Staveley is a very good place to start a walk, with its large parking area, good small shops and a pleasing café for refreshment. This ramble provides lots of contrast, is full of interest and gives much pleasure at any season of the year - even this very wet and windy winter.

Park in Mill Yard, Staveley, grid ref 473983. If approaching from Kendal, turn right immediately beyond the Spar shop.

1 From Mill Yard, turn left and walk a few yards down the main street. Just before St Margaret's Tower, go left down a walled track to cross a footbridge over the turbulent River Kent. Turn left again to walk upstream from where you have an interesting view of the backs of buildings that were once part of the mills of the village, powered by the river. Notice the well-built salmon pass, beside a weir, as you go, and then join the fell road. Continue on along Hall Lane, a no through road', for about 300yds. Then take, on the left, the public bridleway that heads towards Scroggs Farm. The metalled way is walled and the views of the countryside are delightful. Go through the farm and follow the track out into pleasing pastures from where you can hear the noisy river in the valley below you to your left.

2 At the track end, take the narrow road, signed Elfhowe, and climb right. As you approach the dwelling ignore the footpath, left, and take the signposted bridleway that goes on ahead. Pass through the waymarked gate, ahead, which is the start of a most attractive walled way. It descends delightfully to cross a tiny stone bridge over a tributary of the Kent. Beyond bear left and walk upstream to the end of a very low wall on your right. Here, the now grassy bridleway swings right and climbs uphill, with a wall to your left and another hurrying beck beyond. Carry on to a gate onto Hall Lane and bear left.

3 Stroll the virtually traffic-free way for half-a-mile, to Park House, where it ceases to be metalled. Go on along the continuing track through the quiet pastures for another half-a-mile to pass through a large metal gate. After 60yds, take a waymarked gate, on the left, on to high open fell. Follow the clear grassy trod (well marked with hoof prints) to go through the next gate. Beyond, walk ahead for a few steps to join a narrower grassy trod. Pause here and look right to see the dramatic head of the Kentmere Valley and its amphitheatre of mountains, and bear left. Head on towards Millrigg Knott until the path divides at the foot of this craggy hill. Here take the right branch that continues on below the slopes of the Knott to pass through a gate. Walk on along the track heading towards a conifer plantation. If the way is boggy, look out for a narrow path, leaving right, climbing a little, and then descending, before swinging back left to join the main track at the foot of the conifers.

4 Wind round left, with the conifers to your left and another plantation away to the right. Then the track takes you into the trees and the stony way drops down and down to join the Kentmere Road, after passing through two gates. Bear left and walk on for nearly a quarter-of-a-mile, to turn right down a narrow lane. Cross the 17th century Ullthwaite Bridge, over the River Kent, and turn left into a signposted track.

5 Head on and, where it curves right, go with it to pass to the right of Browfoot Dale House and continue up the slope beyond, to join Browfoot Lane. Turn right and a short way along take the signposted gate on the left. Ascend the distinct grassy track to a gate into the next pasture. Carry on the grassy trod, keeping to the left side of an ancient ditch. This brings you to a step stile, well before the wall corner. Go ahead across a pathless field to a tricky' stone step stile in the far left corner to join a track.

6 Walk left along the walled way. Look for Williamson's Monument, high up on the left, and then carry on to pass Heights Farm, where building work is in progress on the barns. Wind round right with the now metalled way and turn left with it. A short way along, take a fine stile on the left, the first on the well waymarked route. Cross the pasture to a step stone stile, and go on ahead over the next two and then wind right to walk parallel with the wall on your right to climb a step stile over the wall. Descend as directed by the waymark, step across a little stream, and soon follow a fenced grassy way left. Wind on down, right, to go over the next stile and then curve, left, down steeper slopes to the access track to High Reston Farm. Turn right to join the A591 and walk left along the pavement for under half-a-mile, taking the quiet road through the village to return to Mill Yard.

  • Information Distance: 7 miles Time: 4 hours Terrain: Good tracks, paths and green trods. Expect some boggy patches after rain. Generally well waymarked.

Map: OS Explorer 7 NB: Restrictions on space mean that this article provides a general summary of the route. It is advisable for anyone who plans to follow the walk to take a copy of the relevant Ordnance Survey map.