Skip to content
A section of wetland with fields and hills behind it
Park End Moss wetland | © National Trust Images/Annapurna Mellor
Lake District

Park End Moss wetland walk at Sizergh

Park End Moss was once an area of degraded farmland which has now been transformed into a haven for wildlife. This circular walk takes you through historic parkland and ancient woodlands of the Sizergh estate and on to the wetland area which is popular with a variety of bird species.

Total steps: 11

Total steps: 11

Start point

Sizergh Castle, near Kendal, Cumbria, LA8 8DZ

Step 1

Leave Sizergh car park at the north side and take a left onto Ashbank Lane, which is an old drover's track. As the track goes uphill, admire the two large sweet chestnuts on the left side. The lane rises and then drops down to a large gate, which is hung from some impressive limestone stoops.

Step 2

Go through the gate, onto Flashbank, which was an old deer park dating from around 1700. Follow the track as it hugs the old deer park wall, until you come to a large field gate. Go through the gate and continue on the track.

Step 3

Go through another large deer park gate and cross Brigsteer Road, into a small informal car park in the wood. Go around the gate, crossing the track at the back of the car park and follow it into Brigsteer Park Wood. This wood has a long history of being managed as a coppice and there is evidence of old charcoal burning platforms throughout it.

Step 4

Follow the track down into the wood, past an information sign on your left. When the path forks take the left route, which goes downhill. The whole woodland is on a west-facing slope, which means it gets lots of sunshine.

Silver-washed fritillary butterfly, orange-coloured with dark chequered markings, feeding on nectar on a pale pink blackberry flower, in a north Dorset wood
The silver-washed fritillary | © National Trust Images/Clive Whitbourn

Step 5

Follow the path to the bottom of the hill, and take a right onto the public footpath at the bottom of the wood. Almost immediately you'll come upon a small spring to cross. This is a level path, which is just above the catchwater for the Lyth Valley. Follow this path all the way through the wood, until you reach a gate onto Park End Meadow.

Step 6

If you would like to visit the Park End Wetland hide take a left, through a gate and onto the track that leads to the hide. Otherwise, follow the path up the hill and across the field, until you are at a gate opposite Park End Farm's house.

A huge murmuration of starlings passes over a dusky sky, above the silhouettes of bare, wintry trees
A murmuration of starlings | © National Trust Images/John Bish

Step 7

Cross the road, walk through the small farmyard and follow the path up the steep hill towards a couple of houses and the beck. Once at the top, pause to catch your breath and enjoy the views behind you over the wetland and beyond to Morecambe Bay.

Step 8

Go through the gate and turn right up a track, which comes out at the bottom of Church Fell. Follow the path to the right as it stays close to the wall. This brings you out onto a stoned track. If you turn left you can walk towards St John's Church, where there is a toposcope, benches and brilliant views across to the Lakeland Fells. Otherwise, follow the track past a cattle grid and down the hill.

Step 9

Follow the track as it comes to an old farmhouse (Holeslack) and a farmyard. Cross through the farmyard, which is flanked by a traditional orchard, and keep on the track as you go through a large gate across the track.

Step 10

Once through the gate, there's another small gate on your right which takes you down a few steps and onto a footpath through Rash Spring Wood. Follow the path all the way through the wood until you reach a barn with a small yard.

Step 11

From the small yard, you should be able to see the castle. Go through a large gate and out onto a track which heads downhill along the side of the field. At the bottom of the hill, keep straight, through a gate onto a smaller stoned footpath which leads you back to the main car park at Sizergh, where you began.

End point

Sizergh Castle, near Kendal, Cumbria, LA8 8DZ

Trail map

Map of Park End Moss wetland walk
Wetland walk map | © Crown copyright and database rights 2013 Ordnance Survey

You made it

Share your experience

More near here

Frosty early morning overlooking the south lawn at Sizergh, Cumbria
Place
Place

Sizergh 

Beautiful medieval house with rich gardens and estate

near Kendal, Cumbria

Fully open today
Group of people, including two people on powered mobility vehicles, walking through the field on the Holeslack accessible route
Trail
Trail

Holeslack Accessible Trail 

Take this accessible circular route for a flavour of the Sizergh estate, from ancient woodlands and traditional Westmorland orchards to historic farm buildings and parklands.

Activities
Walking
DistanceMiles: 1.2 (km: 1.92)
Views of fields and hills on the wider Sizergh Castle estate
Trail
Trail

Sizergh wildlife walk 

Follow this route from Sizergh Castle for views of the Lakeland Fells, the Pennines and Morecambe Bay, as well as birds, butterflies, wildflowers and some unusual animals.

Activities
Walking
DistanceMiles: 2.5 (km: 4)
Visitors walking along a footpath surrounded by greenery and trees at Townend, with the white-walled house visible behind them, and a view over the countryside beyond
Trail
Trail

Windermere to Townend walk 

Discover the area around Townend, a 17th-century farmhouse a stone's throw from Lake Windermere.

Activities
Walking
DistanceMiles: 4.0 (km: 6.4) to miles: 8.0 (km: 12.8)

Get in touch

Sizergh, near Kendal, Cumbria, LA8 8DZ

Our partners

Cotswold Outdoor

We’ve partnered with Cotswold Outdoor to help everyone make the most of their time outdoors in the places we care for.

Visit website 

You might also be interested in

A family walking alongside Lake Windermere at Fell Foot during winter, Cumbria

Walking 

Explore some of the finest landscapes in our care on coastal paths, accessible trails, woodland walks and everything in between. Find the best places to walk near you.

A group of three visitors walking at Borrowdale and Derwent Water, Cumbria

Walking in the Lake District 

From gentle ambles to more challenging hikes, these are some of the best walks to explore the heart of the Lake District.

A man and a woman enjoy the view whilst walking in the Peak District
Article
Article

Cotswold Outdoor: our exclusive walking partner 

Learn about the National Trust’s ongoing partnership with Cotswold Outdoor. Find out how they help us care for precious places and the exclusive discount available for National Trust supporters.

An aerial view of an adult and baby walking a dog along a path at Baggy Point, Devon
Article
Article

Staying safe at National Trust places 

The special places in National Trust care sometimes come with a few risks for visitors, be it coastline or countryside. Find out how to keep safe throughout your visits.

A visitor carrying a backpack and walking along a footpath at Divis and the Black Mountain with stone walls either side, the countryside visible in the background.
Article
Article

Follow the Countryside Code 

Help to look after National Trust places by observing a few simple guidelines during your visit and following the Countryside Code.

Young bird watcher and NT ranger at Sizergh Castle and Gardens, Cumbria
Article
Article

Exploring the estate at Sizergh 

Connect with nature in Sizergh’s woodland, wetland and farmland. Find out about the wildlife you can spot while exploring this 1,600-acre estate.

The cafe counter at Sizergh, with large glass panels containing cakes, scones and other baked goods.
Article
Article

Eating and shopping at Sizergh 

Can we tempt you to afternoon tea in the café, a new pair of gardening gloves from the shop or a pre-loved book during your visit to Sizergh?

Visitors with a dog enjoying an autumnal walk on the estate at Wallington, Northumberland
Article
Article

Visiting Sizergh with your dog 

Sizergh is a two pawprint rated place. Find out which areas of the estate you can explore with your dog.