Capple Howe, Sour Howes and Sallows
Walk date – 18th June 2025
Distance – 8.9 miles
Weather – sunny and warm with a very light breeze, occasional cloud cover
As J is going on a walk tomorrow with some of the chaps from his volunteering group we decided not to climb any of the higher fells today. Our walk around Troutbeck at the end of May had reminded us that we hadn’t walked up Sour Howes and Sallows since 2020 so that’s where we decided to go. We try to vary the route each time we visit and today was no exception. although sections of it we have walked before. As we were getting ready to drive over to Troutbeck the morning didn’t look at all promising when we looked up and saw nothing but matt grey cloud cover. The forecast had indicated a sunny day with very light winds but, having long suffered from inaccurate weather forecasts, we donned mid layers and wind-proofs just in case. As things turned out we didn’t need either.
Route
Moorhowe road – Dubs road – High Borrans – Kentmere bridleway – Mickle Moss – Capple Howe – Sour Howes – Sallows – Garburn Pass – Garburn road – Dubs road – Moorhowe road
We arrived at the off road parking area on Moorhowe road to find it completely empty and, after a bit of shuffling the car around so it wouldn’t take up too much space we got our gear together and set off up the Dubs road. A dog walker walked up the road as we were getting ready and wished us a cheery ‘Good morning’.
Further along the Dubs road we branched off it for the walk over to High Borrans. Its a route we have taken before but today was a lot different. The gate from the Dubs road was firmly fastened with a horse halter or two, and the next couple of gates were similarly secured. An example of the fastenings can be seen over on the left of the shot. It seemed to us that whoever owns, or is responsible for the gates and the surrounding fields, most definitely did not want anyone crossing them. There were no ‘Private. Keep out.’ notices attached the Dubs road gate or anywhere else for that matter so we climbed the gates and used the path anyway. Technically I suppose we might be accused of trespass but without any indication that the land is private the matter could be a moot point. We had just gone over the gate in the photo when these two ponies came up to it so they were handed bunches of long grass that were growing close by. J loves horses and can’t walk past them without stopping to say hello. Zoom in and take a look at J’s face, it speaks volumes! The wind-proofs and mid layers came off shortly after as the cloud began to drift away and the temperature rose accordingly.
The view over to High Borrans reservoir as we crossed the fields. A lot of the water surface looked to be covered by some type of weed today. the reservoir is used (or used to be) for canoeing activities by the High Borrans Outdoor Education Centre. Once we were over the last gate we were back on the established footpath coming down from Sour Howes. Reference – the end part of our walk on 16th March 2020.
We emerge from the public footpath onto the tarmac lane running through the hamlet of High Borrans. This unoccupied building seems to serve as storage for someone as the outside space always has various ‘stuff’ lying around in it.
A look back at the house with the oversized chimney pot after passing through the yard at High Borrans farm and the wooden double gate. The track leads on to a private residence but …..
….. a short distance along it we leave it to begin walking the Kentmere bridleway. A signpost points the way and the route to follow is well signed too so navigation is very easy.
Further along the bridleway and the scent of freshly cut grass from the field beside the fence is filling the air. The grass is drying in the sun and when dry will be gathered and stored as hay in readiness for livestock winter feed. Haymaking time was eagerly anticipated by the kids in our village when I was a youngster. The local farmer would bring a flat bed cart pulled by an enormous shire horse into the field and it would be loaded up with the hay. All of us young ‘un’s ‘helped’, well that’s what we thought we were doing, whether the grown-ups saw it that way is another matter. It was great fun nevertheless.
Out of shot to the left is a signpost indicating the route to follow for Kentmere which is through the right hand gate. We arrived from the one on the left.
A pleasant grassy path awaited us once we were through the gate. This eventually brought us out at …..
….. another set of gates with a signpost between the two. Once again we arrived via the left one and passed through the one on the right.
The path then follows the wall and passes alongside Mickle Moss which is just beyond the gate. The puddle was very deep but an alternative route around it had been made by previous travellers along here so we were able to by-pass the puddle.
Sour Howes and Sallows ahead although they are still some distance away from us.
Lots of puddles along the path some of which were home to large numbers of tadpoles. Most of them ran for cover when we stopped to take a look but there were still a few left who hadn’t been quick enough to hide under a stone or under the damp grass around the edges.
We departed from the planned route when J spotted a sort of path heading off through the heather so we turned off the established path and began to follow the wall through the rough stuff towards Capple How and Sour Howes.
Hmmm! After the heather came the waist high bracken! When we reached the wall corner beyond the bracken we had a break before continuing onwards and upwards.
After our short break for a breather, drinks and plucking bits of bracken and heather from our clothing and boots we continued with our climb up to Capple Howe. We’ve left the bracken behind and we’re back in the heathery stuff and all its accompanying minor annoyances. The above view is looking across the lower reaches of Sour Howes towards Shipman Knotts and the other fells around Kentmere.
This is the view looking in the opposite direction towards the Coniston Fells.
Below us is Borrans reservoir and some distance beyond it is Orrest Head above which are the waters of Morecambe Bay.
With more height gained almost the whole length of Windermere comes into view although its a pity that a sheet of thin white cloud (aka – the chemical stuff that is sprayed from ‘planes) has blotted out the sunshine temporarily.
