WINDERMERE is England's longest lake so it is perhaps not surprising that along its 24 miles or so of shoreline there are plenty of gentle footpaths that will take you away from the madding tourist crowds. Red Nab to High Wray Bay is one of these paths. The route starts about halfway down the west shore of the lake at the Red Nab car park and heads north, hugging the shoreline for about one mile before coming to grassy open fields. The path, like the surrounding Claife Estate, is owned and managed by the National Trust. It's made of compacted slate fines and is in very good condition. There are no gradients and plenty of resting places with fine views across the lake and of the mountains beyond. Much of the trail is in woodland: oak, ash, silver birch and magnificent beech trees line the route and October/November is probably the best time to enjoy their rich autumnal colours. There's a variety of mushrooms and other fungi about too, for the budding amateur mycologist. The rare Arctic char spawn in this stretch of the lake every autumn. If you want to learn more about the lake and its landscape, A.D. Pickering's Windermere makes fascinating reading.

Routes The route is simple to follow - from Red Nab car park (1) just head north on the lakeshore path for about one mile where there is a big gate that opens onto grassy fields - a good picnic spot (2). Return by the same route back to the car park. An alternative, for the more adventurous, is to take a left turn from the big gate (2) for about half-a-mile up a very rocky path to the road (3) - Low Wray Church and Castle are close by. Please note that this section is not suitable for wheelchairs.

There is no public transport available to take you to the start of the trail at Red Nab although you can take a bus to High Wray (4) using the 505 Stagecoach service which runs between Ambleside and Coniston. From High Wray it's a really pleasant walk of about a mile on the tarmac road through Arthur Wood on the Claife Estate down to the start at Red Nab car park.

National Trust This route is maintained and cared for by the National Trust, a charity that oversees some 25 per cent of the Lake District National Park. The National Trust and the Lake District National Park Authority work closely together in the Lake District, sharing common interests and complementary objectives. You can get more information by calling 015394-35599 or 0870-4584000 or visiting www.nationaltrust.org.uk LDNPA This walk is taken from a collection of more than 20 routes in the Lake District National Park that have been earmarked and maintained by the Lake District National Park Authority and are suitable for people with limited mobility.

The routes, which have been checked by park rangers, are described in a special booklet, Countryside Access For People With Limited Mobility, available from Tourist Information Centres. The routes are also covered on the authority's website: www.lake-district.gov.uk

Information

Overview: Generally wide flat path suitable for accompanied wheelchair access.

Distance: 3.2km return journey on linear path Time: Allow 2 hours Map Ref: OS Outdoor Leisure No. 7 The English Lakes South Eastern area.

Start point GR385995.

Parking: National Trust car park at Red Nab Gradients: Flat, no gradients.

Refreshments: Bring your own.

Toilets: None near the route.

Public transport: 505 Bus to High Wray runs about every hour at the moment for most of the day, but timetable will change shortly so call Traveline 0870-608-2608 for details.