The Bower House Inn is a beautiful and welcoming country Inn. It has a well-stocked bar complete with welcoming fayre, their food has always had an excellent reputation and above all it is ideally located within the heart of Eskdale.  It has a delightful and spacious back garden which opens out onto a stunning view across the valley to Muncaster Fell. The bedrooms are a mixture of singles, shared rooms and some doubles for sole occupancy. We will dine together in the pub which will also be the focus of our social time. There is a comfortable, bar, TV lounge, patio area and garden. 

To allow you to choose a walk that suits you best, we will provide a minimum of two walks on each day, led by professional and knowledgeable walking guides. On both days there will be a harder walk of 10-14 miles with 1000+ft of ascent (please be realistic about your level of fitness and join the right walk for you, after all it should be about pleasure at the end of the day) and a gentler walk of 8-9 miles with less ascent. All walks are weather dependent and own transport may be taken to the walk starts.

If you like to follow our walking routes on a map, the ones we would recommend are:

1:25000:              OL 4 English lakes maps –English lakes north west area

1:25000:              OL 6 English lakes maps –English lakes South west area

You MUST have:

• Walking boots

• A Water bottle (minimum 1 litre)

• A Rucksack with a plastic liner

• Waterproofs: jacket and trousers

• A Warm hat

• Warm gloves (not leather)

• Thick walking socks

• Base layer: (thin thermal or warm T-shirt. Best not to be cotton as it gets cold when wet)

• Over layer: (warm sweater or fleece)

• Extra layer: warm top for when cold (eg. when stopped for lunch)

• Comfortable walking trousers (not jeans as they are too cold & heavy when wet)

• Personal Medication

• A face covering and hand sanitiser

• Smart casual clothes for the evening.

You may wish to bring:

• Trekking Poles

• Vacuum flask (if you like hot drinks on the hill)

• Medium size Tupperware container or plastic bag, to put picnic lunch in.

• Sit mat 

• Sun glasses

• Lip salve

• Camera

• Personal first aid kit

In good weather and/or summer, you may also wish to bring

• Short trousers

• T - Shirts

• Sun hat

• Sun tan lotion

In poor weather and/or winter, you may also wish to bring:

• Gaiters

• Balaclava

• Extra warm clothing

Eskdale is thankfully much quieter than the rest of the Lake District and has some of the very finest walking, which makes it a firm favourite amongst true Lakeland fell walkers. With such a wealth of scenery, we will endeavour to make a varied and interesting walking programme with a mixture of wonderful classics and new ventures into the hills. If this is your first visit to Eskdale, rest assured that it won’t be your last!

For the high-level walkers our choice will be tough as there is a magical array of true Lakeland classics. To tantalize your taste buds we have Scafell, Slight Side, Red Pike, Haycock, Great Gable, Pillar and Seat Allen, Crinkle Crags, Esk Pike and Bow Fell. No doubt we will head into Wasdale for one day, where we may attempt the stunning Kirk Fell and Great Gable traverse. The upper Esk Valley is highly tempting for another day where the quiet valley allows good access to the Scafell's or the delights of Crinkle Crags. 

There are also excellent middle level peaks like the Guardian of Eskdale; Harter Fell, the Wastwater Screes of Whin Rigg and Illgill Head, Wasdale's Middle Fell, and not forgetting the lonely Green Crags, all of which reward your efforts with views and scenery well above their physical stature. But rest assured, that if you simply want some gentle walking, you won't be disappointed, for beautiful walks meander through the valleys of Eskdale, Mitredale, the Duddon and Wasdale. You can even jump on La’l Ratty, the delightful steam train that tootles off down to Ravenglass, where you commence the walk to Muncaster Castle.  

By Road: You may wish to consider going directly from Ambleside to Eskdale over Wrynose and Hardknott Passes! It may look the most direct route on the map but attempting it is on very very steep and twisty single-track road! There is another pass that leads from the Duddon Valley Over Ulpha Fell and into Eskdale. Whilst this is not as bad as Hardknott and Wrynose Pass, it still goes over 1000ft and again is single track for some of the way. 

By far the safest route (in good weather or bad) is as follows:

Follow the M6 to Junction 36. Leave the motorway here and turn left signed Barrow A590. After approximately 3.5 miles, branch left and at the roundabout, turn left, signed Barrow A590. Follow the A590 for 17 miles to Greenodd and then turn right signed Workington A5092.

Follow the A5092, and then the A595 towards Workington and Whitehaven, for 28 miles to Muncaster Castle. In a further 2.5 miles turn right signed Eskdale Green (if you reach Holmrook petrol station, you’ve gone too far). Follow this minor road for 1.5 miles then turn right signed Eskdale Green. Follow this narrow road for 2 miles then turn right signed Eskdale Green. Follow the road into Eskdale Green Village and you will see the Bower House on your Right. If you reach the Outward-Bound centre you have gone too far

By Train or Bus: The nearest main station to reach would be Ravenglass, The ratty railway 01229 717171, then runs up to eskdale Green (limited service at this time of year) from where it is a 300m walk up the road to the centre. However, if the ratty trains are not suitable, a taxi would need to be taken to Eskdale Green best to try Gosforth Taxis and prebook if you can 019467 25308. For up to date travel information, contact the Cumbria Traveline on 0870 608 2 608, or on-line at www.traveline-cumbria.co.uk.

If you are having problems finding the centre, please call them directly, or you could call one of your guides…however mobiles don't work if they are already at the centre!:

Gideon Wheater: 07809 070257

Andrew Casey: 07748 942263