Gummer’s How walk
This Gummer’s How walk is a great starter fell climb for children in the Lake District. The free car park is already partway up this modest hill (321m above sea level) in the southern Lake District. You get excellent views from the highest point and you can imagine how surprising it is for kids to find cows on the top. There are a couple of different routes to the top, one which is easier and one that is a bit more a scramble but still perfectly possible with kids (my youngest was 4 years old when we did this climb the first time). Find more fantastic Family walks Lake District here.
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Where is Gummers how?
Gummer’s how is a modest hill in the southern Lake District. It is is located near the southern end of Windermere not far from Newby Bridge.
Gummer’s How car park
The short walk starts at the free Gummer’s How forestry commission car park. There are also a few laybys nearby if the car park is full we visited mid-morning on an October Sunday and got the last space.
The car park is on the right, approximately half a mile up a steep road, Fell foot Brow. The sat nav postcode is LA12 8NW and you can find it on google maps by searching for Gummers how car park.
One of the reasons this fell is easier is that the car park is already 200m above sea level!
Gummers How walk
Summary
Start and finish – The start of this walk is the Gummers how car park (free).
Approximate duration – 90 minutes (our youngest was 4 years old when we did this walk so you might be faster)
Distance – 1.5 miles
Accessibility – This is an uphill walk, rocky in many places. This walk is not suitable for pushchairs or wheelchairs.
Public toilets – There are no public toilets on this walk.
Other Facilities – None.
The route
1. From the car park either walk up the road (no pavement) to the gate on the left-hand side of the road or at the top right of the car park there is a woodland path that takes you to the same place and it is a bit safer than walking along the road with no pavement when you have young children.
2. Once you are through the kissing gate you might see some of the Luing cattle. We had to wait for some to cross our path and we were also very surprised to see some right at the summit too!
3. Follow the public footpath up the hill. The route to the top is very obvious most of the way. The only place where you really have a choice of which way to go is a little over halfway. You reach the top of a slate set of steps. The path seems to stop. In front of you is a rocky scramble of stone steps and to the right is a grassy area. There are no signs and when we were there everyone was doing the scramble so we assumed this short climb was the only way to the top.
4. We later discovered the grassy area to the right does lead to a more gentle climb to the summit. Our 7 year old managed the scramble with ease. Our youngest needed holding on to tightly and I almost turned back with her at one point. I definitely recommend the easier route for less experienced little legs.
5. It was definitely worth the climb. The views at the top over the southern end of lake Windermere are stunning. The kids loved seeing cows up there too. It’s not every day you see cows on a “mountain”. Once you finish admiring the views at the top, retrace your steps back or try the alternative route down to make it a circular walk.
We really enjoyed our climb up Gummer’s How. It’s a great introduction to Wainwright walks for young families and the amazing views of the Lake District National park make it rewarding.
It definitely isn’t buggy friendly. Find the best Pram-friendly walks lake district here.
Is Gummer’s How a wainwright?
Gummer’s How is one of Wainwright’s outlying fells. These are 116 smaller fells that he described as being suitable for pensioners that don’t want to put away their boots. We think these fells are also perfect for young families and a great way to start exploring the Lake District landscape. I imagine they all have breathtaking views.
We have enjoyed a few of the outlying fells including Gummer’s How and Orrest head. We’ll definitely be doing more soon.
You can find all 116 lesser fells in the book * Wainwright’s The outlying fells of Lakeland.
Recommended OS map for this and more walks in the area is * The English Lakes: South-Eastern Area Map.
Enjoy family walks? Join the Family Walks North West Facebook group to be part of a community sharing the best walks for families across the region. Join here.
Nearby places to visit
You’re really close to Fell foot park, a nearby National Trust.
Another great Lake District walk nearby is the Sizergh castle play trail.
Or you might like the Low Sizergh Barn farm trail.
Find more Things to do in Windermere with kids here.
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