Start point - (1) Wanthwaite (NY
316231).
(2) Old quarry at Park Brow (NY 397211)
Summits Achieved
Name
Height (ft)
Height (m)
Grid Ref
Threlkeld Knotts
1686
514
NY 3301 2302
Bracken How
1224
373
NY 3929 2105
Round How
1270
387
NY 3918 2081
Common Fell
1811
552
NY 3823 2046
Swineside Knott
1814
553
NY 3790 1972
Brown Hills
1808
551
NY 3778 1939
Preface
"Well after the
euphoria of completing the Outlying Fells, I guess we will be
back to ticking off some of the outstanding Birketts on Sunday",
remarked Shaun.
"That's right",
replied Tetley. "Dad talked about taking us to Martindale on
the east side of Ullswater", he continued.
"I guess we will
know soon enough, as I reckon that is where Allen is, finding out
from Dad", said Little Eric, who as usual, was sitting on
Shaun's back.
"Here he comes",
called out Grizzly.
Allen came rushing in
breathless as usual, so Tetley said, "now just sit a minute,
so that you can tell us properly"
After catching his
breath, Allen said, " we are not going to Martindale, as Dad
is a little wary of the road in these cold and icy conditions.
Instead we are going to climb Threlkeld Knotts, and then drive to
near Aira Force, to tick off Bracken How and Round How"
"It will be great
to get Threlkeld Knotts out of the way, as we pass it every time
we drive along the A66 to Keswick", said Grizzly.
"That will mean
that we will have done every summit on the Helvellyn Ridge too",
added Shaun.
"Not me",
said Allen a little downheartedly.
"Well I am sure
that Dad will take you to most of your outstanding Wainwright
tops next year", said Tetley.
The Walk
It was a frosty
morning as we dived into the car ready for the off. The day was
to be dry with some sunshine, much better than the rains of the
last few weeks. It was that oft travelled route up the M6,
passing by the Howgill Fells, some under early morning mists. At
Penrith we took the A66 west, soon Blencathra coming into view to
the right.
After a further few
miles, Allen suddenly called out "there's Threlkeld Knotts".
"Our turning must be coming up soon".
Sure enough we saw the
sign 'St John's in the Vale", and Dad went left along the
rather narrower road. After passing the site of Threlkeld Station
on the long closed railway line from Penrith to Keswick, we soon
then came to Wanthwaite, where Dad parked at the side of the road
by a gate. There was ice on the road round the car, so Dad had to
be very careful not to slip. We had settled in the rucksack and
waited patiently while he got ready. Then he shouldered the
rucksack and off we went. Just a few yards further along the road,
we took the track left that is called the Old Coach Road, to pass
through a gate ahead. Just beyond, this swollen beck was rushing
down.
The path climbed
steadily, bending right and then left at a junction, continuing
with the wall to the right. Looking back down the track we could
see Hill Top Farm that we had passed, backed by High Rigg &
Naddle Fell.
Immediately the wall
on the right ended, Dad crossed the stile, and continued on the
narrow path that wound its way steeply up the old quarry tips, to
a wide track. The instructions then said take the signed path
that climbs steeply by a wire fence. Dad found it, but the sign
is long gone, although halfway up there was a faded white topped
post.
The stile in the fence
at the top was crossed and we ascended the field beyond to climb
the ladderstile to open fell.
"Just look at
those superb views", called out Tetley.
"Must be worth
taking a few shots", added Shaun.
"OK", said
Dad, not needing a second asking to get the camera out.
Here is St John's in
the Vale, white under its covering of frost.
And here beyond Low
Rigg, are the Coledale Fells. The highest point to the left is
Grasmoor and that to the right Grisedale Pike.
"I have a few of
those still to do", remarked Allen.
"Yes",
agreed Dad. "I will take you to tick them off next year.
The clear path now
meandered on its way to the very steep ascent to Clough Head. We
were not going that far today, and after a while went left and
climbed to the summit of Threlkeld Knotts with its small cairn.
We did not need asking to leap out and settle for our picture.
Across a depression
stand two other cairns. albeit at a slightly lower level, but
they provide a fine viewpoint. One has been fashioned into a neat
pillar.
Directly across the
valley was Blencathra with the village of Threlkeld nestling
below.
To the west of this
was a commanding view of the Skiddaw Massif.
