This 'You Are Here' map is situated on a board at the start of a public footpath that leads through Elleray Wood to Orrest Head.
The map shows a circular route from this location that passes through Elleary Wood to the view point at Orrest Head. Also included on the board are; two photographs of the views, instructions about restrictions and expectations about respecting the area, the time it will take to reach the view point( 20mins) and a list of places that can be seen weather permitting.
Above the map is a quote by Alfred Wainwright which reads as follows;
"Those few hours on Orrest Head cast a spell that changed my life" Alfred Wainwright(1930)
'The area is owned and managed by Windermere Town Council in trust for the enjoyment of the inhabitants and visitors of Windermere.'
"Orrest Head and Elleray Wood formed part of the Elleray Estate which was formerly owned by Arthur Henry Heywood. In 1902 his widow and daughter gave Orrest Head in trust to Windermere Council to be held "for public walks or pleasure grounds".
In 1943 most of Elleray Wood was given to the Council under similar terms by other members of the family. A small part at the northern end is owned by South Lakeland District Council but leased to the Town Council and managed as part of the Community Woodland.
The wood covers an area of approximately 18 acres to the north-east of the A591 Church Street, and was probably laid out in the nineteenth century; many of the original pathways and carriage drives are still used and are in relatively good condition.
The Town Council now manage an area of 30 acres of woodland and have, for some years, worked to actively cut back and pollard the over-grown and densely packed woods, with the aim of bringing the woodland floor back to life. This has started to happen - bluebells are back in profusion, there are clear signs of small mammals and birdsong has returned. Recently, the Lake District National Park restored a large part of the old Victorian Carriage Drive, improving access to the less mobile.
In 2012, the Town Council worked with the Wainwright Society to replace the view-finder at the top of Orrest Head. The new view-finder, in local slate, engraved with the Wainwright drawings and script is a fitting enhancement to such a lovely place and a celebrates the memory of Alfred Wainwright, who fell in love with the Lake District on this spot.
The Town Council will continue to enhance and improve this woodland, and make it available for locals and visitors alike to enjoy and be inspired by." SOURCE: (
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Alfred Wainwright MBE (17 January 1907 – 20 January 1991) was a British fellwalker, guidebook author and illustrator.
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