This is my favourite low(ish) level walk. The contrast between the gentle pastures of the lower end of the valley and the wild and desolate upper end is quite superb. The only drawback is the difficulty in reaching Eskdale from Keswick, which is our usual stopping place. On the two occasions I have done this walk we were staying at Little Ground in Wasdale.
Drive through Eskdale, passing Eskdale Green and Boot, where I stayed as a child, and park in the little car park just over the cattle grid at the foot of Hardknott Pass. (NY 213 011) Walk back down the road and take the farm track on the right to Brotherilkeld Farm. The path continues pleasantly on the right bank of the Esk for another two miles as the valley narrows between Heron Crag on the left and Yew Crags on the right. Bowfell forms a pyramid on the skyline. In the Spring of 1991 we stopped for a while and watched a lamb being born in the pasture near the farm.
Where Lingcove Beck tumbles down from Bowfell to join the Esk is Lingcove Bridge. A rough path rises to the right, leading to Great Langdale via Three Tarns. Our path crosses the bridge and climbs a rising path high above the river, which is confined to the narrow gorge of Esk Falls. Seen directly ahead are Scafell Pike and Ill Crag. This place is called Throstle Garth. At the top of the rise the river makes a right-angle turn to the left, and suddenly in front of you is an open, boggy expanse in front of the crags of Scar Lathing.
In Spring 1991 we crested the rise to see a yellow air-sea rescue helicopter lying near the river with a broken tail. We later discovered that it had been rescuing a climber from Esk Buttress the night before when its tail rotor had struch the rock face, causing it to crash.
Skirt the worst of the bog, and take the path beneath Scar Lathing, following the river as it bends to the right again. As you round the corner the Great Moss is in front of you. This is a magnificent place, surrounded the the giants of Lakeland. To the left are Slight Side, Scafell, Scafell Pike and Ill Crag. Directly ahead is the depression of Esk Hause, and to the right are Esk Pike, Bowfell and Crinkle Crags.
Follow the path by the river to avoid the worst of the bog; there are dry shingle banks if the river is not too high. Eventually you will have to cross over and follow a path which heads for the waterfall of Cam Spout. This path can be very boggy, but there is no alternative. Drier ground is reached at the base of Cam Spout Crag, where a steep path rises beside the waterfall heading for the ridge of Mickledore.
If you are determined to walk the full length of Eskdale you can ascend the pathless grassy slope to Esk Hause, but the only benefit is the view of Borrowdale. Instead, turn left (NY 219 058)and take the path alonside the boulder-strewn lower slopes of Slight Side. The path rises gradually to Silverybield Crag, crosses a boggy depression, rises to Rowantree Crags and then crosses another (much worse) bog before finally rising again to pass to the right of Brock Crags. There will be no more wet feet today, and the path descends a bracken covered slope to join the main path along the left bank of the Esk. Turn right along this path and cross Cowcove Beck by a stone bridge. The path now descends easily to Brotherilkeld Farm and back to the car.
In the Autumn of 1990, we returned to Little Ground, only to find that we had lost our key, probably dropped in the car park. Rather than return to conduct a probably fruitless search, we got the spare key from the care-taker.