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Hewitts: Knock Fell, Great Dun Fell, Little Dun Fell, Cross Fell.
Sub 2k Marilyns: Dufton Pike.
Date: 21/05/2023.
Distance: 25.5km.
Ascent: 1100m.
Time taken: 6 hours, 20 minutes.
Weather: Warm and overcast - sun at end.
I'd made a quick stop to go up Nine Standards Rigg on my way down to Bedfordshire on Friday afternoon. I had an enjoyable Saturday catching up with extended family before getting up for an early(ish) start (is 8:30am early? Probably not!) on Sunday. A nice quiet A1 and the cheapest diesel in months (years?) in Peterborough had me parking up in the village of Knock by 1pm.
Given that it isn't far off Munro height, I'm surprised it has taken me so long to get around to going up Cross Fell. I wanted to include various things in a walk - Dufton Pike, High Cup Nick, the main summit and Greg's Hut, but in the end I settled for just two of those - the distances are quite large around here and what I had in mind was more than far enough for a half day with lots of driving!
Dufton Pike from Knock I set off along a footpath towards Dufton Pike, crossing fields and stiles until I lost the path. I regained it on the far side of Great Rundale Beck before leaving immediately to get on the NW ridge of Dufton Pike. This turned out to be a bit premature as there were a couple of drystone walls with no crossing points on the ridge - I should have continued by the beck for a short distance before doubling back.
On the summit ridge of Dufton Pike Once over the walls I was on a path and it was an easy stroll to the top. It was warm and muggy up here with too much haze to fully appreciate the longer range views. A steep descent took me to the track that would lead up Great Rundale.
Brownber Hill and Great Rundale 
Cross Fell and Great Dun Fell from Dufton Pike 
NW from Dufton Pike 
Murton Pike from Dufton Pike 
Looking into Great Rundale This route looked interesting, winding up through crags and old mine workings before emerging on the plateau. I passed a few folk descending here, and took some water from the stream before it dried up higher on the hillside. Even in May the water levels were beginning to drop!
Dufton Pike 
Great Rundale mines 
Mines Before reaching Great Rundale Tarn I decided to cut a corner and head for High Scald Fell. I climbed out of the valley on easy turf before the going became a little more heathery. It didn't ever get too hard going although there was a peat hag or two to dodge. After a long wander over the plateau I reached the slabs of the Pennine Way and Knock Fell. It was time for lunch (well second lunch really - it was now mid-afternoon!)
On the plateau 
East from Knock Fell And so onto Great Dun Fell. The going from this point onwards was fast, with the slabs of the Pennine Way then the tarmac road leading the way. On a cycling weekend in 2019 some of our group had cycled up here from Kirkby Stephen but Jackie and I had opted to turn back at Knock and spend a sunny afternoon in the beer garden of the Masons Arms in Long Marton.
Great Dun Fell 
Road on Great Dun Fell 
The Great Dun Fell golf ball With the comms station on the summit of Great Dun Fell there was little reason to hang around so I continued across Little Dun Fell. The hills are vast here but at least there is some feeling of being on a ridge. Cow Green Reservoir and the rest of the Northern Pennines were on view to the east - none of them particularly distinguished but reminding me of some interesting cycles and walks I had done amongst them in my short time living in that part of the world. Cross Fell was only marginally more shapely but it had a fringe of boulders and scree on its SW face which gave it a more mountainous feel.
Cross Fell from Little Dun Fell I caught up a couple of guys who were doing the Pennine Way just beyond Tees Head - they were off to Greg's Hut this evening. I did wonder about detouring for a look but it would have added another hour or so onto an already late finish. Instead I wandered to the summit of Cross Fell.
Back to Little Dun Fell 
Little and Great Dun Fell There should have been a panorama of Lakeland hills on view from here but the haze was too thick to make out more than a faint outline of Blencathra. Still, it was atmospheric and would become more so as the evening went on. I wanted to use the bridleway over Wildboar Scar to descend by but I decided to take a shortcut to it across the screes and boulders. This was probably a good way to add unnecessary awkward ground to the day!
Summit of Cross Fell 
North from Cross Fell 
Summit screes of Cross Fell I had noticed a faint red tinge from a distance on the scree and assumed it was a band of iron or copper running through the rocks in the area. Actually it was bright red lichen - quite striking close up.
Red rocks - looks like iron... 
...but is actually some kind of lichen After some slightly rougher moorland below the boulders I joined the bridleway and dropped down over Wildboar Scar. From Wythwaite at the foot of the hill it was a steady 4 miles or so back through the fields. As this was following Wainwright's official Pennine Journey I expected it to be obvious but some of the paths were quite obscured and I lost the route a couple of times.
NW across the Vale of Eden 
Wildboar Scar There were some interesting features and good views along the way as the sun finally decided to come out properly - Milburn was a pleasant little village arranged around a large green. At Milburn Grange I lost the footpath somehow and ended up doing the last mile or so along the road - I wasn't too bothered by this point.
Interesting caves along Crowdundle Beck 
Dufton Pike and the Pennines catching the evening sun 
Milburn 
Last look at today’s hillsIt wasn't that late really, but the distance had been a fair amount and I still had a couple of hours of driving to get back to Glasgow, followed by work the next day. Probably more than your average journey-breaking leg-stretcher but it had been an enjoyable walk.
