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
19. The Deepdale Round
Date: 15/07/2021
Meeting Point: Patterdale Hotel Car Park, Patterdale, CA11 0NN
A classic lakes walk that starts from the Patterdale Hotel near Ullswater. We pick up a path behind the hotel, staying low until we climb towards Black Crag, and then around the side of Birks. As we ascend, we get lovely views of Ullswater as we prepare to tackle the dramatic St Sunday Crag.
If we look eastwards, we can see Helvellyn and Striding Edge. Once over St Sunday Crag, we head down into a saddle where we get our first glimpse of Grisedale Tarn.
From here, we ascend Cofa Pike and then climb up onto the highest point of the walk: the summit of Fairfield Peak. After absorbing the views from Fairfield, we pass just below Hart Crag, before dropping down to Hartsop Above How, following this path off the slopes and back down to Patterdale. A tough but fantastic fell walk, ending back at the Patterdale Hotel.
Distance: 16.4 km (10.19 miles)
Difficulty Rating: ★★★★☆