Arthur’s Pike and Bonscale Pike
Walk date – 28th September 2026
Distance – 8.7 miles
Weather – dry and sunny, fair weather cloud, light breeze at height
Up here in Cumbria for most of September it has been very windy with lots of low cloud and showery rain, which is not the best of weathers for fell walking. Today promised to be rather better so we decided to pay a call on Arthur’s Pike and Bonscale Pike, as we said we would on our walk to Loadpot Hill in June of this year. We started out with clear blue sky, although little by little fair weather cloud drifted across, and it wasn’t until we were on the summits of both fells that the light breeze made its presence known. A few walkers were around today but these are fells which have spread themselves out and they have many paths across them so, although we kept seeing people walking in the distance, we hardly ever crossed paths with them.
Route
Off road parking at Helton – Moor Divock – Ketley Gate – Cockpit stone circle – Roman Road path – Arthur’s Pike – Swarth beck crossing – Bonscale Pike – Arthur’s Pike – White Knott route – Aik Beck – Cockpit stone circle – Ketley Gate – Moor Divock – off road parking at Helton
We arrived at the off road parking area above Helton village to find the place filled with a herd of grazing fell ponies. As soon as we emerged from the car we were surrounded by inquisitive young ponies who were attempting to see what was inside it. I had only just opened the front passenger door prior to getting out when one of the ponies poked its head around the door and began snuffling around. J had to tap it lightly on its nose before it would move away. As the photo shows I managed to get out of the car, get the camera and take the above shot. By which time they were back again for a rummage round, and they left their snuffle marks all over the car.
While J was attempting to shoo them away from the car so we could get our packs out I took a few shots of the rest of the herd ….
….. it was a big herd and probably consisted of two to three dozen ponies and their foals.
Gradually the ponies ahead of us began to move further down the slope and the ones behind us began to follow them. We were only then able to get our packs out of the car free of inquisitive but friendly young ponies.
We began walking across Moor Divock by our usual route and pretty soon Blencathra popped up on the skyline …..
….. and by the time we had reached Ketley Gate we also had views of the two Mell Fells over on the left. Behind them is Blencathra with some of the other Northern fells spreading out along the skyline.
From Ketley Gate we turned left and headed over to The Cockpit stone circle. From the path we had this view of Clough Head (R) and the Dodds. During the walk over to Ketley Gate the fair weather cloud began arriving so from time to time we were in their shadow as they drifted across the sun.
Beyond the stone circle we turned off onto the course of the old Roman road, rather too soon as it turned out and spent the next fifteen minutes or so tramping, and wobbling in my case, over some very rough and uneven ground, but we eventually reached it and gradually made our way up. Here’s a view of the boundary stone and Loadpot Hill from a brief stop.
Just opposite the boundary stone was this path through a patch of heather, some of which was still in flower, and as we were heading for Arthur’s Pike, up there on the skyline, we decided to use it. Somewhere in the middle, between this point and Arthur’s Pike, the path disappeared and we had another few minutes of walking pathless over very rough ground again. Eventually a path appeared and we made our way over to …..
….. the summit cairn on Arthur’s Pike where a cool but light breeze was blowing. Jackets went back on! The summit cairn always seems to be arranged differently every time we are up here. Sometimes its just a heap of stones, small or large depending on who or what has had a go at re-arranging it, today it looked flatter and more rounded. Definitely the work of human hands I think, and not the weather.
Looking towards the Pooley Bridge end of Ullswater from the summit cairn. The view of Ullswater is a little truncated from the cairn thanks to all the various humps and bumps of the fell itself.
Setting off along the path to Bonscale Pike which is the darker fell behind. The skyline isn’t very well defined but Saint Sunday Crag and parts of the Helvellyn range can be seen towards the right hand skyline.
More of Bonscale Pike comes into view as we begin to drop down the slope. Hallin Fell and Place Fell are also in view behind Bonscale Pike.
The view ahead as we continue dropping down to the Swarth beck crossing
The sheepfold beside the crossing at Swarth beck. We had a sunny spell at this point fortunately, otherwise it might have looked a bit dreary, as it often does. Its quite a wet place being a beck crossing but …..
