There was something so magical and vast about this place, we were recommended the bearded lake on a whim from the lady we were renting the cottage from, so one of the days of our break we found it on the map and headed out! Rain coats at the ready and a light back pack. This wasn't an easy walk, from the beginning you're walking up hill, down hill and trying to navigate paths that look like they haven't been walked for a few years!
We parked on a road which ran up to a caravan/mobile home park, I imagine you can park at the top but we were unsure of how busy it was and if it was gated (its not). The path STARTS right between TWO mobile homes (see photos below). It took a while to find it as you'll notice that this route has little to no public footpath signage.
You will walk through a forest, past a farm and then end up on the hills with the sheep! Its worth the walk up as the views are amazing, the terrain is all varieties from rocks, marsh land, long grass, moss and seriously long ferns!
You will find a head stone that points to the first peak, once you reach the top you will see the lake in all its glory! I imagine if you get the timing just right you will see all the lily pad flowers in full bloom, so gorgeous! You can then walk down to the lake, sit and absorb the view. If you look in the distance you will see another peak called 'Echo' which you can add to your walk if you wanted to.
Take your time on this walk and I would highly recommend finding a good route to follow, if you like a challenge you're welcome to follow ours. Be mindful of suitable footwear and a few snacks, its a trek with difficult terrain to navigate.
I will mention that you can walk a different route from a main road, Im sure if you google it it will pop up. Im not to sure where we were driving to but I saw a sign for it! It looked like it was coming from the other side to where we walked, all in all worth it. Stunning untouched wild beauty that has not one person in sight.
Path visibility: A small visible path, bring a ball of yarn to leave a trail.
Time: 2 hours
Footfall: Not a soul in sight!
Difficulty: An incline the whole way up, no visible path and lots of mossy ground.
Distance: 4.05 miles
Happy walking! V x