EASTERN MARTINDALE FELLS
A PHOTOGRAPHIC WALKING WEBSITE by NEIL HASLEWOOD
Eastern Martindale Fells - 16th April 2008
WALK STATISTICS
Date 16th April 2008 Description Eastern Martindale Fells
Start Point St Peters Church Peaks Climbed Hallin Fell 388m
Total Time 7hrs 55min   Bonscale Pike 524m
Walking Time 6hrs 10min   Arthurs Pike 532m
Stopped Time 1hrs 45min   Loadpot Hill 671m
Distance 15.45 miles   Wether Hill 670m
Moving Average 2.5 mph   High Raise 802m
Elevation at Start 227 metres   Kidsty Pike 780m
Total Ascent 1,356 metres   Rampsgill Head 792m
Max Elevation 802 metres   The Knott 739m
Start Grid Ref NY 43570 19153   Rest Dodd 696m
Temperature 2-5°C   The Nab 576m
Weather Sun, Cloud, Wind & Hail    
Walking With Mark    
WALK NOTES

St Peters Church Car Park - Hallin Fell - St Peters Church Car Park - Steel End - Mellguards - Swarth Fell - Bonscale Pike - Arthurs Pike - Loadpot Hill - Wether Hill - Red Crag - High Raise - Kidsty Pike - Rampsgill Head - The Knott - Rest Dodd - The Nab - Martindale - St Peters Church Car Park

Back to the Lake District today to tick off a few more Wainwright Fells off my list. Walking with Mark I climbed 7 new fells whereas Mark climbed 11. We tried to follow a set route from Walking The Wainwright’s by Stuart Marshall but decided to add Hallin Fell at the start. This was a straight up straight down start to the walk but well worth it. There were other walkers who had the same idea. The views from the top towards Ullswater and the Helvellyn range were great. The beginning of the walk was also sunny which improved the experience of the day. The highest point of Hallin Fell at 388 metres has an imposing square sectioned columnar cairn as well as many other small cairns at other vantage points. As well as a Wainwright Hallin Fell is also a Marilyn.

We were back to our starting point beside the car at St Peters Church within half an hour. Soon after we proceeded on a path behind the church and off towards Steel End and Mellguards. This was followed by a very slow steep climb up to Swarth Fell with many stops en route. The views back to Hallin Fell and Ullswater were very good. The final ascent up to the summit of Bonscale Pike (524 metres) was much easier from Swarth Fell. There are two beacons (cairns) on the edge of the fell which can be seen from some distance away one of which is Bonscale Tower. The views from each are fantastic (once again across Ullswater to the Helvellyn range. The real summit is marked by a small cairn set back from the two cairns on a grassy mound. The sun was still bright and trying to evade the clouds at this point but that would soon change as we continued with our walk. Once we had surveyed the scenes on Bonscale Fell we descended down to the sheepfold next to Swarth Beck and then ascended once more to the summit of Arthurs Pike (533 metres). The summit is marked by a large pile of stones and to the north is another cairn with great views along Ullswater.
The next section of the walk is along the ridge following the roman road of High Street for some of the way. The next Wainwright to visit is Loadpot Hill (672 metres) which is gained by a gradual ascent from Arthurs Pike. The top is very broad and also has a triangulation pillar at its summit. Our walk then continued along the ridge to Wether Hill. The summit of Wether Hill at 674 metres is a grassy one and in fact has two tops of almost equal height. The northern top is the official summit. The High Street roman road runs just a little further away from the summit. There are in fact some very good views both to the Northern Pennines and to the Helvellyn range from here. Carrying along the ridge route we walked past Red Crag (which is not a Wainwright but is a Birkett Fell) to eventually arrive at High Raise. This was our highest point of the days walk at 802 metres. The summit of High Raise is very stony and as well as a large cairn there is also a shelter. The views from the top are lovely and the fell of High Street can be seen very clearly. Looking to the east is the companion fell of Low Raise. It had now become very cloudy and cold and for a short time we had sleet and hail. We were now at the head of the valley and several Wainwright Fells were about to be visited in a short period of time. The next fell was Kidsty Pike at 780 metres. I always think this is a great fell although it is easy to ascend from the head of Rampsgill. The summit cairn is on the edge of the rocks over hanging Riggindale and Haweswater far below. The views from here are lovely especially across the Straits of Riggindale. There is no need to retrace your steps here - just head for Rampsgill Head as there is a good clear path to the head of Riggindale Beck. From here it is an easy ascent to Rampsgill Head summit. Rampsgill Head stands at the junction of these three ridges, with the summit (at 792 metres) a little to the north east. The summit is a grassy one with a small cairn. There is a larger cairn on the edge of the north face of Rampsgill Head with excellent views down the valley. It was then another short walk this time downhill bringing us to the base of The Knott (739 metres) which I think is nothing more than a hump. It takes a couple of minutes to gain the summit.
After a short stop we were off again this time heading for Rest Dodd. Our legs were getting a little tired now and the ascent of Rest Dodd was not an easy one. Rest Dodd stands at 696 metres and has a large pile of stones for its summit cairn. There are views in most directions from the summit including the Helvellyn range, Rampsgill valley as well as Place Fell and Angletarn Pikes. To the north was our last Wainwright of the day – The Nab. This was going to be our most difficult of the day as we were unsure of the access rights now. This fell is inside a Deer Forest and the landowner’s years ago did not encourage walkers to the summit of the Nab. It is now supposed to be Open Access land now. However, there are notices and stiles as you enter the Deer Forest and you are asked to keep to the paths. The route across to The Nab is quite boggy in places and not easy. Visiting The Nab is well worth it just for the views. The summit at 576 metres is marked by a small pile of stones. We decided to carry on heading north down the very steep slopes of Nab End and head for the track near The Bungalow beside Rampsgill Beck. It was slow process going down to the bottom of the valley but we did not really fancy walking back to Rest Dodd. Eventually we arrived at another stile towards the bottom of Nab End. Once near The Bungalow we followed the track and then road back to the car at St Peter’s passing St Martin’s Church on the way. A long walk at 15.45 miles but we did visit 11 Wainwright Fells. It was a great day’s walk.
MAP
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PROFILE
REFERENCE

