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From: Little Town
Parking: Car park near Little Town
Start Point: Little Town
Region: North Western Fells
Route length: 12.1 miles (19.4 km)
Time taken: 06:29
Average speed: 1.9 mph
Ascent: 1461m
Descent: 1465m
Wainwrights on this walk:
Catbells (451m), Maiden Moor (576m), High Spy (653m), Dale Head (753m), Hindscarth (727m), Robinson (737m), Knott Rigg (556m), Ard Crags (581m)
Additional summits: Ill Crag (Knott Rigg) (546m)
Other points of interest: Moss Force
I'd been eyeing up this walk for a long time, a couple of years at least, waiting for the perfect opportunity to savour the beauty of what is widely regarded as one of the most impressive areas of the Lake District - the Newlands Valley (part of the Derwent Fells). While not containing many truly towering peaks, any lack of height is easily overlooked by the sheer variety of shapely mountain profiles; where slender, airy ridges rub shoulders with burly crags and magnificent glacial valleys. I'd been told (or read) that Newlands MUST be saved for a clear day which we found towards the end of August.
The Newlands Round, as suggested by most authors, is a circular walk that takes in the fells of Catbells, Maiden Moor, High Spy, Dale Head, Hindscarth and Robinson. Not bad for a day's work, however, we decided to add both Knott Rigg and Ard Crags to avoid them becoming a pair isolated 'must do later' type of fell. With this in mind, we parked near to Little Town, partway between the feet of Ard Crags and Catbells, our starting fell.
After a brief stroll along the route between Little Town and Catbells, the path reaches the slopes of the aforementioned fell before making its way steeply up through the bracken to the small col between Brandelhow and Catbells' summit. Already, the day was shaping up to be a good one as the views across the Derwent Fells (those surrounding Newlands and Keskadale) are simply breathtaking. To the benefit of the reader, I also happened to have my grown-up SLR camera with me on this day, owing to some technical shenanigans being played by my usual walking camera. Though a bit bulky it was definitely worth carting it around for the day.
Newlands already shaping up to be a good one - Hindscarth and Robinson |
Ard Crags, Scar Crags and Causey Pike |
An exquisite panorama of fells |
Causey Pike and Rowling End |
The ridge of Catbells with Derwentwater and Borrowdale to the left and Newlands to the right |
The ridge leading from Keswick - Skiddaw guards the backdrop |
Keswick and Derwentwater |
Another excellent view of Newlands |
Bassenthwaite in the distance |
Catbells summit overlooking Newlands |
The wooded valleys of Borrowdale |
Maiden Moor |
Yewthwaite Comb and Trap Knotts |
The path high above Borrowdale |
Catbells backed by the Northern Fells |
Being a Friday, the RAF were out to play |
The summit lies off to the right |
Barnes Gill carves its way through Bull Crag |
The North Western Fells |
Catbells and Keswick |
Maiden Moor's summit |
Hindscarth and the imposing Squat Knotts |
Hindscarth and Newlands |
The path leading over Narrow Moor |
Heading over the heather towards High Spy |
Grange Crags, King's How and Grange Fell |
A look back to Maiden Moor |
Dale Head and Hindscarth |
Eel Crags on High Spy; Great Gable stands proud in the background |
High Spy's large cairn |
Sporting some new shades and a war wound from the previous day |
Dale Head is a steep climb |
Dropping down to Wilson's Bield |
Newlands Beck |
Dale Head over Dalehead Tarn |
The impressive craggy face of High Spy |
A steep climb |
Further steepness |
Newlands |
The final bit of steepness |
As with High Spy, Dale Head is also marked by a tall cairn, this time teetering on the edge of the Dalehead Crags and Great Gable, the bold rocky face you can see in some previous photos. As you may have already concluded, Dale Head is the head of the dale, hence its name. Though only reaching 753m in height, Dale Head is also the high point of this walk. In addition to these exciting facts, it also marks a change in scenery as the mighty Scafells, the dramatic, craggy Buttermere fells and the small-yet-imposing Fleetwith Pike all come into view.
Dale Head and its large cairn |
The Scafells looking magnificent |
Hindscarth Crags |
Skiddaw |
Fleetwith Pike and Buttermere |
High Stile and Red Pike |
The undulating route to Hindscarth |
Newlands, Maiden Moor and High Spy |
A slow rise to the summit of Hindscarth |
An untidy summit |
In contrast to Hindscarth, Robinson has a fairly stiff climb to reach the top, this time along Littledale Edge. Not as difficult as Dale Head but still enough to require a couple of pauses on the way. My excuse is to take some photos but now you know the truth.
Leaving Hindscarth |
Littledale Edge |
A look back to the Honister Pass |
Another steep climb |
Looking to the summit of Robinson |
Another shelter caps the top |
Buttermere Moss |
Whiteless Pike, Grasmoor and Wandope |
Tramping across Buttermere Moss |
Robinson |
Keskadale |
Back to Buttermere Moss though, an extremely wet area of land between Robinson and its subsidiary top, High Snockrigg. Once again, to quote Wainwright, Buttermere Moss is "a wide marshy depression from which water cannot escape except by being carried away in the boots of pedestrians" . Never has a truer word been spoken. Fortunately for us, this isn't the 1950s and we live in a world of waterproof fabrics so we emerged at the top of Moss Force with dry feet, Buttermere disappearing behind us and Newlands Hause in our sights. What was also painfully obvious was just how steep Knott Rigg is from here, the next peak on our agenda.
Newlands Hause and Knott Rigg |
Moss Force |
Robinson Crags |
Another steep climb awaits |
Robinson and Keskadale |
The ridge of Knott Rigg |
A look back to High Snockrigg |
A small pile of stones on top of Knott Rigg |
Wandope and Sail Beck |
Crag Hill and Sail |
The ridge continues north east |
Wandope, Crag Hill, Sail and Ard Crags |
The heather covered Knott Rigg |
Wandope and Addacombe Hole |
A final climb for the day |
Ard Gill |
Ard Crags |
The summit of Ard Crags |
Causey Pike |
The vista from Ard Crags |
The full route for the day |
Scar Crags |
Birk Rigg |
Aikin Knott, a precursor to Ard Crags |
High Crags and Maiden Moor |
Newlands Church |
Newlands Church |
A sunny evening in store |
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