Six Wainwright Fells around the Kirkstone Pass

Phil Catterall

You need to log in as a member of Walkingworld to access the details for this walk and have an active subscription. Please join, or log in above if you are already a member.

Cow Bridge – Hartsop Dodd – Stony Cove Pike – Kirkstone – Red Screes – Middle Dodd – Little Hart Crag – High Hartsop Dodd – Cow Bridge

For a reasonably fit walker this tour of six Wainwright Fells from the Eastern and Far Eastern area pictorial guides is easily achievable within the day. Free parking is available at Cow Bridge, north of Hartsop.

We start from 500ft above sea level (ASL) with a stiff climb onto Hartsop Dodd at 2,028ft ASL. Some of this effort, but not all is of it, is lost when we descend from Stony Cove Pike to The Kirkstone Pass Inn at 1,450ft. The consolation is that refreshments are available.

The climb up to Red Screes at 2,546ft ASL from the pub car park looks formidable but it isn't – the National Park has improved the path which is now stepped in places and as a result, the path is not exactly where it appears on the OL7 1:25000 Explorer map. As we descend back to Cow Bridge we cross the Eastern Area Fells of Middle Dodd, Little Hart Crag and High Hartsop Dodd, which afford a fine view of the Kirkstone Pass and onwards into Patterdale and Ullswater.

This is a fairly challenging day but not quite as tough as the nearby Walk 5430, around the High Street Range, which starts from Hartsop Village itself. This I also recommend as a mountain challenge walk, taking in not six but eleven Wainwrights in the day.

England - North England - Cumbria - Lake District - North East