Greenburn Round, Lake District
This high-level Lake District route visits an atmospheric aircraft wreckage and explores a hidden wild valley.
The summit of the Wrynose Pass is a great starting point for hill walkers, as it’s at an altitude of 393m, but the parking is limited so aim to arrive early if you fancy doing this route. Three Wainwrights are visited – Grey Friar (773m), Great Carrs (784m) and Swirl How (802m), in a superb high-level round with great views in all directions.
Near the summit of Great Carrs we visit the wreckage of a Royal Canadian Halifax Bomber (LL505) which crashed on 22 October 1944 with the loss of eight crewmen’s lives. Some of the plane’s undercarriage forms part of the memorial cairn and gives a chance for quiet reflection before moving on. Much of the plane wreckage was pushed over the nearby cliffs to tumble into Broad Slack above Greenburn and part of the fuselage lies in boulders near the valley itself. The plane’s Merlin engine now stands outside Coniston’s Ruskin Museum, where some of the other wreckage was also taken.
Our return route involves a descent down the wilderness valley of Greenburn, before an ascent of the superb ridge of Wet Side Edge finishes the day off nicely.
1
NY276026 Take the marked footpath southerly from near the top of the Wrynose Pass – signposted for ‘Wet Side Edge’. The rough path climbs steadily and higher up contours above the Wrynose Pass road. Continue to zigzag up beyond this and reach a cairned path junction on Wet Side Edge at NY274021. Go right heading south-westerly along the rising ridge. Beyond Little Carrs descend to reach a path junction under Great Carrs at NY269013 just before the path rises steeply. Fork right past a cairn, keeping ahead at a minor fork left. Rise on the path to soon descend to a small cairn and path junction between Great Carrs and Grey Friar. Go right, rising on the path to Grey Friar summit plateau. Continue on the path to reach the twin cairns on Grey Friar summit. The left is the official top.
2
NY260003 Retrace your steps back to the little cairn and path junction. Continue ahead (ignore two right junctions in quick succession) rising to the memorial cairn and aircraft wreckage.
3
NY270008 From the wreckage, climb northerly to reach the summit of Great Carrs marked by a large cairn on a rock overlooking Greenburn. Head southerly along the edge path descending above Broad Slack to curve easterly rising on the obvious path to reach the summit of Swirl How. Continue initially easterly to descend a rough path down Prison Band, negotiating rocky steps on the way. Continue down to reach a path junction at the pass of Swirl Hawse.
4
NY278007 Take a faint descending path northerly to drop steeply into Greenburn. The path gets vague as it curves right then vanishes altogether. Continue north-easterly over trackless ground to pass a prominent erratic boulder at NY278013. Beyond this Greenburn Reservoir comes into view and gives you a point to aim for. When the reservoir dips out of sight cross a stream and maintain direction aiming for the end of Wet Side Edge, and when the reservoir appears again aim for the right side of it. Descend over several streams to the reservoir dam wall at NY284020. Take the path over the dam wall and follow Greenburn Beck beyond to curve right and cross a subsidiary beck on stones. Continue on
the path right of Greenburn Beck. After a sluice gate the path becomes vague – head right to pass through mine workings to go left by a stream once through them. Follow the stream to pick up the mine approach track. Descend this by Greenburn Beck to reach a path junction left by a large boulder just before a gate in a wall. Take the path left to descend to a bridge over the beck.
5
NY294023 Cross the bridge, taking the steep uphill path beyond. When a wall right bends right the path becomes vague, but continue to follow it ahead (westerly) through fern to aim for Rough Crags, which are prominent at the end of Wet Side Edge Ridge. As the path improves again follow it over the fellside to continue rising through fern and rock buttresses. Higher up cut back right and when you reach Wet Side Edge cut left (westerly) along it. Follow the undulating path along the ridge, continuing to a point above the Wrynose Pass summit at NY280023
– this is just before the ridge rises steeply to a cairn. Leave the ridge to descend northerly down trackless ground, aiming left of the path rising from the Wrynose Pass to Pike o’ Blisco. Pick up your outbound route a little above the Wrynose Pass to follow it back to the start.