Words In The Woods

Join the path beyond the car park information board, and bear right to find the first Words In The Woods post. Each has a piece of slate with the words engraved and picked out attached to the large ornate wooden post. They are also numbered 1 through 11. Continue along the path through mixed woodland, with the road not far below you. Bear right at the first junction to find the 2nd post shortly after.

Carry on the path, traversing the hillside, across two simple wooden bridges (which are very slippery in the wet) spanning small streams. Bear left onto the track to find post no 3. At the crossroads go straight ahead. No.4 is here. Continue on the gravel track as it climbs past post No.5 - "He who plants a tree plants a hope". Cross the stream on your right by the walkway and bridge, and climb the steps beyond. A little way on is a set of standing stones, again engraved with Words: "Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees" by that champion of National Parks John Muir.

At the track, bear right to find post No.6. Continuing on you get good views, on a clear day, to Skiddaw, and Dodd ahead, over to the right Latrigg, and left is Bassenthwaite Lake. Reaching the track on the corner go straight ahead, post No.7 is beside you on the left. The track starts descending, in 100m (110 yards) turn right with Post No.8 just around the corner. Go straight ahead at the cross roads (same one as before) to reach Post No.9 after a few metres on the right hand side. The track now climbs a little, and then splits. Take the left fork to post No.10: "Trees are your best antiques" - Alexander Smith. Descend gently, with views of Bassenthwaite Lake and Binsey ahead. Don't miss the left fork before the road sweeps right, it's a narrow and easily overlooked junction. Post No.11 stands proud of the bracken with words from the local William Wordsworth. Drop through the mixed woodland to pop out beside post No.2 again. Here turn right to return to the car park.