Combining attractive pastures, fells and riverside with history

It starts at Hesket Newmarket, passes through Caldbeck and includes part of the Cumbria Way. Close to Caldbeck are remains of the Howk, a mill that made bobbins for the textile industry between 1857 and 1924.

The churchyard includes the gravestone of John Peel, a huntsman born in Calbeck and subject of the 19th Century song “D’ye ken John Peel”.

1. Leave the car park and turn left. Pass the Old Crown inn and continue up through the village and go straight on past Temperance Hall. Immediately after passing a junction on the left turn left up steps and across a stile onto a signed footpath. Walk alongside the fence on the left, through a gate and continue beside the hedge on the left up to the top of the field. Cross a fence stile 50 yards to the right of the top corner and continue uphill through gates and stiles to a lane leading to Hudscales farm. Pass the barns, turn left then right to go around a white house and past the Camping Barn on the right. Go through a wooden gate onto the open fell.

2. Turn right and walk along the edge of the fell to go through a wooden gate then descend to the right of a conifer wood to cross a wall stile to the right of gorse bushes. Cross the field to a farm, go through a wicket gate and past the front of the house. Go through two gates to a track (Cumbria Way) and turn left onto Caldbeck Common. Where the track bends left away from the wall turn right and follow the wall on the right to above Potts Ghyll Farm and across the ghyll. Continue at the same level to Little Fellside where you turn right by a cattle grid.

3. Pass the house then left through a field gate. Walk ahead along a grassy farm track crossing three fields and following the line of hawthorn trees and pass to the right of a small wood. Cross a ladder stile then pass to the right of another small wood and through a metal gate onto a walled grassy track. Follow the track to a road and turn right. Turn left at the junction and after 250 yards right onto a signed footpath. Descend the fenced path and continue to meet a road, turn right then left to cross Whelpo Bridge then right along the permissive path to Caldbeck.

4. The path follows Whelpo Beck and descends by steps to The Howk. Pass Bridge End Barn and keep straight on passing the green Calbeck ‘Men in Sheds’ building. Beside the village green and its attractive pond turn right to go downhill then through the car park. Cross the B5299 onto the lane signed Hesket Newmarket. To visit St Kentigern’s church and John Peel’s grave turn right across the stone footbridge and then return to this point.

5. The next mile of the walk follows the Cumbria Way. After passing through woodland, you go through a gate and enter an area of recently planted trees where you turn right to descend a grassy footpath through woodland (steep and slippery in parts) and across a footbridge over Cald Beck. This is close to the confluence of The River Caldew and Cald Beck. Go through a metal gate on the right and follow the path going beside the River Caldew on the left, passing through charming woodland and up to Hesket Newmarket where the walk began.