The walk starts from the Old Dungeon Ghyll Hotel car park. The Hotel car parking is available for non Hotel users but you will need to purchase a parking ticket from a machine.
(S/E) From the Old Dungeon Gill Hotel car park; take the entrance road back towards the main Langdale road and at the entrance to Middle Fell Farm go through the gate and take the path across the field to the stone bridge over the river. (Alternatively go onto the Langdale Valley road and turn right) Where the bridge comes out on the road continue until you can take the gate into the National Trust camp-site on your left.
(1) The path cuts up through the campsite on your right and goes through a gate, over a field and through another gate before ascending the fellside.
(2) The path levels out and at the junction with a dry stone wall take the gate on your right, cross the road and go immediately ahead to a larger gate on your left. Go through the gate and follow the good track towards Blea Tarn. Go through another gate and onto a path that has been constructed to be wheel chair friendly; this path leads around the lake to the car park at the top of the pass between Langdale and Little Langdale.
Do not go as far as the car park but follow this good path to where it turns left and crosses a bridge.
(3) Go straight ahead and through a gate in the wall to take a good paths down into Little Langdale with a lovely stream on your left. Near the bottom the paths starts to level out and crosses boggy ground (Blea Moss) before joining the road up to Wrynose Pass. Keep a high as possible on your right to avoid the boggy section.
On your left is a volcanic plug called Castle Howe which is the site of a hill fort.
(4) At the road turn left and head down for about 800m, passing Castle Howe, to where the road turns sharp right to Fell Foot, and then curves left again. 100m after the left hand bend take the good track on your right which leads to the Greenburn Beck and a cottage at Bridge End.
(5) Cross the stream and take to good path which climbs gently. This path is well used by mountain bikers so keep a look out for them. You will soon arrive at a split in the path. Ignore the right turn to Tilberthwaite and take the left hand fork downwards past Low Hall Garth walkers hut where the path bends to the right. As you continue along the path it will be bordered on your left by fields and the stream coming from Little Langdale Tarn with a footpath crossing Slater Bridge. On your right there will be huge piles of waste slate from the quarrying that took place here. After Slater Bridge keep a look out for a gate and stile on your right with a wide ramp that leads to a raised flat platform on the spoil heap.
(6) Cross the stile, go up the ramp to the entrance to Cathedral Quarry. The quarry is entered via a tunnel which emerges in a cave supported by a single, vast column of rock and illuminated by a higher opening. This dramatic location has been used as a film set on a few occasions. Behind the column of rock is another opening which leads into another section of the quarry that is open to the sky. A short scramble leads up. When you arrive at the top of the scramble, straight ahead of you and down there is another tunnel into the rock. You will need a head torch or torch for this. Enter the tunnel and after a while it will come to a widening where another branch goes off on the right. This right hand branch ends in a metal fence (do not cross it) so back track your steps and go right, this tunnel will bring you out at another raised platform at the end of the Tilberthwaite Valley. Turn left and drop down to the main path/road then turn left along this until you are at a ford and bridge over the river.
IMPORTANT UPDATE 2020. There has been some rockfall in the quarry and the National Trust have taped off the entrance to the tunnel. There are notices warning of the rockfall and until further investigation is made into the stability of the tunnel it is best not to enter. Instead you can go and look and then scramble back down the way you came or you can follow some steps up and out of the quarry and a path back down to the entrance level.
(7) Cross the bridge and take the lane past cottages up to the Wrynose Pass road. At the junction turn right and head down passing the Three Shires Public House. This is a good place for refreshments if you have not brought your own. From the Three Shires walk down the road until you come to Wilson Place farm on your left
(8) At Wilson Place Farm follow a sign for Elterwater. Take the path through the farm, through a gate on the right and over a field to another gate. A further field leads to a broad track, turn right along this and after a few hundred yards you will come to a gate. Go through the gate, into woods and almost immediately turn left and follow another track uphill. This will lead you through the woods and will drop down into the large working slate quarry at Chapel Stile. The footpath runs past the quarry building.
(9) Take the detour from the end of the shed up to the viewing platform and look down into the workings. The quality of Langdale slate is still highly regarded for building and decorative purposes.From the quarry head downhill on the well-marked past through more old spoil heaps until it brings you out in the valley bottom. Cross a bridge over the Great Langdale Beck on your left which will bring you out next to the Wainwrights Inn.
(10) Just after the inn take a path on your left and walk around the back of the school and through Thrang Farm, this will join up with another track on your right before crossing another bridge over the Great Langdale Beck and turning right passing Baysbrown camp site. This section saves you walking on the Langdale Road through Chapel Stile, which can be busy. Continue along the broad track past Baysbrown camp-site until you can take a third bridge over the Great Langdale Beck on your right. Continue along the track, almost to the road.
(11) Cut through a gate on the left and follow a path to another track. Turn left and follow this track all the way to the car park opposite the New Dungeon Gill Hotel and Stickle Barn.
(12) Cross the road, walk up the drive to the hotel and go in front of the Stickle Barn public house. This leads into another National Trust car-park. Turn right and follow the path upwards with Stickle Ghyll on your right. There will soon be a left branch (Cumbia Way) which goes up to a gate. Go through the gate and take the good path which leads back to the ODG and the carpark.
(S/E)
