Walk Description

It was a very damp/wet Friday, but we were reluctant to let the day go by without a walk.  We headed south west out of Kendal and parked in the layby near the A6 at Levens.  Our first task was to don our waterproofs and then a very short stroll brought us to  he start of our walk.  We climbed through the narrow stile and after studying the information board  noted that we were not allowed to wander freely through the Park but had to stay on the footpaths.

We hadn't walked for long before we saw our first herd of dark fallow deer sheltering under a tree, which is what any sensible person should have been doing.  We spent a while trying to get the perfect photograph of the deer, then as the rain showed no sign of stopping we decided to keep on going.

As we strolled along through the pastoral scenes the antics of the young lambs kept us amused.  We also came across some very free range hens.  Steve wondered whether I fancied chicken for dinner - the hen however had other ideas about that. Just before we left the Park we noted some unusual limestone benches strategically placed to enjoy the best of the views across the Park and the River Kent.
We left the Park and walked along a quiet back road. It wasn't really quiet enough, as we had to do a bit of puddle dodging when the bus and other traffic went past us.  We now had time to explore the hedgerows for interesting spring plants, the recent good weather had brough out a profusion of blossoms.  We crossed the River Kent at Force Bridge.  Just beyond the bridge we could hear the waterfalls but unfortunately the wooded riverbanks meant that we couldn't get a clear view of the falls.  A little lower down we did mange to have a look at the salmon ladder.  We then used the sturdily constructed walkway to go under the A590.  After crossing the next field we came to a stile.  Here we could see a clear dry path running through the private woodlands of the Levens estate.  However on our side of the wall we were faced with a prominent sign proclaiming "Beware of the Bull" and an extremely muddy path.

We re-entered the Deer Park and soon saw a couple more herds of deer sheltering from the rain.  Of course we stopped to take photographs.  A little farther on we were treated to an aerial display by  an energetic group of Sand Martins and the occaisonal Swallow.  All too soon we were back at the car.  As the Tea Shop was closed we decided to visit the Hat Trick Cafe in the Yew Tree Barn at Low Newton, where we enjoyed a warming dish of chocolate, apricot and apple crumble served with a generous portion of thick cream.
 

Route & Planning

Details and Route Map

Photo Opportunities

Walk Profile

 

The route map shown here should not be used as a replacement for the appropriate map(s). Before attempting the walk you should check the suitability of this route in relation to your capabilities and experience.