Lake District Hotel in Grasmere - Bridge House Hotel - Fairfield Horseshoe
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| The Fairfield Horseshoe is one of the Lake District's favourite walking routes. It is very popular with Bridge House Hotel guests. There are many "horseshoe" or circular paths in the Lake District, where walkers do not have to backtrack on themselves in order to return to their starting point. This time a pleasant walk from Grasmere to Rydal serves as the approach. Nab Scar is the start of the real ascent, with Heron Pike and Great Rigg. In the photograph above you can see Rydal Water (foreground), Windermere Lake (central background) and the Coniston Fells in the distance on the right. |
| All of the main ascent routes from Grasmere for Fairfield are described in Wainwright's Pictorial Guide - Book 1. Many other walks are also available from Grasmere, some of which are covered in books 1 & 3. Further routes are also available in the Johnathan Craig series which offer guidance directly from Bridge House Hotel.
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| In the above photo, Windermere Lake is on the left, Grasmere is in the centre and, on the right, Fairfield herself begins to be recognisable. The approach from this side of the mountain shows the soft grassy slopes - this is the Fairfield Horseshoe route. Fairfield offers much more dramatic scenery by taking the path from the Patterdale side, via Deepdale and Cofa Pike, and this is what Wainwright recommends. |
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| Meanwhile, further along the horseshoe route, Grasmere is still visible with the Helm Crag ridge clearly defined. Even at web resolution you should also be able to pick out three famous small bodies of water - Loughrigg Tarn, Alcock Tarn and Easedale Tarn - all favourite landmarks of visitors to the Lake District, Grasmere and Bridge House Hotel. |
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| The photograph above was taken not far from Fairfield's summit showing the gullies and crag buttresses above, and the Deepdale valley below. |
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| Above is the view from Fairfield's summit. It is dominated by Helvellyn on the skyline to the northwest - including Striding Edge. St Sunday Crag emerges just to the left of a group of picnickers. In the distance are many of the Lake District's finest peaks. |
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| Further along the Horseshoe path looking down on Windermere Lake and Ambleside in the distance. |
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| This is not the traditional Fairfield route but a detour up towards Red Screes. The reward is a fabulous view down to Brotherswater but this path does add a few extra miles! Usually, walkers will go by Hart Crag, Dove Crag, then High Pike and Low Pike, down into Ambleside. |
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| Above shows Fairfield taken with Brotherswater on the right. |
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| The cairn on Red Screes summit. |
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| Finally, on the way down into Ambleside is this Highland Bull, either he was posing for photographs or basking in the September evening sunshine!. |
| The Fairfield Horseshoe - one of the Lake District's
favourite walks. This is probably because it is circular, it's a full
day out, and the views are spectacular.
All these Lake District Photographs © Bridge House Hotel Grasmere |
