Ambleside Common Wood Walk
Common Wood overlooks busy Windermere yet is a tranquil place where a variety of wildlife can be spotted by a casual stroll through the moss-covered oak trees.
Perfect ending
A view over the lake will be your reward as you descend to the town for a well-earned tea and cake.
Map
Start:
Windermere railway station, grid ref: SD414986
1
Walk out of the car park at Windermere railway station. On your left you will see the Tourist Information Centre. To your right (and on the opposite side of the road) is the Windermere Hotel. You need to cross over to that side of the road.
2
Immediately to the right of the Windermere Hotel is a walled field. Walk along to the end of this field, where you will see a large gate and a permitted footpath sign labelled Common Wood and Orrest Head. Pass through this gate (taking care to close it afterwards) and walk up the dirt and stone path.
3
Keep the dry stone wall to your left, and pass through another gate. After a short but steep climb you will be able to see Common Wood ahead of you.
4
The entrance to the wood is marked by a gate with a green circular permitted path sign on it. Pass through this and through an 'archway' made from holly trees.
5
Continue straight along this path, until you get to a stone wall and another 'Permitted Footpath' sign. At this point turn right, towards Common Lane.
6
Shortly after this you will have to descend through a gap in another stone wall. Further down the hill you will start to see piles of branches to the sides of the path. This isn't us being lazy - these are for creating wildlife habitats.
Wildlife habitats
Littered across the eastern side of the wood, these unassuming piles of brash are an ideal home for bugs and creepy-crawlies of all sizes. Leaving these, and larger logs, to break down in the woods increases the breadth and diversity of wildlife here.
7
Cross over two wooden bridges as you follow the path around. The path will lead you to a kissing gate. The long wooden fence that you can see to the left of the field is part of a conservation project to protect native crayfish living in the beck. The beck was fenced off and water pumps installed, so that cattle would not trample in the beck whilst drinking water. Don't go through the gate... our route takes us back 21 yards (20m) and up the hill to the right of the farm gate. Look closely - the path is not very obvious at first glance.
Babbling beck
Stand on the wooden footbridge over the beck and gaze at the gentle ripples as it passes over rounded rocks. If you're super lucky, a native crayfish might scuttle between the rocks beneath you, looking for shelter.
8
Continue up the hill keeping to the left when the path forks. Eventually you will come out on the path where you entered the wood. Turn left to exit.
Hazel coppice
As you stroll uphill from the beck towards the oaks, you will come across an opening in the tree canopy where hazel has been flourishing in the sunny woodland edge. Here volunteers have been helping to sustain these by cutting them down to let them re-grow again, this is called coppicing.
9
As you walk back towards Windermere, you will be rewarded with a view that overlooks most of the lake and the village itself. To your right you will see the hills of the Ambleside Horseshoe and Wansfell. Save those for another day and head down to Windermere for a well-earned cup of tea and some home-made cake at one of the many cafés.
Hazel coppice
As you stroll uphill from the beck towards the oaks, you will come across an opening in the tree canopy where hazel has been flourishing in the sunny woodland edge. Here volunteers have been helping to sustain these by cutting them down to let them re-grow again, this is called coppicing.
End:
Windermere railway station, grid ref: SD414986
