Whitbarrow is a beautiful fell of limestone scars and outcrops. A walk along its whaleback top, with its wealth of lowly vegetation, rowans, junipers, birches and yews, never ceases to delight. Yewbarrow, its immediate westerly neighbour, hides its charms until you have crossed a fine hinterland of grassy flats and lofty ash and larch trees. Once on top you can look across to Whitbarrow and see walkers on its top, but rarely will you see people on Yewbarrow - more likely a fox exploring the slopes, not expecting to be disturbed...

Park in a layby on the old road that runs parallel with the A590, close to Mill Side, grid ref 450838. To reach this, take a northerly turn that signposts the hamlet, four miles west of the Sedgwick roundabout, and then turn immediately left.

1 Walk west along the old road for just under half-a-mile from the turn off, to take the second signposted track on the right. Continue on this pleasing way, gently climbing, until you reach a narrow road. Here bear left and, very soon, cross the road to take a signposted path on the right. Carry on the sometimes indistinct way, through delightful deciduous woodland, keeping roughly parallel with a stream to your left. The path then leads onto the more open ground of Rocky Common, with gorse and outcrops of limestone. Continue walking ahead (north) to a step stile over the boundary wall to another narrow road.

2 Walk right for 100yds to take a step stile on the left. Go ahead to just before a marker post with two arrows. Ignore these and take the unmarked grassy ride, between gorse scrub, on your left. Very soon the waymarks start and one directs you left to come close to a wall, to your left. Here bear right and go on ahead. On reaching a waymark with three arrows, carry on ahead to approach Kirket Nook farmhouse. A signpost, just before the pleasant building, suggests you take a permissive path to avoid walking through the farmyard. To do this drop left to climb a stile. Just beyond, a waymark directs you right. Go on to wind left round a very wet area to reach the next waymark. This sends you to a stile over a wall. Beyond, turn left and then wind round right to pass in front of a white house and then along the access track to a road.

3 Cross and climb the stile ahead. Walk down beside the wall, on your right, and then descend a steepish slope to the access track to Nether Hall farmhouse. Go on along the track, passing between the fine house and the outbuildings. Do not leave the track but press on along the often muddy way to climb a stile over a barrier across it. Where the track swings right, take the signposted way left. Climb up rough pasture beside the wall and hedge on the left and then wind round right beside the fence. Follow the fence up to come to a stile into Yewbarrow Wood. Once over, bear right as directed and follow the waymarks through the lovely woodland to reach a bridleway, reinforced with outcropping limestone.

4 Head right to go through a gate out into extensive pastureland. Turn left and walk a wide grassy way until you have passed, on your right, an elegant clump of birches. Then take another wide grassy track up onto the ridge of Yewbarrow, where you will want to take your first break. After enjoying the pleasing top continue along the grassy swathe and follow it as it begins to descend to the right. Look ahead and take each descending grassy way to reach the bridleway at the bottom of the slope. Here walk left, beside the wall, now on your right, and stroll the delectable way through woodland to reach a large open area, with two fine houses on the opposite side.

5 Cross this diagonally, as directed, and go on through woodland to a signpost. Turn right and walk the few steps to a road. Here turn right to walk beside, on your left, the charming old outbuildings of Witherslack Farm. Just beyond, take the next signposted left turn to pass in front of the gates of Witherslack Hall School, where a map on a board indicates the route onto Whitbarrow. Go ahead along the left side of the large pasture. Ignore the waymarked permissive path, left, and continue on almost to the far left corner of the pasture. Here, under the shadow of the formidable slopes of Whitbarrow, climb a stile, on the left, onto the football pitch of the school. Go by a goalpost to the waymarked corner. Carry on following the waymarks, which quickly send you slightly left, along a limestone path into magnificent woodland.

6 A short distance along, another waymark directs you right. In a few steps the path becomes clear and leads you up the side of Whitbarrow Scar. The path climbs steadily for a long way through woodland, with one or two very tiny scrambles. Soon there are steep slopes to your left and above, to your right, large areas of limestone scree. Continue up and up the exciting path to reach a stile. Once over, go on along the continuing limestone path in the same general direction (north). Just beyond the first cairn, bear a little right, heading for a very large cairn on the skyline. Once past this go on up the rather bare slopes to another cairn. Close by is a cairn dedicated to the memory of Canon Hervey, founder of the Lake District Naturalists Trust. In 1969 the area all around was declared a nature reserve.

7 The views from here are incredible and this will be the place where you will want to take your second break. Then turn right (south) and begin your walk along the ridge, from where you can spot (right) Yewbarrow's grassy top. The wide path is easy to follow and large limestone cairns stand on the tops of tiny hillocks on the ridge. The path leads you to a gap stile in the wall, beyond which the distinct path carries on. Follow it faithfully until you have a view of an oxbow on the River Kent, far below. Just about here the path winds round right. It is not cairned but the change of direction is quite clear if you watch out for it. Follow the path down the grassy slope and then into trees to come to a gate. Go through, wind left and then left again to go through a gap in the wall - all well waymarked.

8 Go on down the path through the trees. It is easily contoured and a great pleasure to walk. It descends to a small open space, a wider cross track and a seat from where to enjoy the view. Then walk right and follow the high terrace-like path and. where it descends a slope, join a wide reinforced track. Walk right along this track as it goes on descending to reach the road at the hamlet of Mill Side. Turn left and walk the road until, just before the A590, you reach the old road and can spot your car.

Information...

Distance: 7 miles.

Time: 3-4 hours.

Terrain: Generally easy walking. Steepish climb to Yewbarrow Wood and steeper climb on to Whitbarrow. Mainly well waymarked. Some tracks can be muddy after rain.

Map: OS Explorer OL 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.