SM12- Drumbow to Longrigg

The route starts on the B825 at NS 83970 69319 and it is not signposted. A well maintained 3m wide tarmac vehicular access road runs N for 400m.

SM12 Start

At this point the access road veers to the west, and the route continues N on a gravel track. The start of this part of the route is now blocked by a gate (added March 2012)  to deter vehicles, with a sturdy stile at the side for walkers.

The main track goes left to Drumbow, the ROW goes straight on. There is now a gate here.

New stile and gate

Portacabins line the track, and 100m farther on the route passes through a wide disused industrial area, and the route heads N along an old track bed, blocked at NS 83783 69764 by a large amount of industrial pipes, of the type used for drainage.

Pipes and construction materials on the right of way, looking north.

At present you can go around the pipes to continue on the route, looking south.

The route continues N, the old track bed giving way to peat after about 100m, and remains so for around 300m, where it again becomes a solid track.

The path can be wet for much of the year, crossing the peat

At this point the path becomes difficult to follow, a foot track apparently veering of the the NW. However the track actually continues N. The path here is blocked by a barbed wire fence and the correct line can be regained by crossing the fence at NS 83633 70228, just south of the metal gate. The path is still hard to see, but walking east for 20m reveals a clearing running N through the trees.

Looking back south, the gap in the trees is more apparent from this side

This section of the path is faintly marked, but does appear to be in use, and crosses three drainage ditches all within a 100m of each other, and runs for 300m before coming out of the trees to head uphill, crossing a barbed wire fence which has a section removed and heading uphill on the W side of a fence, to finish at an unlocked gate on a minor road at NS 83523 70694, just east of Longrigg Farm

Looking south from the gate

The end of the path is again not signposted.