Lakes and Dales Horseback Rambler

As with many areas in Cumbria many people will have driven past Chapel House Plantation not realising this area is a little bit of a gem. Routes from here can be a short 4 miles loop up to Simpson Ground Reservoir or you can do a longer route up to 11 miles over Cartmel Fell with a pub stop at Strawberry Bank.   Starting from the parking area enter Chapel House Plantation through the main entrance track past the Forestry England signs. Here take the path past the vehicle barrier, which is a little narrow and then proceed up the hill on the track. The further you go up the hill you will start getting fantastic views of Windermere and distance fells. I like to then take the rocky bridleway up to Simpson Ground Reservoir, but if you would like a smoother route keep of the forest track and you can loop back up to the reservoir. Once at the reservoir this is good place for a picnic and also the point where you need to decide which way to go. You can either do a short loop around anoth...

Scout Hill (also known locally as bog mountain) is dry enough to ride! This ride should only be done after a spell of very dry weather as the bridleway over Scout Hill can be very treacherous having a number of bogs to cross . If we have a wet year where the window of opportunity is missed another year will pass by before I get another chance to ride this route. This is one of my favourite bridleways that transport you into a wild and ancient landscape with Scots pine trees and Cotton grass and in spring and early summer Cuckoos can be heard. Drovers and packhorse trains from Scotland use to carry Scots pine seeds in the their pockets and would plant the pinecones to mark the route especially in remote places. I have not looked into the history of this route, but as there are Scots pines, which are located in the 'middle of know where' close to a bridleway I like to think this could of been a drovers route from Scotland! Starting from the parking by the canal at Farleton, cross...

In February 2023 the local Lake District National Park Authority (LDNPA) ranger contacted Cumbria Bridleways Society as they wanted to test out the new bridge and boardwalk on the first section of the West Windermere Way. Myself and Bridget Pickthall of course happily volunteered and spent a morning checking the route for horses before it opened in March 2023. We found both structures very easy to use and can very much recommend the route! All of the sections (to date) of the West Windermere Way are now open and you can either complete a short route of between 5 miles and 7 miles (depending on where you park) or you can ride on all of the trail which makes a 9.5 miles ride from Backbarrow. Starting at the Motor Museum at Backbarrow take the road down to the Whitewater Hotel and cross the river and then take the lanes towards Newby Bridge. After about 2.5 miles take the bridleway up through the woods. This is a lovely route through native woodland and it really does have a ancient bri...