Welcome to The Path Less Walked a blog by me, Graham Robson.

Posts include photos and descriptions from my walks, mainly in the north of England. The About page contains information about me, my walks, and this site.

Recent Posts

Fleetwith Pike, Haystacks and the High Stile Ridge

Lake District, , , , , , , ,

Date:  15th June 2016
Start time: 08:00
Time taken:  8 hours
Distance:  22 km / 13.5 miles
Weather: Warm and sunny at the start and for most of the day, light rain at the end.
Route: Buttermere (village) – Buttermere (lake) – Fleetwith Pike – Haystacks – Seat – High Crag – High Stile – Red Pike (Buttermere) – Dodd (Buttermere) – Buttermere (village)

Waking up in Buttermere Youth Hostel in its picturesque setting I could take in most of the fells this walk would cover in one sweeping panorama by simple looking out of the bedroom window. For this adventure I planned to take in several high fells including the final resting place of Alfred Wainwright’s ashes, Haystacks, and HIgh Stile, possessor of the highest summit on the south side of the valley.
Continue reading Fleetwith Pike, Haystacks and the High Stile Ridge →

Lingmoor Fell and Little Langdale from Grasmere

Lake District, Walks, , , , , , ,

Date:  14th June 2016
Start time: 08:30
Time taken:  6 hours
Distance:  19 km / 12 miles
Weather: Warm, sunny
Route: Grasmere – Dow Bank – Chapel Stile – Lingmoor Fell – Blea Tarn – Little Langdale – Chapel Stile – Elterwater

The second day of my holiday in Lakeland started with warmth and blue sky. Today I planned an unusual walk starting from Grasmere village and walking over Lingmoor Fell and a visit to the valley of Little Langdale for the first time.
Continue reading Lingmoor Fell and Little Langdale from Grasmere →

Dodd to Ullock Pike

Lake District, Walks, , , , , ,

Date:  13th June 2016
Start time: 10:30
Time taken:  4 hours
Distance:  12 km / 7.5 miles
Weather: Very wet
Route: Dodd Wood car park – Dodd – Carl Side – Longside Edge – Ullock Pike – Dodd Wood car park

For the first venture into the fells on my week’s holiday in the Lake District I chose a route which is reasonably accessible and not too long. This route involves walking through the Forestry Commission land at Dodd Wood and up on to the fells at the “front” of Skiddaw walking from Dodd to Ullock Pike via Carl Side and Longside Edge.
Continue reading Dodd to Ullock Pike →

Alnmouth to Amble

Northumberland, Uncategorized, Walks, , , ,

Date:  11/09/2015
Start time:  10:45
Time taken:  4.5 hours
Distance:  12 miles
Weather:  Dry, overcast and cool at start, sunny and warm at end
Route:  Alnmouth, Warkworth, Amble, Warkworth

A month ago, before I ventured in to Scotland to bag my first Munro, I did something completely different and went for a walk on the Northumberland Coast. Last year I’d walked down the coast as far as Alnmouth, so this walk from Alnmouth to Amble would be new territory for me to explore.
Continue reading Alnmouth to Amble →

Bynack More from Glenmore, bagging my first Munro

Highlands, Walks

Date:  18/09/2015
Start time:  09:00
Time taken:  9 hours
Distance:  24 miles
Weather:  Warm, dry and clear
Route:  Glenmore – Ryvoan Pass – Bynack More – Creag Mhor – Dagrum – Ryvoan Pass – Glenmore

A window opened up in my calender and I decided to grab an opportunity to try something new, to bag some Scottish hills. I chose to lose my Scottish hill walking virginity by what turned out to a long route with several tricky sections but the scenery was superb and apart from on the Ryvoan Pass at the start and end of the day I didn’t see a soul, I spotted more ptarmigans than people!
Continue reading Bynack More from Glenmore, bagging my first Munro →

Coldingham to St Abbs Head

Berwickshire, Walks, , , ,

Date:  13/06/2015
Start time:  10:30
Time taken:  4 hours 30 mins
Distance:  9 miles
Weather:  Overcast, warm
Route:  Coldingham – St Abbs – St Abbs Head – Coldingham

A couple of weeks ago I headed to the Berwickshire coast for a walk from Coldingham to St Abbs Head taking in St Abbs itself along the way. Spectacular coastal scenery, bird life and peace and quiet are all attractions this walk has in spades.
Continue reading Coldingham to St Abbs Head →

Pooley Bridge to Patterdale

Lake District, Walks, , , , , , ,

Date:  31/10/2014
Start time:  9:30
Time taken:  7 hours
Distance:  16 miles
Weather:  cool, windy, overcast
Route:  Pooley Bridge – Arthur’s Pike – Bonscale Pike – Loadpot Hill – Wether Hill – Steel Knotts – Martindale – Patterdale

This walk was my first ever visit to the fells on the eastern side of Ullswater. It was also the first day on the fells of a weeks holiday so I was fresh and full of enthusiasm when I set off on a route taking in a handful of fells from Pooley Bridge to Patterdale where my bed for the night was waiting.
Continue reading Pooley Bridge to Patterdale →

A walk alongside the River Tweed from Berwick to Norham

Northumberland, Walks, , , , ,

Date:  07/03/2015
Start time:  10:15
Time taken:  4 hours
Distance:  11 miles
Weather: Overcast, light drizzle, strong westerly wind
Route:  Berwick – River Tweed – Union Chain Bridge – Horncliffe – Norham

I have had my eyes on a walk following the River Tweed for some time, a footpath follows the south side of the river from Berwick to Norham and beyond. It would include visiting the Union Chain Bridge and the villages of Horncliffe and Norham. I had wanted to do it on a summers day, but I decided it had been sitting on my to do list long enough, grasped the bull by the horns and went for it on a windy and overcast early spring day.
Continue reading A walk alongside the River Tweed from Berwick to Norham →

Craster to Alnmouth and Longhoughton

Northumberland, Walks, , , ,

Date:  23/08/2014
Start time:  11:30
Time taken:  4 hrs 30 mins
Distance:  14 miles
Weather:  Warm and clear
Route:  Craster – Boulmer – Alnmouth – Longhoughton

In previous walks I’ve walked down the Northumbrian coastline south from Bamburgh (read about my walk from Bamburgh to High Newton by-the-Sea here). With this walk I intended to continue exploring the coast south from Craster to Alnmouth. I followed the Northumberland Coast Path for most of way and stuck close to the coast.
Continue reading Craster to Alnmouth and Longhoughton →

Barf, Lord’s Seat and Whinlatter

Lake District, Walks, , , ,

Date:  04/11/2014
Start time:  09:30 am
Time taken:  7 hrs
Distance:  15 miles
Weather:  Cloudy and damp at the start, clear in the middle, wet in the afternoon.
Route:  Keswick – Thornthwaite – Barf – Lord’s Seat – Whinlatter – Whinlatter Pass – Thornthwaite

This walk was conceived with the aim of visiting the group of fells to the north of Whinlatter Pass. On the walk I  encountered memorable views, got soaked by rain, took a wrong turning in Whinlatter Forest and changed my plans half way through the walk. I visited Barf, Lord’s Seat and Whinlatter.

Continue reading Barf, Lord’s Seat and Whinlatter →