THE parish of Irton with Santon, in West Cumbria - which stands between Drigg and the lower part of Wast Water - is a lovely area of scattered farms, and deciduous woodland, which lies between austere fells and the sea. The River Irt hurries at first and then idles through the pastures and hedged ways of the parish to add its waters to the River Esk.

The church has an unusual tower and in its churchyard stands the famous ninth century Irton Cross. This is a very pleasing walk, with magnificent views up into Ennerdale and parts of Wasdale, but after so much rain you can expect some muddy tracks.

Park in the large car park at the Bridge Inn by Santon Bridge, grid ref 109016. Remember to mention to the manager that you are parking. You might also wish to take refreshments here.

1 Walk uphill, left, away from the bridge. Go past the stile in the hedge beyond the gate of the first house (this is because the next stile into a pasture is blocked with a barbed wire fence) and walk on, along the road, to take a gate on the left. Walk ahead until you can take the next gate, on your right, just above the top side of a small planting of conifers. You are now on the right-of-way. Pass through the next gate and then climb a stile on to a track. Cross and go through the signposted gate and walk ahead across the pasture to a gated stile opposite. Continue on to go through a gate on to a wide track.

2 Turn left and then right to pass through charming Hall Santon. Wind round right, still on the track where you are soon confronted by two tracks. Ignore the obvious one, going on ahead, and take the left-hand track that very quickly comes to a gate on your left. Beyond continue beside a hedge on your right and a large pasture stretching away to your left. Descend steadily to step across a stream and then climb the slope to a broken stile into woodland. Here many trees have fallen and left to lie. Climb gently, weaving round fallen trunks, with little sign of the right-of-way. Once you have reached almost level ground, begin to wind left to the side edge of wood, where there is another stile - rather hidden - out into a huge pasture.

3 Strike diagonally right to the far right corner to join the road again by a gate. Turn left and walk on to pass Wardwarrow farm to your right and a large house, Greenlands, almost hidden by trees, on your left. Just beyond the lodge to Greenlands, go through a signposted gate on the left. Strike half right over the pasture to a gate that give access to a hedged track - the gate lies well over half-way along the hedge on your right. Turn left and descend to the picturesque stone Stock footbridge over the peacefully flowing River Irt, which you cross. Ignore the stile on the right and go on up the track. As you near the top the striking church comes into view. Go through a gate and head over the pasture to go through another gate and then the lychgate, which stands just before the main door of the building.

4 You might wish to go inside and enjoy the peaceful church (pictured above), with its banners, memorials and stained glass windows. To view the Irton Cross, with its intricate patterning, walk round to the other side of the church. The cross is believed to have marked the meeting of four ancient tracks. Then leave the churchyard by a lower gate on to a track and turn right (there is a fine footpath along which you might be tempted to continue but a small section, towards its end, near Irton Hall, is so deep in mud, it is totally impassable). Follow the wide track to pass several dwellings and walk the wide way across the flat pastures to a road, which you cross.

5 Continue ahead along a similar track and at the next cross of tracks, turn left. Walk on to pass the access track to Wood End farm. Keep to the main track, ignoring side turns to Kitchen Ground and then later on Crag Farm. (Where these access tracks joins the main track, the ground can be wet and muddy.) After the access track to Crag Farm the track bears slightly left and carries on to join a road. Turn right and after passing a cottage and then a larch plantation, bear left along a sign-posted track. This delightful way eventually brings you to Parkgate farm, set among fine woodland.

6 Look for the arrow and sign on the first barn, directing you left, to pass in front of the dwelling. Beyond a gate, the pleasant track continues through the delectable woodland. In time the way curves left, climbs gently and becomes an easy-to-walk narrow path, with deer fencing to the left. On reaching a forest track, look ahead through the trees to see the attractive reed-fringed Parkgate Tarn. Then turn left and walk the good track, with a dramatic view of Irton Pike ahead, its rocky summit rearing up above its skirt of trees. The track soon curves a little left before making a right-hand curve, and then, after a quarter-of-a-mile from where you joined the track, take an unsigned forest track, leaving the main way, on the left.

7 It is muddy at first and then climbs pleasingly through the trees. Follow it as it curves right and continues as an excellent track along the side of the forest, with low-lying west Cumbria stretching away to your left. Continue to join a road and descend left. Ignore a left turn and then a right turn, and walk on a short way to cross Santon Bridge to return to the parking area.

  • Information Distance: 6 miles.

Time 3 hours.

Terrain: A fine route through an unfrequented part of Cumbria. Easy going walk, almost level, over tracks and paths and a little road walking. Very few waymarks. After rain expect mud on some tracks.

Map: OS Explorer OL 6.

NB: Restrictions on space mean that this article provides a general summary of the route. It is advisable for anyone who plans to follow the walk to take a copy of the relevant Ordnance Survey map.