Place Fell

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Route: Patterdale, Side Farm, Boredale Hause, Steel Edge, Round How, Place Fell, Hart Crag, Low Moss, High Knott, Scalehow Beck, Silver Crag, Side Farm, Patterdale

Date: 22/07/2017
From: Patterdale

Parking: Patterdale
Start Point: Patterdale
Region: Eastern Fells

Route length: 7.4 miles (11.9 km)
Time taken: 03:39
Average speed: 2.0 mph
Ascent: 726m
Descent: 738m

Wainwrights on this walk:
Place Fell (657m)

Other Summits: None

Other points of interest: Chapel in the Hause, Ullswater

We arrived in the Lake District to a wall of water falling from the sky, true Cumbrian rain if ever it was. We had the advantage of an up-to-date weather forecast on our side however, things were due to brighten later in the day but signs weren't promising. We had time to peruse a couple of Glenridding's shops and sit for a leisurely coffee before making our way to Patterdale to being our hike up Place Fell.

Clouds obscure Birks

True to its word, almost as soon as we laced our boots, the rain stopped and the clouds very swiftly began to part. It was shaping up to be a fine afternoon.

Looking north along Patterdale

Clouds on Place Fell

We crossed the valley of Goldrill Beck to Side Farm to find the track which slopes up the hillside to Boredale Hause, a not-too-difficult ascent of around 200m. The clouds were still painting moody scenes across parts of the eastern, the Kirkstone Pass looking particularly ominous.

Looking towards Kirkstone from Rooking

Arnison Crag

Clouds over the Kirkstone Pass

Patterdale and Ullswater

Patterdale

The hause, an important pass between the isolated Martindale and Patterdale, bears the remains of an ancient chapel - marked on the map as 'Chapel in the Hause. It's an unlikely place for a chapel, supposedly built in the 5th century.

Place Fell from Boredale Hause

Chapel in the Hause

Boredale Hause from the path up Place Fell

From the hause, we began the steeper climb up Place Fell. The path is wide and easy to follow and the climbing, with a couple of short stops, doesn't take much time at all. A rocky gully at Round How provides a final flourish before you reach the main ridge towards the summit.

Boredale Hause and Patterdale

Climbing Place Fell

Round How

Angletarn Pikes

A short, rocky gully lies below Round How

The summit ridge is an exciting arc of high ground that leads to the high point of Place Fell's broad top. Place Fell is a complex mountain, consisting of a number of outcrops and intermediate summits, many of them considered to be separate peaks altogether. The highest point is marked by an OS pillar and provides a fine vantage point to survey to fells on the opposite side of Ullswater.

The top of Place Fell from Round How

Glenridding

Place Fell's summit

Helvellyn and Catstye Cam

The high fells above Patterdale

Glenridding Dodd and Sheffield Pike

Glenridding

Hart Side above Glencoyne

From the summit, a path cuts across the top of Hart Crag on its way towards the minor summit of High Dodd. However, we did not intend to climb this intermediate top, instead, swinging below it at Low Moss and continuing downhill alongside Low Beck until we met the main path between Sandwick and Patterdale - our return leg.

Looking north to the Vale of Eden

Beda Fell, The Nab and Rampsgill Head

The path into Low Moss, below High Dodd

Disused quarry buildings

Ullswater appears through the gap between Mortar Crag and High Dodd

Ullswater

One of the Ullswater Steamers on patrol

The lakeshore path from Sandwick to Patterdale was described by Wainwright as 'the most beautiful and rewarding walk in Lakeland'. Though the path is nice, I don't think it's as good as Wainwright makes out, I can think of a number of others that I would say are more beautiful and rewarding - the Corridor Route to Scafell Pike for instance.

Gowbarrow Fell

The lakeshore path at Long Crag

Rounding Silver Crag

The path undulates along the lakeside and does have lovely views, though most are saved until you make your way around Silver Crag. From here, the path returns to Side Farm, past the inviting tea room and back into Patterdale, concluding what had been a very rewarding outing, despite the rain-laden beginning.

Glencoyne

Patterdale

Ullswater and Patterdale

The memorial below Grey Crag

Birks and St. Sunday Crag

Arnison Crag and Birks