free to be able to rate and comment on reports (as well as access 1:25000 mapping).
I must be getting quite a penchant for walks of this nature as this is the third stroll over grassy tops in as many weeks.
This ridge walk around the valley of Weasdale began part way along the road leading to Weasdale and Cow Bank. A road which itself turns off the main A685 road very near to Newbiggin - on - Lune and takes you past the large and newly refurbished house at Sandwath.
We parked - E and I - on a relatively level piece of ground at NY697041where the road splits with one leading off to a few buildings with the name of 'The Lane' whilst the other 'main' tarmac road continues on to the Weasdale Nurseries at some 260 metres above sea level and terminates at Cow Bank where there is to be found room for parking a couple of cars and an information board regarding the nearby fells.
- Our start point.
We elected to park where we did as our homeward route would - or should - bring us directly back to the car.
Showers were forecast for today and sure enough it was with full cloud cover, high humidity, and a warm breeze, though dry when we set off to follow the blacktop along to Cow Bank. We passed a tumbledown farmhouse…
- Tumbledown farm at Weasdale.
which was on our left before dropping to, and crossing Weasdale Beck, through a gate to then climb up a short bank to gain Cow Bank at the end of the tarmac. It was at the beck when two dogs of the nearby house dashed to the garden gate and proceeded to challenge us. One was a lurcher puppy whilst the other one a rather large, stocky and well made bulldog with lips drooling and bottom fangs obvious was the louder of the two. The lurcher puppy slipped through the fence railings as the bulldog thankfully came to a sudden halt as his Bluto sized hulk was too large to follow the pups lead and reach us. Phew for that.
This is becoming an all too familiar occurrence as the puppy, despite encouragement to go away began to follow us up the road to Cow Bank. Tess of Buttermere now comes to mind. We ignore the dog but it keeps on following us right up to the last farm and the open fell. From the information board we set off along a rough track leading to a gate from which we prevented the dog from getting through. It got through a gap.
- The approach to Hooksey.
- The Hooksey ridge lies ahead.
Continuing to follow the wall we crossed over Simonsgill Sike and came to the intake wall with gate leading onto the open fells of Hooksey proper.
- High Knott-Hunthoof Pike with Green Bell in the distance.
We managed to get through the gate whilst the dog was chasing invisible rabbits and with the gate rails being close together along with wire netting on the wall top the dogs' efforts to follow us were thwarted at last.
- Gateway to the open fells.
- Looking back to Cow Bank.
We followed the wall south until it turned off to the left and then continued following Simonsgill - which at this point is more or less dry and full of grass and rushes - hoping to pick up an old track which curves in from the west at about 435 metres but there was no track to be seen.
We eventually came across another track which is not shown on the map but this went around the west side of Hooksey so we abandoned that and continued our climb up the not insignificant and steep initial slopes until finally coming across 'the track'. In fact we can now see two of them running parallel with each other though about 20 or so metres apart.
- The way to Hooksey summit.
We followed the nearest one as both were heading in our direction and at about 540 metres we came across a small cairn off to the west of the track. What it is for we didn't know apart from maybe a viewpoint but it didn't show anything different than from the main track.
- West Grain from halfway up Hooksey.
- A cairn halfway along the Hooksey ridge.
We had our first drinks break at this point.
- West Fell from Hooksey.
- Green Bell from Hooksey.
So far and from the end of the intake wall we have been walking on rough, grassy, and steep ground but upon reaching the track the ground has eased off somewhat and the going is now much faster as we follow it right up to the summit of Hooksey at 586 metres. This track is obviously well used as the worn out grass and bare patchy ground admits to this observation. It is still cloudy but remains dry, humid, and very warm with the accompanying warm breeze doing nothing to cool us down. There are a few patches of sunlight in the distance across the Eden Valley but it remains dull where we are.
On the approach to the summit of Hooksey the great bulk of Randygill Top is in our sights and I must admit, it looks awesome, and I wonder, as it looks so steep as to how the hell we are going to get up it as all we can see is a very long, dark, and steep hillside.
- Randygill Top from Hooksey.
E is quiet and admitted later that given the choice - no choice was mentioned or given - she would have been happy to terminate the walk and return back the way we had come. Now we are closer and on the summit of Hooksey, Randygill Top looks even bigger now that we can see the drop into Leathgill Bridge but we can now see a faint path leading straight up the centre of the fell opposite.
