Walla Crag and the Great Wood

From the car park entrance bear right into the car park far cul-de-sac, walk past the picnic bench and large tree trunks to continue on a path into the woods. The path runs vaguely parallel with the exit road over to your right. Keep left on the track.

Approaching Cat Gill you hear the sounds of numerous small waterfalls and the path bears left to start the real climb alongside the gill.

Follow the path on a narrow terrace alongside the gill.

Reaching the gate go through and continue on the path.

Bear left away from the gill to a kissing gate. The path then zigzags steeply up through gorse and the ever present trees.

At the top go through another kissing gate and continue on the path.

Eventually you leave the trees behind and reach open fellside. Keep left to walk alongside the wall on your left.

You can ignore the first stile over the wall. In 350m (385 yards), approaching the top, climb the step stile over the wall; a dog gate is alongside.

Bear right and follow the boggy path through heather to the rocky summit.

The cairn appears to be further back from the edge of the crag than in Wainwright's day. Bear right past the cairn and cross back over the wall via another stile. There's a dog gate here too.

Turn left and start the descent.

Bear right to avoid a boggy section, and continue ahead. The narrow path widens and becomes track like in response to the almost continuous damp boggy conditions under foot. Moss, and particularly sphagnum moss suggests this section is always boggy.

In mist the wall over to your left could be followed more closely. Whilst over on the right Brockle Beck would collect anyone straying too far - effectively funnelling you down to Rakefoot. Taking the middle line, when the wall comes in from the left bear right and follow the well worn path alongside.

Just above Rakefoot, as the Beck and wall converge bear left to drop down to the gate. Continue on the rough track beyond and at the bottom cross the beck by the footbridge to the road.

Turn left along the road for 200m (220 yards).

Turn very sharp left through a gateway into a field and follow the path to and over the footbridge. Bear right along the other bank of Brockle Beck. Follow the terraced path keeping right as directed by a small footpath marker.

At the path junction before the aerial mast turn left on to the path between the wall and fence heading back to the woods.

Continue into the woods. Barely more than 100m (110 yards) when the path splits take the right hand fork.

This rough track descends gently through woodland. Keep on the track until nearing the road, which you will hear, where the track sweeps right bear left on a narrow path dropping back to the car park.