Wray Castle and Blelhalm Tarn 5.3 km

Excellent short hike with a castle, a small and a big lake, and picturesque countryside. The hike is largely on paved paths (gravel, a bit of asphalt), and, south of Blelhalm Tarn on unpaved trails. There is a café at the castle.
Hike starts at the castle where there is a National Trust parking (paid parking, with an overflow parking closeby). A few free spots can be found near the entrance of the driveway to the castle. From the castle you walk back along the driveway to the small asphalt road connecting the B5286 with High Wray. You walk this road down to the bridge across Blelham Beck. Here you enter the gravel bridleway parallel to the roadway, and keep left a few hundred meters further. The gravel path takes you north along Blelham Tarn through pasture and woodland. You get close to the lake on the southwest side where you pass a cattle gate (with loud howling cows during our hike). You pass Ford Wood Beck and then ascend about 50 meter for a great view. You pass around a farm and then go through gates at Tog How Farm to enter a non-gravel path south of Blelhalm Tarn, through pasture and a bit of wood. The path ends up at the High Wray asphalt road close to the entrance of Wray Castle. Here you take a bridleway down to Lake Windermere. On the way down you see St. Margareth’s Church and park-like castle grounds with grass and large trees. Down at the lake you enter the castle grounds, and follow the footpath near the lakeside, past a barn, and places where you could swim or enjoy the water in another way. From the lakeside you climb back to the castle. The hike is described in more detail on https://www.walkingenglishman.com/lakes60.html.