Start/finish
small car park at base of Hallin Fell
GR: NY435192
1 NY435192 Walk south-east through the church car park, pass to the right of the church and take the path ahead up a grassy hump. Fork right, continuing south-east, and descend into a hollow. Cross a path running perpendicular, and climb the steep path ahead aiming south-east towards Birkie Knott. Beyond Birkie Knott the terrain is gentler and grassier, ascending south-east towards the ridgeline. Take a diagonal path to gain the ridge and continue south to the rocky Pikeawassa (Steel Knotts) summit. 2 NY440181 Descend south off the summit to a col. Reach a wall and follow it south-south-east briefly. Cross the wall at a gap with a stepping stone stile, turn left and continue south-south-east, now with the wall on your left. Climb over an unnamed hump, drop into a hollow and then climb again, passing to the right of Brownthwaite Crag. Beyond Brownthwaite Crag there is a gentle descent south-east, traversing left in front of and below Gowk Hill. Arrive at the head of Fusedale valley and continue to a wall. Go through a gate and take the small path ahead.
Cross a stream and pass to the right of a derelict stone building. 3 NY446169 Take the path looping right uphill, cross the stream again and turn left. Take the grassy path heading south-east, up Wether Hill’s western flanks. At the 550m contour, the path veers left, ascending a grassy rake to the left of a groove in the hillside. Follow a faint trod east over easy grassy slopes to gain the ridge. Turn left and take a wide path north to the cairned top of Wether Hill. Descend north on a wide track to a col. Pass to the left of a small tarn and climb easily ahead to Loadpot Hill’s trig pillar.
4 NY456180 Veer right and head north on a wide, grassy track. Ahead is a very long but gentle descent over broad, grassy slopes. As you near Arthur’s Pike, veer north-north-west and pick one of the numerous paths to reach the cairned summit. Turn left and head south-south-west, almost back on yourself, towards Bonscale Pike. Traverse the hillside until you reach Swarth Beck, next to an old stone sheepfold. Ford a beck, as you veer right, and ascend the path heading west to the cairned top of Bonscale Pike.
5 NY453200 Pick up a grassy trod descending gently south and south-south-west towards
White Knotts, avoiding the steeper, rockier ground of Swarth Fell. Follow the path as it swings sharply right, descending steeply north-west down a zig-zagging rake. There’s a brief respite in steepness as you head west, before the path turns south-west and descends steeply yet again towards Howtown. Arrive at a stony path next to a wall. Turn left, go under power lines, and veer right through a gate. Pass to the right of Mellguards cottage, veer left at a fingerpost sign through another gate and head south-west. Turn right across a stone bridge over Fusedale Beck, cross a farm road and ascend gently west alongside a wall. Pass below Steel End and follow a path south-west to the base of the
Steel Knotts ascent tackled earlier. Veer right and head north-west back to the church and car park.
Further information
Maps: OS Explorer OL5 (1:25k), OS Landranger 90 (1:50k), Harvey UltraMap XT40 Lake District East (1:40k)