A Bowness walk made even easier

This month the Windermere rangers have been busy working on a small project which will make a big difference to so many walkers.

Post Knott is a pretty field with a rock outcrop that looks over Bowness and Lake Windermere. 

It has a well used path through it which is wide and gentle until….you reach a tall wooden ladder stile.

The offending stile.  Easy for some to pass over, but difficult for many others.

With permission of the neighbour we set about taking this ‘dog stopper’ down and replacing it with a kissing gate.  This will allow those walkers with less mobility, walkers with push-chairs and dogs to pass through with great ease and safety.

Now over to the visitors of Post Knott and your comments on our work here….

“For us having a small dog those steps are quite tricky”

“That’s the worst one and the highest one”

“In wet weather they could be quite slippery, which is fine if you’re able”

“It’s the first time we’ve come across steps as high as that”

“About time it happened, it has been like that for too long!”

No guesswork was used as this was built to British Standards! (BS5709 to be exact).

“It will open it up to many more people”

Roland, one of the Windermere rangers is building a new quoin end to the wall.

“I think as walkers you just don’t appreciate how much work goes into the upkeep to make it easier for us”

No more nails.  Care and precision, and a dry spell in the weather was used to build the wooden pen.

“You can appreciate why the NT needs so much help from the public, it’s free for us to do this walk but in fact it’s quite an expensive upkeep”

The finished kissing gate with Brantfell in the background.

“As walkers we think you (the National Trust) are a very important body”

Walkers and their 4-legged friends enjoying the new gate.

“I think what you guys do is fantastic and the Lake District wouldn’t be the Lake District without you guys”

Post Knott is South East of Bowness on the way up to Brantfell, just a short detour from the start of the Dales Way long distance footpath.

It is a quiet, dog friendly location with great views over Lake Windermere and a perfect place to take a picnic and unwind with nothing but the sound of crickets on a sunny afternoon.

Ben Knipe
Area Ranger, Windermere & Troutbeck