Blea Tarn & Eskdale Green from Boot
Lake District Walk
Nat Park - Lake District - Lake District Southern Fells
County/Area - Cumbria
Author - Lou Johnson
Length - 6.5 miles / 10.6 km Ascent - 1100 feet / 333 metres
Time - 4 hours 20 minutes Grade - easy/mod
Walk Route Description
![Photo from the walk - Blea Tarn & Eskdale Green](/m/23/235501.jpg)
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Eskdale is one of the quieter valleys in Lakeland. It offers some beautiful scenery with low fells set against a backdrop of high fells including the Scafells. This Lake District walk begins with a moderate ascent to Blea Tarn from the small village of Boot before continuing down the ridge of low fells towards Eskdale Green. The return is along the Esk valley and includes Gill Force waterfall.
Parking in the village of Boot is at a premium. However there is a large car park at the Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway station (Grid ref. NY172006) where a fee may be payable if you do not use the trains. However you can return from Eskdale Green by train omitting the valley walk as described. From the station, exit onto the main valley road and turn left. Walk along this road to Brook House where you go left into the village. At the end of the tarmac lane continue ahead on the signed bridleway climbing steadily across the fellside.
Reaching the open fellside (Grid ref. NY176017) go through the gate in the intake wall. Continue to follow the track and bear left at the first fork. This track continues for some way and used to service mine workings in the area. Eventually the track becomes a path and this followed to reach Blea Tarn, which is on your right. Continue around the shore to join the path coming up from Beckfoot and continue to reach Siney Tarn where care is needed to avoid the boggy areas.
After Siney Tarn, the path follows the northern edge of Sineytarn Moss before veering southwest to reach a wall. The path continues alongside this wall, which is on your left, to reach a gate in a fence. Go through the gate and take the higher path, which leads to the right of a derelict barn. Continue ahead on this path as you descend into Eskdale to cross the railway and reach the road (Grid ref. NY146998). If you are returning by train then turn right for Eskdale Green station otherwise go left along the road. Turn left at the road junction and then right down the path (Grid ref. NY152000) to the River Esk.
Cross the river and turn left along the bridleway. At first this follows the river but soon enters woodland. Passing Dalegarth Hall on your left you cross a footbridge (Grid ref. NY173001) over Stanley Gill to regain the banks of the Esk. Continue upstream to reach a bridge (Grid ref. NY176002). Cross this and follow the path alongside the river downstream towards the chapel. Turn right in front of the chapel along a track, bearing right at the first junction. At the next junction (Grid ref. NY175008) turn left along the lane back to the start.
Maps
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Ordnance Survey Explorer OL6 | Sheet Map | 1:25k | BUY |
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Other walks nearby
Walk 1299 | Green Crag | moderate | 6.5 miles |
Walk 2361 | Scafell & Slight Side | hard | 9.5 miles |
Walk 2362 | Scafell Pike and Scafell | very hard | 11.0 miles |
Walk 2675 | Eel Tarn and Stony Tarn | easy/mod | 6.0 miles |
Walk 2229 | Tarns of Eskdale | easy/mod | 7.5 miles |
Walk 1932 | Slight Side from Whahouse Bridge | moderate | 5.6 miles |
Walk 1668 | Silver Knott & Muncaster Fell from Irton Road | easy/mod | 5.0 miles |
Walk 2226 | The Scafells | very hard | 12.0 miles |
Walk 1916 | Harter Fell and Low Birker Tarn from Hardknott Pass | moderate | 6.5 miles |
Walk 3419 | Scafell Pike an Eskdale circular | very hard | 12.5 miles |
Recommended Books & eBooks
Lake District: Low Level and Lake Walks
This guidebook describes 30 of the best low-level walks in the Lake District. From delightful wooded glades and sparkling tarns, to waterfalls and glacier-carved valleys towered over by craggy mountains. The walks described aim to seek out the best walking that the lower areas of the Lake District have to offer.
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Great Mountain Days in the Lake District
An inspirational guidebook to 50 challenging walks on the high fells of the Lake District. The graded circular routes, between 4 and 14 miles in length, cover classic Lakeland summits like Fairfield, Scafell Pike, Great Gable and Blencathra, to the lesser-known High Spy, King's How and Brund Fell.
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