It is around Windemere as in you get a panoramic view of the lake when you reach the top but you start off at Waterhead which is next door to Ambleside, do a boat ride if you have time. As I said the walk is a bit hilly but I saw plenty of people of all ages on the way. The instructions we used were only a few lines long and we sort of made our own mazy way up there but a google search comes up with what I have pased below which is pretty detailed, or you can just buy a map from one of the shops.
Jenkyn Crag and Skelghyll
3 miles [5 km]
Jenkyn Crag is one of the best viewpoints for the head of Windermere Lake. It can be reached by anyone, and a visit to it can be combined with an interesting round walk through SkeIghyll woods.
Park your car at Waterhead Car Park, or the neighbouring public car park by the Regent Hotel. Both are at the head of the lake about 0.75 mile south of Ambleside. Leave the car park towards the lake and walk left towards the pier; however, before reaching it turn left alongside the end of the Waterhead Hotel. If you stand here and look across the main Ambleside to Windermere road, you will see a gap in the wall, with steps, between the Romney Hotel on the right and the Ghyll Head Hotel left. This is the route.
The path climbs between fences, on loose stones, and turns right when it reaches a wall. Soon the path ends at a step stile over the wall on the left. Go through this and cross the field. This is a farm field and not a public access area; there is a right of way across it only. The wall just ahead bends left, then right, and there is a stile near the corner similar to the last. Through this stile and you are in a National Trust woodland and you can wander at will; but our path is the one that bears right from the stile. It crosses a slate bridge and climbs through the wood - a hardwood mixture largely, of ash, oak, silver birch and alder. There are also a number of geans, or wild cherries in this wood. In Spring, white flowers and pink buds identify them; in Autumn their leaves from yellow, through orange, to red. The leaves are long with serrated edges, their bark similar to the silver birches, but reddish.
Continue up to a T junction by an iron seat. (A few yards before this a path appears to cross the one you are on; ignore it.) Turn right along a very distinct track. There are now some conifers in the wood. The track turns left by a ghyll and ascends by rough crag steps. A bridge is soon approached. Cross, and ignore the track left. There are now now two tracks. The right-hand one is better after wet weather. The left-hand one has a gentler climb but is inclined to muddiness. The track presently falls, and then levels; then look for a wall gap to the right, with a path leading from it to a crag. There should be a National Trust sign at this point. Walk through and up to the crag through the trees, and you are on Jenkyn Crag. Take care how you walk if the rock is wet.
There is a good view of Windermere head from here as far down the lake as Belle Isle and Bowness. The tarn on the hillside opposite is Blelham Tarn, to the left of it is the cairned fell of Latterbarrow, and left again the woods of Claife Heights. The Coniston old Man range is ahead in the background. To the right of this range is Wrynose Pass then Crinkle Crags, Pike o'Blisco, Bowfell, and to the right of that the Langdale Pikes. In front of this, and commanding the head of the lake, is Loughrigg Fell. To the left of Blelham Tarn, and below it, is Wray Castle, a fine example of the Victorian romantic era.
When you have lingered and enjoyed this view, leave the crag by the way you came, but on reaching the track turn right and ascend slightly. Presently the wood finishes on the right, and there is a view of the lake across open fields. The large hardwood which you should now see is a typical cherry. A little farther on you may well wonder at the two iron wicket gates, well maintained and locked, to right and left. Another such gate will be noticed down the field, right, and another in the wall next to it. This marks the way of the water pipeline from Thirlmere reservoir to Manchester.
Beyond the gate there are again good views across to the lake. Go through two gates, through the farm-yard High SkeIghyll and down the track. Go through another gate, and instead of turning left to cross the bridge over the ghyll, bear right along the track. Go through another gate and the track bends right away from the ghyll, towards the lake. This is a very pleasant walk through the fields but keep to the path as you are no longer on a public access area. The track bends left with a wall. A little farther on the track again bends left with the wall, but at this point we leave the track to descend to a less clearly seen footpath towards the Low Wood Hotel which can be seen below. Just before the bend of the wall go through the gate on the right. The path follows a wall on the left, which presently has a crook in it, and there is a gate. Go through gate and go down towards the roofs of the hotel on an indistinct path. The path goes towards a wall, bends right to follow it, and then reaches the wall at a wooden ladder stile. Cross it. The path follows the wall down again, and as you descend a gate will be noticed in the wall ahead, to the left. Cross the corner of the field to it.
Through the gate follow the wall down, turn right through the gate in it, then left through gate into the Low Wood Hotel car park. Cross between the Low Wood buildings. Cross the road to the far sidewalk. Turn right. The walk along the side of the lake would be pleasant but for the noise of the traffic on the road. You can get a little further from it by crossing the wall on the left just before the iron gate and walking along the lake shore. The way is soon criss-crossed by roots, and depending upon the height of the water, sooner or later you will be forced back onto the footpath by the road-side. Following this, the wood on the left ends and there is a green field down to the lake shore. This is in the care of the National Trust so you can make a pleasant detour here along the side of the water. There is a stile in the corner directly you come to the field. Go over it and along the lake shore. From the crag there is a good view across the Langdales. After the boathouse, ford or jump the stream and continue along the path towards the garage. If the stream is uncrossable, follow it up to the wall. The path turns up by the grange and through a stile onto the roadside footpath again. Follow the footpath on, and round left to Waterhead.
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cmackenzie4
Logged
I need a walk with a good view but a nice easy walk.
) Good holiday though.