School Knott from Windermere station

Route: Exit the station and turn left down into Windermere centre. Turn left on Oak St, then left onto Droomer Drive. None of this is very pretty! Bend right and continue, then right on Limethwaite Road and left on School Knott Drive. When this becomes Mill Beck Close, look for a right turn onto a track. Follow this track for 1km. At a fork keep left slightly uphill. There is a right turn through a wall which leads to a view at an arbitrary point with a nice tree after about 200m. But assuming this is ignored, continue on the path by the wall to a small tarn. Bend left and ascent School Knott. Continue north-west down hill. Follow any path to regain the outward track. This time, continue north west on urban snickleways to reach Ghyll Road and then, where this widens in an urban parking area turn right to a path to cross the railway, trending north west on paths across marshy field to reach the A591. Turn left for the station.

Map

Pub: the Crafty Baa on Victoria St. Or the Elleray Hotel (though the food here may be posh these days). Or return to the Watermill at Ings for a fine pub if transport is available. Or by train back to Staveley either walking 1 mile to the Watermill at Ings or the Eagle and Child Staveley or back to Kendal.

Variant: In fact, the view from School Knott is no better than that from Orrest Head, famously the guidebook writer Alfred Wainwright's first view of the Lake District. It can be accessed on a clear signposted path from the A591 opposite the entrance to the station and a loop can be constructed then by descending east and walking through woods to regain the A591 near the final moments of the route described above. Sadly, this Orrest Head loop is a very short 2.7km walk. But it could be added to, or replace, the above walk.