The views all the way along the Hooksey ridge have been good and far reaching although clear skies would have been preferred instead of the misty haze that we have today. To the west is West Fell and Hazelgill Knott with Simon's Seat behind it. South east is Fell Head, south we see Yarlside, White Fell Head and The Calf. East is Green Bell, West Grain, and the minor summits of Hunthoof Pike and Stwarth.
Leaving Hooksey top we followed the good path down into Leathgill Bridge, took a deep breath and proceeded to climb the narrow, steep, but welcome path until it eased off at about the 600 metre mark and then continued bearing right to eventually reach the small cairn of stones and the summit of Randygill Top at 625 metres.
After the climb up E said it wasn't as bad as she thought that it would have been so is now happy that she's climbed it.
- Yarlside view from Randygill Top.
- Looking back at the Hooksey ridge from Randygill Top.
The outlook from here is similar as from Hooksey although from this higher altitude there is more to see. North is Cross Fell and its neighbours, east we've mentioned although quite a few more of the lesser fells come into view. The fells of Ravenstondale Common can now be seen, Wild Boar Fell, Baugh Fell, Swarth Fell, and again south many more of the Howgill hills.
- The view over West Baugh Fell from Randygill Top.
- Green Bell from Randygill Top.
From this summit we now head south east and take the very visible quad tracks leading to our next top which is Green Bell. As we get to Stockless and a spot overlooking the Weasdale valley we decide to stop for a drink and a bite to eat whilst enjoying the view down the valley and over Ravenstonedale.
- A view into Weasdale from Stockless.
- Green Bell from Spengill Head.
- The view east between Harter Fell and Knott.
Setting off once again we cover the ground fairly quickly over the good dry and undulating ground with a final short pull up to the top of Green Bell and its OS trig point at 605 metres.
- Green Bell OS column.
From here we can now see over to Newbiggin-on-Lune, Ravenstonedale and Crosby Garrett Fell, whilst our way is now north down the ridge and along the once again good and clear green track which will lead with just a slight diversion over Hunthoof Pike and Stwarth down to Pinskey Head.
- Our way off Green Bell.
Hunthoof Pike - what a great name - is just to the left of the main path and at 524 metres is just a rocky knoll stuck out of the main Green Bell ridge and sports a decent cairn of stones that is better than some that I've seen on more noted tops.
- Green Bell from Hunthoof Pike.
Stwarth is passed over without even noticing it as it is just a continuation of the downwards path to Pinskey Head.
Looking at the map the area around Pinskey Head should in all intents and purposes be wet, but is in fact as dry as a bone, covered in those long tussocks of grass, rushes, and some heather endemic to the lower areas of fell land. There are a few sheep and lambs grazing and as I tell the lambs that they will be on the table at Christmas E mildly berates me for being cruel, but I bet she doesn't stop eating it.
Pinskey Gill is more or less dried up, but water must be collecting somewhere as where it terminates at Pinskey Bottom Tranmoor Beck begins and flows under the small bridge which spans the short road into here.
From Pinskey Head we now took a straight course north over the rough ground and following sheep trods where possible to help get us through the worst of it. As we drop down onto Round Hill the grass becomes more of the friendly kind, softer and greener as we pick up a narrow track which leads us directly to the car.
This has been another good walk - all walks are good - with good going all the way and even over the rough, steep ground and amidst the sweat and silent curses it's been fair going. It has been hot and humid all the way with a very warm breeze, cloudy and threatening rain at one point but that came to nothing I'm pleased to say as there isn't much protection from the elements on these hills apart from what you've got with you. Weasdale Valley is long and wide and I may venture into it someday when I'm not feeling too energetic.
A couple of things went wrong on this walk mainly - nay all - due to human failings, mine. My camera battery packed in at the top of Hooksey due to me not recharging it after my skirmish into the Shap fells last week, so the images taken from the top of Hooksey and to the end of the walk were taken with my phone which was not set for high resolution. Subsequently not being of a good quality and then having to reduce them even further for submission to the WH forum they are a bit washed out. The second one was regarding my GPS when I forgot to delete previous routes and stats, so consequently on this walk we did around 48 kilometres with around 3,400 metres of height gain in a time of 13hrs. Not bad for a day in the Howgill's eh!
Once at home I soon sorted out both the 'mistakes' and the stats given for this walk are correct.
