Watendlath & the Armboth Fells
NY264227 From the 1 landing stages near Crow Park, take one of the Derwent Water launches round to the pier at Barrow Bay. The launches operate clockwise and anti-clockwise services. Clockwise is the quickest way, although if you have time and fancy a tour of the lake first you could take the anticlockwise service.
NY268203 From 2 Barrow Bay pier cross the B5289 and join the narrow road on the other side. This climbs steeply to start with and is followed all the way to Watendlath. There are alternative paths that parallel the road that you can take from Ashness Wood, but they will add time and the road, although quite narrow in parts, is just as pleasant with pretty much the same views.
NY275163 There is a 3 tea room at Watendlath and it's worth stopping by for a quick cuppa. There are also some loos in the car park. A bridleway zig-zags east behind Watendlath – an old packhorse route that crosses the fells via Blea Tarn to Wythburn. Follow its well-graded course steeply east at first then at a gentler angle south-south-east to its summit at a shoulder overlooking Blea Tarn.
NY288147 Turn off 4 the bridleway and head east up to cross a fence line. Continue east until you hit a path. Turn left onto the path and follow its undulating course north to High Tove. The path continues north along the main crest of the Armboth Fells. Follow it to the summit of High Seat.
NY287180 High Seat 5 is marked by a trig point; it is the highest summit of the day and is definitely worth spending time on. You get some unusually angled views of Helvellyn plus a wide-open panorama of Derwent Water. The ground becomes slightly rougher after High Seat but there is a clear path, which should be followed north to Bleaberry Fell. NY285195 From the 6 summit of Bleaberry Fell a long descent leads north-west down a rounded ridge to a path intersection at the head of Cat Gill. Turn right onto the path and follow it as it traverses north to the head of Lady’s Rake. From here head north, through a wall gap and gain the summit of Walla Crag. This small summit is perched above towering crags and offers a superb view out over Great Wood. From Walla Crag follow the path north-east along the cliff edge and then on towards a ford and road head at Rakefoot.
NY283221 Head 7 down the road for 200m to a path on the right. Join it and follow it east then north around field edges to the A591. Cross the A591 and join Castle Lane on the other side. Castle Lane leads to a T-junction and just before the junction is an opening on the right, which leads into an enclosure holding the Megalithic stone circle at Castlerigg.
NY290237 At the 8 T-junction, turn left and follow Eleventrees Lane downhill to a junction with the A591, turn left and follow it back into Keswick.