Reference Books Used
Walking The Wainwrights by Stuart Marshall (Sigma Leisure)
Maps Used
OL5 Explorer - The English Lakes (North Eastern Area)
PHOTOGRAPHS
The Path from St Peters Church to Hallin Fell
The sheep wish us a good days walking
Place Fell from ascet of Hallin Fell - Lower slopes of Beda Fell on left
Looking to snowy Helvellyn from Hallin Fell
Looking to snowy Helvellyn from Hallin Fell
Hallin Fell Summit cairn
Ullswater from Hallin Fell Summit
Hallin Fell Summit cairn
Ullswater & Helvellyn Range from Hallin Fell
Birk Crag with Little Mell Fell beyond from Hallin Fell
Ullswater from Hallin Fell
Ullswater & Beda Fell from Hallin Fell
Zooming to Helvellyn range from Hallin Fell - Striding Edge & Castyecam can clearly be seen
St Peters Church with Hallin Fell behind
The sheep are still there!!
Stone bridge over Fusedale Beck
Ullswater from ascent of Swarth Fell
Hallin Fell from ascent of Swarth Fell
Ullswater from ascent of Swarth Fell
Hallin Fell & Ullswater from the very steep ascent of Swarth Fell
Hallin Fell from Swarth Fell
Ullswater from Bonscale Pike
Ullswater from Bonscale Pike summit
Bonscale Pike Summit with me
Ullswater from Bonscale Pike
Bonscale Tower (below) with higher tower and Ullswater
Higher Tower on Bonscale Pike
Higher Tower on Bonscale Pike with Ullswater
Bonscale Towers with Ullswater
Ullswater Steamer from Bonscale Tower
Bonscale Towers with Ullswater
Zooming in to Ullswater Steamers
Sheepfold near Swarth Beck
Arthurs Pike Summit Cairn
Arthurs Pike Summit Cairn
Helvellyn from Arthurs Pike
Loadpot Hill Summit Trig Point
Loadpot Hill Summit Trig Point
Loadpot Hill Summit Trig Point
Boundary Stone on Loadpot Hill
Looking back to Loadpot Hill from Boundary Stone
Lowther House Chimney
Another Boundary Stone on Loadpot Hill
Wether Hill Summit
Wether Hill Summit
Red Crag Tarn
High Raise on the path from Wether Hill
Wether Hill & Loadpot Hill from path to High Raise
Wether Hill & Loadpot Hill from path to High Raise
High Raise Summit & Shelter
High Raise Summit
High Raise Summit
Kidsty Summit Cairn with High Street beyond
Kidsty Howes & Haweswater from Kidsty Pike
Kidsty Summit Cairn with High Street beyond
The Nab from Rampsgill Head Summit
High Raise from Rampsgill Head
Rampsgill Head Summit
Rest Dodd & The Nab from The Knott
On the path to Rest Dodd
Rest Dodd Summit
Rest Dodd Summit with The Nab
Entering Deer Forest
The Nab Summit
The Nab Summit
The Nab Summit with Rest Dodd
Heading away from The Nab
Rampsgill Valley from The Nab
Bridge over Rampsgill Beck
Looking back to The Nab
St Martins Church
Red Deer Conservation Area Sign
Rampsgill Valley from The Nab

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