….. as we dropped down to the beck we saw that stepping stones had been installed across the beck. Wow, a bit of luxury for a change! The mudfest on the opposite banks had no such luxury and to avoid it we took to the grassy sides. Despite that we still ended up with muddy boots! There’s only a short section of walking to do now before we reach …..
….. this view of the summit cairn on Bonscale Pike, so we just followed the path round the humps until we reached it …..
….. and here it is, perched high above Ullswater, and from where there are some fabulous views.
Looking north-eastwards along Ullswater towards Pooley Bridge at the far end. At that point Ullswater narrows, squeezes itself under the road bridge at Pooley and from then on becomes the river Eamont.
I dropped down a short way from the cairn to another hump on Bonscale knowing that there would be a good view of Hallin Fell and the jetty at Howtown. Just as I reached it a cloud cleared the sun and the whole thing lit up like a Christmas tree. Wow, first the stepping stones and then a spell of sunshine on the view I wanted, must be our lucky day!
Back up on Bonscale Pike now and jutting out on the opposite side of the water is Skelly Nab. Over on the right are the two Mell fells and on the skyline behind them is the Skiddaw group, on the extreme left, with Blencathra and the rest of the Northern group of fells strung out along the skyline,
Hallin Fell gets a shady side but everything else is in sunshine, even the Howtown jetty.
The hillside and fields below are also in a cloud’s shadow, everything else is in sunshine.
A general view across Ullswater as we were leaving Bonscale Pike.
As we were descending towards Swarth beck we decided against returning via the path we had arrived on, i.e. the lower one of the three paths visible, and decided we’d take the middle one back to Arthur’s Pike instead. I think the upper one is the Roman road between Loadpot Hill and The Cockpit stone circle.
A look back at Bonscale Pike and the old sheepfold beside Swarth Beck as we climbed up to the middle path. As the photo shows once Swarth beck and its surrounding mudfest has been crossed there isn’t much more walking to do, it might look steep but it really isn’t.
We returned to Arthur’s Pike and chose the White Knott route for our descent back to the stone circle track. The shot shows just how much space the whole fell occupies, no wonder there is a multitude of pathways over it.
Its downhill all the way now with an ever changing and, courtesy of the fair weather cloud, dappled view of Heughscar Hill. The range of hills on the skyline is the North Pennines which are looking a bit gloomy at the moment.
On the flatter land ahead is Penrith which is getting its share of the sunlight too, as is the hill directly below us.
Passing White Knott’s cairn, if you want to visit it you have to do a very short out and back as the path we’re on simply diverts directly to it.
Descending the White Knott path with a very dappled scene in front of us.
On the descent to Aik beck now and the two black specks to the left of the path are a couple of walkers taking a break. They were rummaging in their packs as we passed and may have been looking for drinks as it was quite warm now. Little by little during our descent we had removed our jackets, at one point I was down to a t-shirt and bare arms.
Not much water in Aik beck, despite all the rain, so it was straight through and on up the slope.
I didn’t take any more shots until we reached The Cockpit, or the stone circle which is the alternative name for it. Nobody around when we reached it but we could see plenty of people in the distance walking the various pathways.
Back on the track across Moor Divock where the bracken has gone over and turned its usual shade of brown (hooray!) and where we came face to face with the herd of fell ponies again. At least they weren’t all crowded together as they were at the beginning of our walk …..
….. and J made friends with the brown pony which had been busy looking into his car, and snuffling all over it, at the start of our walk. Its pal, the black one, was too occupied with eating grass to approach him. The walk back to the car was uneventful although at the point we turned off this path we did see a group of chaps, who had just appeared at the junction, waiting for the one consulting the map to inform them which direction they needed to go. We would have helped had we been asked, but we weren’t and so we didn’t impose. Heaven forbid that a chap out with his mates should ask for directions, and better not to interfere unless asked. We carried on back to the car (no ponies anywhere) and sank into the seats, grateful to have somewhere comfy to relax in after a nearly nine mile walk, before making the shortish drive back home. Fantastic weather today and, after seemingly endless dull grey days, good to be out walking again.