Up on Capple How now with a long distance view of the Coniston fells and the Langdale Pikes on the horizon. Closer to the camera is the long wall coming up from the Dubs road with the various humps and bumps of Sour Howes above it.
Also on view from Capple Howe is this view of the plantation of conifers on the slopes of Sour Howes. Where the two walls in the shot meet there is a gap in the broken fence leading to the path over to Sour Howes.
Just beginning to peep up over the Moor Head path leading over to Sallows are the fells around the Troutbeck valley. We leave Capple Howe and begin making our way over to the Sour Howes path alongside the conifer plantation.
A look back at Capple Howe from the gap in the fence. Turning around and facing uphill is the path leading to Sour Howes. Its a very scratchy route now as the conifers have grown substantially and their lower branches have spread themselves across the path.
We emerged from the scratchy conifers onto open slopes beneath the various peaks of Sour Howes. The difference in height between all the various tops is negligible, a matter of a couple of feet or so, so I’m not fussy about which one I stand on. We decided to aim for the one at the furthest end and to have a break when we reached it.
Looking across to Sallows as we climbed up to our chosen peak …..
….. and having reached it we settled down for a bite to eat and relax for a few minutes. This is the view from the spot we chose which shows the Moor Head route curving around towards Sallows with a skyline view of Caudale Moor, Stony Cove Pike, Thornthwaite Crag, Froswick (just), Ill Bell and Yoke.
Over to our left is Red Screes …..
….. below is the village of Troutbeck and on the skyline above a host of fells to numerous to name …..
….. the Coniston Fells over our left shoulders …..
….. and directly in front of us is Red Screes, St Raven’s Edge and Caudale Moor.
After our break we headed down towards the path leading over Moor Head and up to Sallows.
On the path for Sallows now and the walk up to it across Moor Head is only a little over a mile long so it didn’t take us very long to get up to the summit. It can be quite a soggy path at times but it wasn’t too bad today.
A headless man climbing over a stile? Nah, its only J looking down at the soggy morass on the other side of it that he was probably going to have to step into. He looked down just as I took the shot.
Up on Sallows now where I noticed this OS marker which we haven’t observed on previous visits. That’s not to say that it hasn’t always been there, perhaps it has but we just haven’t noticed it. However, it was the first thing we noticed when we reached the summit so maybe it hasn’t been there very long. Anyway, the message was clear and not wishing to upset the OS or the marker we spoke in whispers and tip-toed around while we took in the views. No, we didn’t do any such thing, that’s just me taking the you know what!
Here’s a shot of the summit area with a bit of Windermere thrown in for good measure and if you want to locate the OS marker its at the other end of the summit mound just in front of a clump of grass.
A shot of the path up to Yoke summit before we started to descend. I find it rather a dreary climb, the path seems to go on forever and its steeper than it looks. For me, its on a par with the dreary path from Boredale Hause up to Place Fell summit only it feels twice as long. I had a look back in the diary and found that we have been up there every five years starting in 2010, then 2015 and lastly 2020. Its now 2025! Oh dear, I don’t think I can face that dreary path again!
On the skyline is Harter Fell and Kentmere Pike, the eastern section of the Kentmere Horseshoe …..
….. Kentmere Pike again, Goat Scar and Shipman Knotts with some of the houses of Kentmere below them …..
….. in the dip on the centre skyline is the col at the top of Nan Bield Pass with Harter Fell on the right and just a smidge of Mardale Ill Bell showing to the left of the col. Lingmell End/Kentmere Common take up most of the left side of the shot.
The entire eastern section of the Kentmere Horseshoe on the skyline.
We descended from Sallows via the path leading down to the Garburn Pass which eventually becomes the Garburn road. Along the way we passed the start of the path to Yoke together with its cairn and signpost.
The knobbly top of Wansfell comes into view as we head down the Garburn road.
Troutbeck Tongue and Troutbeck Park farm below us in the valley.
The view back along the fells forming the western section of the Kentmere Horseshoe.
Red Screes beyond the lower slopes of Wansfell.
The view down to Troutbeck village set among the emerald green fields. This is Lakeland in its summer best. I don’t think I’ve seen these fields as green as this ever. Oh, to be in England now that summer’s here! (With apologies to Robert Browning.)
Descending the very loose and slaty path known as the Garburn road. To be fair, it does become less like a spoil heap and more like a path further down though.
At the junction where the Dubs road and the Garburn road meet up with each other or go their separate ways depending on where walkers are heading. We take the Dubs road on the left …..
….. and before much longer we are back at Dubs reservoir where this notice caught my eye. Does that ‘No Swimming’ message mean that paddle-boarding, canoeing, water ski-ing etc are all allowed? No, thought it didn’t!
The last few yards back to the parking area on the Moorhowe road where only our car and two others are parked. That’s quite a difference from the busy scene which greeted us on our 28th May walk three weeks ago, the place was heaving then, it was much less crowded along Ullswater too. Well, that’s us done for the day, our gear is stowed in the boot and we’ve quenched our thirst so all we have to do is drive back home and get the kettle on. Its still sunny and we’ve not had to put on our mid-layers or wind-proofs since we packed them away earlier on. We’ve had a good day even though parts of it involved some rough walking, the sun shone and there was hardly any wind. Perfect conditions in which to enjoy the beauty of England’s countryside, especially the emerald green valleys