Borrowdale Loop: Bowder Stone & River Derwent
Begin your walk at the bottom of Bowder Stone carpark and follow the sign to Bowder Stone. The path will take you down towards the road before leading back up to the woodland. Go through the gate, here the path is fairly level and well-maintained. Soon, you’ll reach Bowder Stone, a 2,000-tonne boulder that is believed to have fallen from the crags of Kings How over 10,000 years ago.
Continue the path past the stone for a few hundred metres until you reach a gate. Go through the gate and cross over the road, turning left towards Rosthwaite. After a mile you will arrive in Rosthwaite.
In Rosthwaite, you’ll see a sign for a car park to the right, follow this sign. The lane will lead you past some public toilets and the car park before reaching a fork, take the right-hand fork.
As the footpath leaves the village it becomes narrower. It follows a field boundary before arriving at a wall with a sharp right turn. Continue following the wall and the River Derwent beyond. Go over the bridge and turn right.
After a short distance you will see two gates ahead, take the right-hand gate. You’ll then follow a path through a farm field where sheep graze. Follow the path with the river on your right and you’ll soon come to another fork, take the left-hand side. Go past a gate on the left and go to the end of the field where you’ll find another gate.
Go through the gate and into High Hows Wood. After about 500 metres, there is a small path leading off to the left and you will be able to spot a large cave.
The path continues to wind through the woodland. You will pass through a hole in a wall, and then a turning on the left. A signpost marks the way to Grange at this point. Pass through another hole in the wall, and the path now begins to descend slightly, and re-joins the side of the river.
You will soon come to a gate with a bench next to it, go through the gate. Walk until you come to a footbridge and cross it. On your right you’ll find a stretch of pebble beach, ideal for picnicking and paddling.
After the pebble beach, the path becomes wider and eventually turns to tarmac. Keep right and turn right at the end of the track, following the sign for Grange. In Grange you’ll find toilets and a café with sheltered outdoor seating.
After a snack or an ice cream in Grange, carry on along the road to the bridge that will take you over the River Derwent. Turn right at the other side and follow the pathway back to Bowder Stone carpark.
A walk with mesmerising sights awaits…