ACROSS LAKELAND - A Northern Coast to Coast Walk: From St Bees to Robin Hood's Bay - page 19

the descent is steep, and anyone laden with a heavy pack could have dif-
ficulty. A safer option is available; it's still steep, but less demanding. So,
turn right, and shortly meet another track. Cross this and go down along
the edge of plantation, with more cleared areas to the right. The descend-
ing track is steep in places, and requires care, but you get lovely cameos
of Uldale framed by trees to take your mind off aching knees.
Eventually, the track merges with another running out from Uldale. Go
forward along this to another junction, and here turn left, almost imme-
diately leaving the broad trail for a bridleway on the left, passing through
a gate, and then following a lovely route through a simple dale, crossing
and recrossing a stream in the process.
Follow the path until it reaches a gate and stile (known as Nannycatch
Gate), beyond which the path divides. Turn right, keeping east of Flat Fell,
and when, just after crossing a small stream, the path divides, bear right
past a low hillock. The path climbs towards the moorland road, but when
it forks bear sharp right to go up to the road. Kinniside Stone Circle lies a
short distance to the left, on the other side of the road.
KINNISIDE STONE CIRCLE
Kinniside is a small stone circle on the road that runs between Calder Bridge and En-
nerdale Bridge. It is not an original prehistoric site, but a 1925 creation of 11 stones
around a circle with an 18m diameter.
On reaching the fell road, turn left and walk past the stone circle, and
then allow gravity to draw you down to Ennerdale Bridge, bearing right at
a junction finally to reach the village, and to renew that earlier brief ac-
quaintance with the River Ehen.
Most walkers will find Ennerdale an appropriate conclusion to the first
day, while those bound for youth hostels have a little distance yet to go
before they can put their heads down for the night.
ENNERDALE BRIDGE
Things have changed in Ennerdale Bridge since one traveller described the pub as
'small, dirty, and filled with roaring tipplers' - and that at nine in the morning! The vil-
lage now sees few visitors, its general inaccessibility ensuring that the throngs don't
inadvertently stumble upon it. Thankfully, it remains a quiet farming and forestry re-
treat, well known and loved by local people, but never likely to figure highly on tourist
itineraries. In prehistoric times, iron was smelted here, and much later haematite was