We could clearly see
the route we had taken on the walk over these in September. First
the steep path up to the point of Lonscale Pike, on the right.
Then along left to cross Lonscale Fell and on over Jenkin Hill,
to Lesser Man and Lower Man on Skiddaw, then finally to the
summit ridge with its four tops - South, Middle, High Man (summit)
and North. We remembered it was quite a day, an account of which
can be found elsewhere on this site. To complete the first part
of today's walk we returned to the car by our outward route.
"Where to now?",
enquired Grizzly.
"We drive back to
the A66, and head towards Penrith, but then turn right at
Troutbeck", replied Dad.
So off we went, and
soon we were turning off the A66.
A little further on,
Tetley suddenly called out, "that's the caravan site that
Uncle Bob was staying at, when we met him to climb Gowbarrow Fell,
Little Mell Fell and a few other Birkett tops."
Then before long we
passed through the hamlet of Matterdale End, and further on
Dockray.
"We have been to
Dockray before", said Allen.
"That's right",
replied Shaun. "When we climbed the Dodds and Clough Head."
Shortly now at the
brow, we saw on the left the large space of the old quarry, and
this is where we parked. We had stayed in the rucksack, so all
Dad had to do was shoulder it and off we went.
At the right side of
the quarry a narrow path led up beside the wall to a stile by a
ruined building. Once over the stile the ascent steepened, and
getting up a very slippery rocky outcrop, required care. At a
broken stile we crossed the wall then continued with it now on
the left. Then a right angles to the wall we made our way over
some small rocky ridges and valleys to the summit of Bracken How
crowned with a small cairn.
You will see that Dad's
stick is firmly planted in the ground behind us, and we are
pleased to report that he did not forget it, when we set off
again, and that he did not need reminding. Clearly ahead and
nearer the wall the aptly named Round How was just a short walk
away and soon accomplished. No cairn adorned its summit, so Dad
kindly got the flag out to add colour to our picture.
Dad uses Bill Birkett's
book as a guide on some of his walks, and this was the case today,
but Dad does adapt them to meet his and our own needs. You will
see that the wall stretches away in the background of the above
picture. It was alongside this that the instructions said we
should go, all the way under the slopes of Common Fell, Swineside
Knott and Brown Hills. We needed to climb these too, so Dad
decided to deviate to these tops. It was quite a climb by the
wall, to eventually reach a brow of sorts, under the slopes of
Common Fell. At this point we went right, climbing steeply.
Almost immediately
Little Eric called out, "Dad, look at that superb view of
Ullswater. Worth a picture don't you think."
The view is towards
Glenridding, with the Hartsop Fells beyond. We think it looks
icily cold in the winter light. A steady climb for about another
15 minutes, and we were at the summit cairn of Common Fell. From
here a clear path meandered roughly west. It was along this
section that Dad passed a young couple, the only other walkers he
saw to speak to all day. Presently the path bent round left to
climb imperceptibly to Swineside Knott. It is a pretty flat and
undistinguished top, but a slight hump with a boulder was the
summit, as far as Dad could determine. We sat behind this for our
picture.
Brown Hills was next,
and we thought that this was away to the right, halfway up a
ridge.
Dad said, "although
you would think so it can't be, as the change in GPS reference
required is much closer. So after just a short walk, with again
little change in height, we were there. A few stones had been
perched on the edge of a little drop, at what seemed to be the
highest point, so this is where Dad took our last picture today.
We now had to get back
to the wall, so Dad made the short steep descent, stopping part
way to take this shot of Ullswater with the sun catching the
ridge of from the left Arthur's Pike, Bonscale Pike, Loadpot Hill
and Wether Hill.
Directly opposite
where we had descended, there was a stile over the wall, which
was exactly where we needed to be to rejoin the original Birkett
route. Over the stile the path led left on the delightful walk
through Glencoyne Park eventually to the road, where a steady
walk up regained the car. Dad had done quite well keeping his
trousers clean up to this point, but the last part through the
Park was very boggy, so they needed yet another wash. This was
only for Dad to dirty them again on Tuesday. Uncle Brian is
extremely understanding!
This is another area
we had not visited before, and whilst we would probably go back
to Threlkeld Knotts, the same cannot really be said for Bracken
How etc.
Dad was hungry now, so
he drove to Greystone House at Stainton, where he had some
warming beef casserole with potatoes and carrots, and a pot of
tea.