Maiden Moor


The view from across the valley The approximate track of the walk superimposed on a photograph taken from Surprise View


Strictly speaking this photograph does not belong in the following set. It was taken four days later from Surprise View, while walking to Watendlath on the other side of the Borrowdale valley.   It shows most of the fellside covered by the climbing section of the walk below. I must apologise for the somewhat erratic behaviour of the mouse. The path goes behind Greenup so it is appropriate to leave a gap.




I parked my motor-car in the layby at the top of Brandelhow Woods at 11:30 on Tuesday, 15th September 2015. I have never failed to find a space here and it will be a convenient spot when it comes to my return via Hause Gate.

Just a few yards along the road towards Grange, I was able to walk up a grassy slope to join the fine footpath that runs below the Cat Bells ridge. It is labelled as part of the Allerdale Ramble on the map. I was able to turn around and take the view of distant Blencathra almost immediately.

After walking about one mile, the footpath from Hause Gate, the usual descent route from both Cat Bells and Maiden Moor, came in from the right and I followed it down almost to the road at Manesty. 		  Blencathra and Derwentwater Derwentwater with Blencathra beyond


A small footpath leaves the main track just to the right of the big gate. I followed it to avoid walking on the minor road. The going is quite rough but generally level. It leads to the field above the Borrowdale Gates Hotel and then onto Hollows Farm after about a mile and a half. At the end of High Close another footpath diverges to the right and starts to climb. This is the one I took.

I soon met some walkers descending, who said they had not been able to get through and had ended up on a scree slope. They also said they had difficulty crossing the stream. I said that I did not think they should need to cross the stream and that I would have a look anyway. In fact, the path was absolutely fine although narrow and twisting. 		  Greenup with Nitting Haws Our route to Maiden Moor lies below the crags of Greenup


High Close, Borrowdale Gates Hotel and Grange High Close, Borrowdale Gates Hotel and Grange   The photograph on the left was taken to set the scene for my ascent. The closest area of woodland, central and low in the picture, is called High Close. The nearest corner of the High Close is where the footpath starts. Just to the right of the woodland and beyond that tongue of woodland is a rough undulating field with a much used footpath that crosses it diagonally and leads to the Borrowdale Gates Hotel. Glimpses of the large white hotel can be seen through some trees beyond the field. The hotel is on the Grange road and Grange is also visible on the extreme right.

I had only just started the climb when this photograph was taken. I will be climbing to a height of 630m (2,067ft) so some effort is required but the footpath is easy to follow all the way to the top.


Grange Bird's eye view of Grange in Borrowdale



The path at a higher level The path at a higher level approaching Nitting Haws   The path continues below the crags of Cockley How and Nitting Haws before turning its back on Borrowdale and heading for the main ridge path. The photograph shows the path at the higher levels.

The final photograph shows Narrow Moor with the path turning slightly right at Maiden Moor. It was taken from just below Greenup, the local high spot.

I would have taken more photographs but it started to rain. I hurried back down to Hause Gate, made the descent from the ridge and walked back along the path to reach my motor-car in heavy continuous rain at 16:00.


Narrow Moor and Maiden Moor Narrow Moor leading to Maiden Moor taken from the ridge path just below Greenup


Editor: Peter J. Cosker   peter@the2coskers.com   top of page   Updated: 23/10/2015