Limited parking is available in Chapel Stile, do not park in private places or block any narrow roads. On busy days you will have to park further afield.
This GPX and route is described as starting and finishing at the parking beside the village shop. Please note this is only for illustrative purposes as the centre of the village. The parking here is for patrons of the shop and tea room only; it is not for long term parking whilst you go walking.
(S/E) From the parking, turn left and walk down the road in the direction of Wainwrights Inn. Just past the inn lookout for the path on the right leading to the river.
(1) Take the path and cross the bridge then turn right and follow the path beside the river and then up through old slate heaps, passing beside a house to enter the working quarry yard. (It is worth walking up to viewing platform on the left to look down into the workings. The quality of Langdale slate is still highly regarded for building and decorative purposes.)
(2) Follow the edge of the quarry yard and take a path back into woodland that will bring you to farm track.
(3) Turn right and take the farm track heading in a westerly direction and passing through Baysbrown Farm. Continue through the woods and then pass over the fell wall into the pasture and down to Oak Howe.
(4) The path from Oak Howe contours in a westerly direction across the open fell-side, mainly with the fell wall on your right, crossing walls via stiles where necessary. It then descends to side House. It can be a bit boggy after leaving Side House but the worst places can be avoided, continue following the path in a westerly direction, heading for an obvious copse of trees. Do not descend to the campsite, but walk with the trees on your right until you come to an interior corner of the boundary wall.
(5) Cross the wall into the trees and descend, passing through an open field and back into more trees then down to the entrance to the National Trust, Langdale campsite. Turn left and walk to the road, then turn right and follow the road to a right angled bend.
(6) At the bend, leave the road and take a track which crosses a stone bridge over the river. After the bridge, turn diagonally right and cross over to the farm track. Opposite is the driveway leading to the Old Dungeon Ghyll Hotel. Walk to the right of the hotel and turn left around the back, in order to pick up the path. Walk behind the hotel and look out for a right turn uphill to get onto the path (Cumbria Way) which is above the fell wall.
(7) Follow the Cumbria Way in an easterly direction and descend to the New Dungeon Ghyll Hotel.
(8) Walk down the drive, cross the main Langdale Road, then cross through a car park and pick up a good track. Turn left onto the track and continue in an easterly direction to a junction with a track which leads leftwards up to the Langdale road.
(9) Do not turn left. Instead, go through a gate to follow a footpath beside a stream which leads to another track. Turn right and follow the track to a gated bridge.
(10) Cross the bridge and turn left onto another good track. This leads across fields and between the river and the Baysbrown campsite to a further bridge.
(11) Cross the bridge and turn right and a track beneath the Langdale Road and beside some new housing. Do not be tempted up onto the busy road but keep the path and head to Thrang Farm.
(12) Pass through Thrang Farm and continue along the path, around the back of the primary school and this will bring you back to the road between Wainwrights Inn and the parking. Turn left and follow the short section of road back to your car.(S/E)
