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| The start of the walk at Tuchwud in Windermere |
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| Take the leftmost of three driveways |
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| Information boards at the foot of the driveway |
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| There are two main paths to Orrest Head. We take the left one, the red route, at the first signpost this is the original path and has a few steep and rough sections on it. The easier blue route continues along the driveway and onto a wide and smooth gravel path which is suitable for wheelchair users |
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| The path alongside the edge of Elleray Wood |
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| After 250 yards of level walking a fingerpost indicates the path to Orrest Head which rises through Elleray Wood |
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| Elleray Wood |
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| looking over towards Heron Pike and Great Rigg on the left and Red Screes on the right |
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| Looking over towards Sallows |
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| The red route path reaches the top edge of Elleray Wood at a gate in the wall which encloses it |
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| Windermere from the gate |
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| The red route climbs a series of steps to join a smoother path |
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| Looking over towards Thornhtwaite Crag, Froswick and Ill Bell |
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| Red Screes |
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| Continuing alongside the wall at the top edge of Elleray Wood ..... |
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| ..... to join with the blue route |
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| Looking over towards the Langdale Pikes, High Raise across Windermere with Ullscarf on the right |
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| A rustic bench made from galvanised steel by a local craftsman, one of a few that can be found on the blue route |
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| The view from the bench |
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| The blue route continues on its gentle approach to the summit of Orrest Head |
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| We turn left through a kissing gate which is flanked by the Arthur Heywood memorial stones whose widow donated Orrest Head and later Elleray Wood for public use |
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| Gummers How from the kissing gate |
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| A rough stony path leads directly up to the summit of Orrest Head from the kissing gate |
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| Approaching the summit of Orrest Head |
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| The summit of Orrest Head. In 2021 a project to improve access to Orrest Head by the construction of the blue route was finally completed. The summit area had become badly eroded by numerous visitors, the resulting quagmire was dug out and replaced by stone chippings to improve natural drainage and a novel 'compass' was installed, designed and built by the same local artist who made the rustic seats on the blue route |
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| A short distance to the west is the Wainwright Toposcope |
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| The foot of Windermere from Orrest Head |
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| The Coniston Fells across Windermere from Orrest Head |
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| The Langdale Pikes across the head of Windermere |
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| Red Screes from the summit of Orrest Head |
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| The head of the Troutbeck Valley from Orrest Head |
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| Gummers How from our descent along the blue route path |
