Levers Water, back over a col to drop down to the Pudding Stone in Boulder Valley, then contour/descend back to Crowberry Haws on the main tourist path and return or continue to Hole Rake from there.

Think rogermoore might have made a navigation error, Carter ground isn’t really worth it though, a steep singletrack climb shortish descent (which is ok) then a pretty rough energy sapping landrover track climb up the back of Brock Barrow to the top of the seathwaite descent. Wallowbarrow isn’t much cop either, better addition would be to drop on the bw under stickle Pike toward whistling vreen, along too high kiln bank fm and back up the road, which is a killer!

contour/descend back to Crowberry Haws on the main tourist path and return or continue to Hole Rake from there.

I think I’ve approached that from the other direction – then dropped alongside Church Beck back to Coniston.

My in laws lived in the last house going south out of Seathwaite for 25 years and I got to know some areas quite well. If you are going there you have to do Park Head Road down to the Newfield Inn and the bridleway down the side of Wallabarrow – they are both great and some of the best fun you can have on a bike. Not jealous at all….!

Deleted, wrong thread, too much beer