Thursday Walk - Wild Boar Fell (Garsdale to Kirkby Stephen) [Cumbria/Carlisle Trip] [New Walk]

Length: 23.3 km (14.5 mi) 

Ascent/Descent: 676/756m 

Net Walking Time: ca. 6  hours 

Toughness: 7 out of 10 

 

Take the 08.24 Leeds train from Carlisle, arrives Garsdale 09.33 (being an Off-Peak service, Senior Railcards are valid). 

Return trains: 17.04, 18.33 and 20.02 (56 minutes journey time). Buy a Garsdale return

 

This is a varied and scenic route in very remote countryside (home to curlews and golden plovers) along the westerly edges of the dramatic Mallerstang Valley and the bucolic Upper Eden Valley, and entirely within the enlarged Yorkshire Dales National Park. 

It starts at Garsdale, a very quiet station just beyond the watershed south of the Eden Valley and routes up the lonely Grisedale to the Yorkshire/Cumbria boundary on Grisedale Common. You then follow the long, mildly undulating ridge (mostly with a discernible path and always with either fence or wall nearby) up to Swarth Fell and through a dip further on to Wild Boar Fell. 

From the two hills, you have very fine views (weather permitting): west to the Howgill Fells and the Lake District, north down the Mallerstang and Upper Eden Valleys to the North Pennines and east across to Mallerstang Edge and the watershed between the Rivers Eden and Ure, as well as south to the Yorkshire Dales. 

You visit the enigmatic ancient stone cairns on the easterly scarp of the plateau and then descend gently along the scarp above Mallerstang and to the River Eden. 

A short out-and-back to the romantic ruin of Pendragon Castle (as per the legend: built by King Arthur’s father) is followed by a bucolic stretch along the Eden through commons and pastures to Kirkby Stephen Station.

An optional out-and-back to a nearby pub and/or a loop through Kirkby Stephen with its refreshment options and sights help bridging any waiting time for one of the infrequent trains.

Walk Options:

An Extension Loop in the morning leads further up Grisedale to Round Ing and back to pick up the A Pennine Journey Long-Distance Path at Flust (map-led, add 1.1 km and 20m ascent). 

Omit the out-and-back to Pendragon Castle ruins (cut 1.1 km).  

An out-and-back to The Black Bull pub in Nateby, just before the end of the walk (add 1.2 km). 

A loop to and through Kirkby Stephen at the end of the walk past many tea places and sights (add 5.0 km and 70m ascent).

 

Lunch: Picnic. 

Tea: The Black Bull in Nateby (600m off route 2.3 km from the end of the walk, open and food served from 17.00). Plenty of options in Kirkby Stephen (add 5.0 km).

 

For walk directions, map, height profile, photos and gpx/kml files click here. t=swc.417

Cumbria Trip (Eden Valley and Hadrian’s Wall) – up to 6 nights with 6 walks: 30/08/23 (Arrival Day) to 05/09/23

Carlisle is the natural base for these walks, as all trains and buses used depart from there. Frequent trains and buses get us to and from the Hadrian Wall walks, while the trains for the Eden Valley Walks are less frequent, but all three walks finish in towns with plentiful tea and dinner options to while away any waiting time. Carlisle goes to sleep relatively early (last food orders are mostly at 21.00 hrs), so after long walks it may be best to dine before going back to Carlisle. 

There are many Roman Museums and ticketed Roman Forts to visit on any off-days you may want to take, in Carlisle or Corbridge they are in walkable distance from the stations, and several others are located between Haltwhistle and Hexham, and those are all linked by Bus Line AD122 shuttling between the train stations.  

 

Note: as always with these long-range postings - trackworks on the train lines (mostly happening over the weekends) can throw the whole thing into turmoil, and this schedule would then have to change

 

Draft Walk Schedule

It starts with the least exciting (but scenic) of the three Hadrian’s Wall Walks, followed by the furthest and remotest of the three Eden Valley walks, then the three core walks that cannot really be missed (in my opinion). The High Cup Nick walk has to be on the Sunday, as it’s the only day the MoD Range is open and the Extended Version is doable. The toughest walk sits at the end, so punters can cut it out easily.

The Hadrian’s Wall walks will take longer than you would think going just by length and ascent data, as there is lots to look at, read and take in.

 

Note: the walk files are nearly ready to go on the website, but not quite. It will be late June/early July before that happens.

 

 

31/08/23 (Thu) – Hexham to Corbridge (via Hadrian’s Wall) [both Carlisle – Newcastle Railway]

21.6 km/13.4 mi, 356/358m, 5/10. Picnic lunch but Errington Coffee House en route, lots of choice in Corbridge. No shortcuts other than rare buses up to Acomb or down from Errington Coffee House.

