Borrowdale
Borrowdale is a glorious wooded valley, which runs south from Derwent Water.
It contains two of the Lake District’s most dramatic natural features.
The Bowder Stone is a big rock. A really big rock and one of the quirkiest tourist attractions in the Lake District.
It weights about 2,000 tons and appears to be balanced, ready to topple over. It was put into place by a glacier, which later melted around it.
A set of steps leads up to the top! A great family activity!
The Stone is signposted along a path east of the B5289 Borrowdale Road. There is a National Trust car park at grid reference 253168 on OS map OL4.
From the car park, walk back down towards the road and you’ll see the sign for the Bowder Stone.
We like the Bowder Stone but for us the main attraction is the so-called Jaws of Borrowdale, where the high crags of Kings How and Castle Crag on either side of the valley almost meet, squeezing the road and the river together.
Walking
The walk towards Bowder Stone is an easy gentle stroll, perfect for all ages.
But we recommend going up the Jaws of Borrowdale.
Castle Crag, one of the pointed jagged ‘teeth’ in the jaws offers a few choices for exploring the area which Wainwright called ‘the loveliest square mile in Lakeland’.
The 5 miles circular walk to the summit is less challenging than it first appears.
It offers wide-ranging views over Derwent Water and Skiddaw to the north, or to Upper Borrowdale and Great End to the south.
Borrowdale also has the largest area of native broadleaf woodland of any of the Lake District valleys.
To wander among the trees and see them up close, try the waymarked walk at Great Wood, or the signposted walk from Great Wood to Ashness Bridge which combines stretches of woodland with open views of Derwent Water and Cat Bells.
If you really want to immerge yourself into the splendours of this valley, then try stage 3 of the Cumbria Way.
This 112 km route passes right through Borrowdale.
It starts in Ulverston, South Cumbria and heads north through the Lake District National Park, finishing in Carlisle.
Section 3 starts in Langdale and for 15 miles it meanders through the valley and ends in Keswick.