Branthwaite, Knott, Lingy Hut, High Pike, Fell Side, Cumbria
[15.9 km] Wed 09 Jun 2010

NY 2858 3702
The sky was totally overcast when I arrived at Green Head. The short stretch of tarmac road to Holborn was in a fairly bad state, probably due to the winter frosts. When the tarmac ended the original un-surfaced track continued. It is also part of the Cumbria Way, the low-level alternative to going over the high fells. Earlier I’d seen the farmer on his quad bike heading along the track and as I approached the ford at Charleton Wath he’d stopped by a large pile of hedge cuttings and general garden rubbish which had been dumped on the track.

He said it must have happened overnight and this sort of occurrence was rare in these parts. He set off back down the track and I set off up the fell towards Loglands Fell following the track by Charleton Gill. The river is in a deep gorge and some recent planting has taken place on the opposite side. Things looked gloomy ahead. The slight drizzle now turned to rain and before long I was in cloud and wouldn’t see anything for several hours. Fortunately the track was easy to follow all the way to Little Sca Fell. A small cairn marked the summit and a faint path continued to Great Sca Fell then on to Knott. The wind was now very strong so I didn’t want to hang around in the rain so pressed on east towards Grainsgill Beck. This length of path is usually quite boggy but there hasn’t been any substantial rain for weeks so today it’s not too bad.

Down the last steep bit I crossed the beck and set off along the path towards Lingy Hut. This was to be my lunch stop and was the only shelter for miles. Soon the outline of the hut appeared out of the mist. When I got there I quickly slid the two bolts back on the door to get inside and shelter from the wind and rain. Inside was clean and tidy as it always seems to be when I call. The dark and gloom didn’t matter as I sat there eating my sandwiches and finishing off my flask of coffee. I left he hut as I’d found it and continued along the track towards High Pike. In thick mist the minor branch path to the summit isn’t that obvious and I find it surprising that two more substantial paths go round the hill and not over it.

Lingy Hut interior, a cosy shelter from the rain

On the summit I had a quick look at the information plate which shows the directions of various features if you could see them. It is mounted on the trig point column. I continued over the summit to descent by the minor path and pick up the main path down towards Caldbeck. In the area of old mine workings I took a track to the west which I hadn’t walked before. It was quite substantial and must have been a communication route for the various abandoned mine workings across Deer Hills. Descending Hay Knott I had a look at the covered reservoir which had the name plate W. C. W. B. HAYKNOTT RESERVOIR 1965. Descending to the service track to the old Roughtengill mine workings I came out of the cloud and had a view of the valley below. Following the track down I came to Fellside Farm and joined the minor road through Branthwaite and back to Green Head. Approaching Branthwaite is the old school which is now a private house on the wall is CALDBECK SCHOOL BOARD A.D. 1975. The children must have had quite a walk to get there.