1. Raby Castle
Meeting Point: Raby Castle
We begin the Big Smile in the magnificent grounds of Raby Castle. We follow a broad path through the grassy landscape where Red and Fallow Deer herds live wild. We pass the impressively maintained medieval castle, built between 1367 and 1390 by John Neville, the 3rd Baron Neville de Raby.
We wander through Ladywood and then up towards Raby Home Farm and then Shotton enjoying the beautiful countryside home to some superb flora and fauna.
Eventually, we leave the Raby estate and find ourselves heading over Cockfield fell, common land pock marked with evidence of human habitation including flint arrowheads dating back to 8000BC.
We skirt around Cockfield itself and back through the estate to finish back at Raby Castle in a wonderful start to the Big Smile Walks.
Distance: 20 km ( 12.47 miles)
Difficulty Rating: ★★★☆☆
Sponsored By: The Ramside Hall Hotel
1. Raby Castle
Meeting Point: Raby Castle
We begin the Big Smile in the magnificent grounds of Raby Castle. We follow a broad path through the grassy landscape where Red and Fallow Deer herds live wild. We pass the impressively maintained medieval castle, built between 1367 and 1390 by John Neville, the 3rd Baron Neville de Raby.
We wander through Ladywood and then up towards Raby Home Farm and then Shotton enjoying the beautiful countryside home to some superb flora and fauna.
Eventually, we leave the Raby estate and find ourselves heading over Cockfield fell, common land pock marked with evidence of human habitation including flint arrowheads dating back to 8000BC.
We skirt around Cockfield itself and back through the estate to finish back at Raby Castle in a wonderful start to the Big Smile Walks.
Distance: 20 km ( 12.47 miles)
Difficulty Rating: ★★★☆☆
Sponsored By: The Ramside Hall Hotel
16. The Skiddaw Stretch
Date: 12/07/2021
Meeting Point: Kewsick Museum, Station Rd, Keswick, CA12 4NF
From our start point at Keswick, we enjoy a pleasant walk through native British woodland towards Latrigg. Skirting around the summit of Latrigg, we begin a steep climb towards the top of Skiddaw Little Man, passing a Celtic cross erected in memory of two local shepherds.
From here, we continue on to Skiddaw itself, the fourth highest mountain in the Lake District at 931 metres. We then drop down to a long ridge leading past Carl Side, Long Side, and Ullock Pike, before picking up a path that leads us back to Keswick.
This is a challenging stage with some steep sections on the way up Skiddaw, but it is a superb fell walk, taking in several Wainwrights to give participants a real mountain experience.
Distance: 14.8 km (9.21 miles)
Difficulty Rating: ★★★★☆