Area: East Lakes
Route: Walk 3(Loadpot Hill) 1st April 2007
Distance: 18.3 km (12.2 miles)
Max Height: 672 metres
Time: 5-6 Hours
Grade: HARD

Starting Grid Reference: 435191

MAP

This walk starts at a car park located next to the new Martindale Church above the village of Howtown. The car park can hold about 20 cars at a time and is very popular in fine weather due to its close proximity to Hallin Fell. There is some layby parking as well but please park responsibly as you may hinder the emergency services due to the narrow road. There are no toilets facilities here so parking is free but there is a public phone box and a public house in the village of Howtown.

Pikeawassa 432m

Walk through the church car park past the church itself following the wall on the right hand side. This will curve round the small hill with the wall on your right and a small signpost on your left to bring you to Lanty Tarn.
From the Tarn you need to follow the path down hill to the east towards Howtown, passing below the fell Pikeawassa. On route you will pass a stone seat on your right and then a wooden seat just before the path meets up with a dry stonewall.

Continue on the path until you reach the area where the wall moves away from the path. Here you need to head uphill in a southerly direction along the footpath, which can be tricky to pick up, as it is not obvious.

The path winds its way up the hill passing over and through some rocky outcrops before bringing you to what looks like the top of Pikeawassa as it is marked off with a small cairn. This is a false summit with the true top being a short distance ahead of you.

On reaching the summit the cairn is marked by a small pile of stones on top of an outcrop of rock. There are some great views from here of the Martindale valley and Ullswater and from here you get a glimpse of the central fells.

Wether Hill 670m

From the top follow the footpath down towards Brownthwaite Crag and the stonewall that cuts across it. On reaching the wall on the corner where it heads up across Brownthwaite Crag you need to cross onto the other side using stone steps built into the wall.

Follow the wall uphill over the top of Brownthwaite Crag before heading away from the wall for a short distance then curving back towards it where you cross over it to the ruined lodges.

Here the path crosses over a small beck and heads uphill along side it before crossing over it again alongside the stonewall. The path follows this wall briefly before heading uphill to the southeast towards Wether Hill.

The climb up is gradual and brings you to Mere Beck where it heads straight up along side it and the fence. Eventually the path splits with one crossing over Mere Beck to an old gate and the other continuing up to the ridge, which is the one to follow. The path then meets up with the main ridge bridleway, which was Roman Road.

Once upon the ridge you find yourself between Wether Hill to the North and Red Crag to the south. From here follow the path towards Wether Hill, which is only a short distance ahead of you. On the way you will come to a path junction where you need to follow the path to the left as the other skirts around Wether Hill top.

The top of Wether Hill is nothing to look at, plain and grass covered with a small pile of loose stones marking the summit. From here you can see Loadpot Hill to the south and a great panoramic to the west.

Loadpot Hill 672m

Leaving the top of Wether Hill, follow the path down off the top towards Loadpot hill in the distance. Along the way you will pass a number of small tarns on your right some of which are the size of a small swimming pool but not as warm. After these, follow the path up the hill where you pass the ruins of an old mining chimney and then pass another small tarn on your left with the top of Loadpot Hill ahead of you.

The top of Loadpot Hill is flat and grass covered and marked off with a trig point. The views to the west from here are very good in the right conditions and horses and their riders frequently visit it.

Bonscale Pike 524m

From the top of Loadpot Hill follow the path off to the north where it heads across the flat top before going downhill to meet up with the bridleway. On reaching the bridleway you need to head across the open grassland to the northeast towards Bonscale Pike.

There is a small path visible ahead of you that passes between some small tarns so it is best to head for these bodies of water rather than taking the direct route to the summit.The footpath between these small tarns becomes very obvious and winds its way to the top.

The top of Bonscale Pike is marked with a small cairn on the edge of the ridge with steep slopes into the valley below. Here is a great place to stop for lunch as it offers spectacular views over Ullswater and the western fells.

Arthur's Pike 532m

Leaving the top of Bonscale Pike follow the path northwards for a short time before it turns to head eastwards back towards the ridge. On route you pass an old sheepfold before crossing Swarth Beck. From here you come to a junction of footpaths, one heading up onto the ridge to your right and the other curving round to the left onto Arthur's Pike which is the route to follow.

The top of Arthur's Pike is also marked off with a small pile of stones and from here you get to see the village of Pooley Bridge and Dunmallard Hill, at the northern end of Ullswater as well as the fells of the Helvellyn range.
Leaving the top of Arthur's Pike head down to the old ruined dry stonewall, where you can see the path down Barton Fell.

A small cairn marks the point where the path joins the main route down. This part of the journey seems to go on forever but it is not long before you reach the dry stonewall enclosing Barton Park. Here you need to follow the bridleway that runs parallel to the wall in a southwesterly direction.

Along the way you will pass a water reservoir next to the path below Arthur's pike above you on your left before you pass a footpath junction, pointing the way to Pooley Bridge.

Continue along the main bridleway below Arthur's Pike where you meet up with a dry stonewall on your right marking the boundary of Auterstone Wood and an old storage barn next to the wall. Continue along the path crossing over a small beck along the way.

Further on you cross over Swarth Beck by means of a small stone bridge before passing the ruins of another storage barn. Here the stonewall that separates the path from the farmland is replaced by a wire fence.

Before reaching the outskirts of Howtown you will pass a couple of old green iron seats. The path then meets up with another dry stonewall above Howtown heading past the outdoor centre towards Mellguards.

On reaching the private property of Mellguards you need to pass through the farm gate and head down the road a few metres till you come to the entrance to the field marked by a gate and sign post. Here the road continues round the bend ahead of you with the gate to the left heading through the field being the route to follow.

Walk the short distance through the field to Fusedale Beck, which you cross by means of the stone bridge in front of you. Once over the bridge you arrive at a small road with a signpost showing multiple routes to travel. From here continue straight ahead of you to the path alongside the dry stonewall. This should look familiar, as this is where you started your climb of Pikeawassa earlier in the morning.

Continue to walk the path uphill alongside the stonewall which brings you past the two seats from the start of this walk above The Coombs. Further ahead you will pass by Lanty Tarn again before arriving back at the new Martindale Church where you started this walk.