Ascent via Acomb and Fallowfield to Planetrees. Turn east along the stretch with the fewest Roman era remains (of the three walked on this trip). Sights: very good and long piece of wall, showing evidence of the change from Broad Wall to Narrow Wall; route passes wooden cross and St. Oswald’s Church near Heaven Field, site of a 7^th century battle (Christian Northumbria vs Pagan Welsh); good evidence of the Vallum, Wall mostly buried under the B6318 though; some wall platforms at milecastle 24; Halton Chesters/Hunnum Fort just grassy mounds. But some fine scenery. Descent via historic Halton Castle and Aydon Castle to picturesque Corbridge.

SWC 413 f: https://www.walkingclub.org.uk/walk/hadrians-wall-path-core-section/

 

01/09/23 (Fri) – Wild Boar Fell (Garsdale to Kirkby Stephen) [both Settle – Carlisle Railway]

23.3 km/14.5 mi), 676/756m, 8/10. Picnic lunch. No shortcuts.

Gentle Ridge with splendid views above the remote Mallerstang Common valley, then walk down into the Upper Eden Valley and to Pendragon Castle. Follow riverside paths and pastures to Kirkby Stephen.

SWC 417: https://www.walkingclub.org.uk/walk/wild-boar-fell/

 

02/09/23 (Sat) – Brampton to Greenhead or Haltwhistle (via Hadrian’s Wall) [Bus Carlisle – Brampton, return via bus from Greenhead or Carlisle – Newcastle Railway from Haltwhistle]

19.3 km/12.0 mi or 29.0 km/18.0 mi, 303/286m or 466/478m, 4/10 or 7/10. Cafés at Lanercost Priory and at Birdoswald, pubs and cafés in Gilsland and Greenhead, café in Walltown Country Park, lots of choice in Haltwhistle. Shortcuts via bus lines 685 (in Greenhead) or AD122.

Ascent via Brampton Ridge, Quarry Beck Wood and Lanercost Priory. Turn east along 2^nd best stretch of the HWP. Pastures with some woods, mildly undulating apart from the steep crossings of the Banks Burn and the River Irthing. Sights: fine traces of the Vallum and the turf wall, some signal towers and turret bases, the highest surviving piece of wall (only short and partly rebuilt though), Birdoswald/Banna Fort (ticketed, but can be seen from the path), Willowford Bridge = the stranded bridge (the river has changed course), some fine bits of wall, then Milecastle 48 at Gilsland, the best-preserved of all. East of Greenhead: Thirlwall Castle ruin (built from Wall stone), Walltown Crags and Great Chesters Fort (earth works and wall remnants) to Haltwhistle Burn. Descent along Haltwhistle Burn through a magnificent wooded gorge into the ‘Centre of Britain’ (Haltwhistle’s marketing pitch).

SWC 413 a or b: https://www.walkingclub.org.uk/walk/hadrians-wall-path-core-section/

 

03/09/23 (Sun) – High Cup Nick (Appleby-in-Westmoreland Circular) [both Settle – Carlisle Railway]

23.9 km/14.8 mi, 748m, 8/10. Picnic lunch (with THAT view). Minor shortcuts possible for a 7/10 walk. Massive shortcuts possible, but need car shuttle or taxis. Tough variation possible through MoD Warcop Range and down Scordale for a 10/10 walk.

One of the finest natural features in Northern England, without difficult route finding or pathless terrain.

SWC 415: https://www.walkingclub.org.uk/walk/high-cup-nick/

 

04/09/23 (Mon) – Bardon Mill to Haltwhistle (via Hadrian’s Wall) [both Carlisle – Newcastle Railway]

18.3 km/11.4 mi, 438/411m, 5/10. Plenty of refreshment options of all kinds on the route or just off it, lots of choice in Haltwhistle. Shortcuts via bus line AD122.

Ascent via Thorngrafton Common or Vindolanda Fort (ticketed) to Housesteads Fort. Turn west along the best stretch of HWP. Description (in reverse, ie west to east): steady ascent to the highest point on the HWP, at Winshield Crags, followed by undulating route along a steady line of crags, with dramatic views north across commons and moors, as well as to the south across pastures. Sights: the famous ‘Sycamore Gap’ with the ‘Robin Hood Tree’, Crag Lough, Housesteads/Vercovicium Fort (interior ticketed but can be walked around). High presence of Roman structures due to the remoteness of the area and its inaccessibility for the ‘recycling’ of rocks in farms, roads, ecclesiastical and private buildings. Descent along Haltwhistle Burn through a magnificent wooded gorge into the ‘Centre of Britain’ (Haltwhistle’s marketing pitch).

SWC 413 c (in reverse): https://www.walkingclub.org.uk/walk/hadrians-wall-path-core-section/

 

05/09/23 (Tue) – Cross Fell and Great Dun Fell (Langwathby to Appleby-in-Westmoreland) [both Settle – Carlisle Railway]

33.0 km/20.5 mi, 1048/999m, 10/10. Picnic lunch. Massive shortcuts possible, but need car shuttle or taxis from/to train stations. Minor shortcut and minor extension off the ridge described.

The highest English mountains outside the Lake District. Navigation relatively straight forward, even in bad weather (the tops are often in clouds).

SWC 414: https://www.walkingclub.org.uk/walk/cross-fell-and-great-dun-fell/