Gowbarrow Fell
Park at: Aira Force National Trust Car Park (pay and display car park with toilets)
Distance: 6 mile circular walk
Duration: 4 hours
Height: 481m / 1,579 ft
Wainwright height ranking: 181 of 214
1) Follow the path towards the waterfall out of the top of the car park through the picnic field. Continue along the path and head through a gateway in the wall into a grassy area known as the Glade.
2) Take the left hand path through the arboretum (botanical garden) and follow the path up to a wooden gate on your left.
3) Don't go through the gate but follow the path to the right, drop down a long steep flight of steps to the viewing platform at the base of the waterfall. Continue over the bridge and climb the steps on the left.
4) At the top of the steps, bear left to the upper bridge for a view down Aira Force. Rejoin the main path and walk upstream keeping the river on your left as you go.
5) Keep going till the path takes you through a gap in the wall and then through a gate onto open farmland.
6) Before you get to the next gate in the wall ahead turn right up the field and take the path to the fell gate.
7) Keeping the wall on your left continue up the fellside on a stone pitched path. The path is steep in places.
8) Once the path flattens out and bears away from the wall follow the path up to the trig point on the summit of Gowbarrow. Look south to Place Fell and Red Screes over to Kirkstone, with the bulk of Helvellyn in the distance. Blencathra, Bannerdale and Carrock Fell can be seen to the north-west, with the Pennines to the north-east. Martindale and High Street are to the south-east.
9) On leaving the summit, continue along the path keeping parallel with the wall on your left. Follow the path down, bearing right around the eastern side of Gowbarrow. Gowbarrow should be on your right hand side.
10) Follow the path as it winds its way around the fellside towards Ullswater. Some excellent views of Ullswater and the surrounding fells can be enjoyed on this gradual descent.
11) Continue to descend along this path with Ullswater to your left until you reach a fork in the path just before the woodland.
12) Take the left hand fork then through a gate to rejoin the footpath bearing left back to the Glade and Aira Force National Trust Car Park.