Birks Fell and Arnison Crag
Walk date – 24th April 2025
Distance – 5.75 miles
Weather – dry and sunny with fair weather cloud and a light, and cool, easterly breeze
The forecast for today had been looking good for several days but after seeing the grey cloud cover above us this morning we began to have second thoughts. However the forecast had mentioned that the sunnier weather would be over in the west so we decided to drive over to Patterdale and see what conditions were like there. As we drove towards Pooley Bridge our hopes were raised by the sight of blue skies and fair weather cloud and by the time we reached Patterdale the weather had changed considerably. The grey cloud cover we had seen at home was now behind us, even though we had travelled a little less than twenty miles to the west, with fair weather cloud and blue sky above us. Whatever the forecasters meant by ‘west’ today turned out to only involve driving a few miles in that direction to take advantage of a good weather day. Today’s route map looks rather like a squashed pair of specs or a length of rope with a noose at both ends and how that came about will eventually become apparent.
Route
Patterdale cricket ground car park – Patterdale village – path behind the Patterdale Hotel – path beside Arnison Crag – Trough Head – col between Birks and Saint Sunday Crag – Birks – Trough Head – Arnison Crag – path around cricket ground back to car park
From the cricket ground parking area we walked via the path around St Patrick’s church and into Patterdale village. When we reached the Patterdale Hotel we walked around the back of the hotel to pick up the path through Glenamara Park which eventually leads to the gateway in the photo above. We didn’t go through either of the gates shown but turned left on reaching them and began our climb up beside Arnison Crag. Birks Fell is in view beyond the gate and that’s where we’re heading for first. On reaching the gate we divested ourselves of unnecessary layers as its a steep climb and a warm morning with not much breeze. We also got out the walking poles, every little helps as the saying goes! As we stood by the double gate in the above shot doing all of the above we noticed that passing through it led, via a gently inclining path, directly back to the cricket ground and its parking area thus avoiding a walk through the village. We decided to use that direct path back to the car on our return.
Meanwhile we set off up the steep path alongside the wall and began making our way up to the col below Arnison Crag. The section between the gates and the col is very steep but the view of Ullswater and its surroundings behind walkers, should they happen to turn around as they pause to give leg muscles a rest and to get their breath back, is magnificent, and especially so on a good weather day such as today.
Another look back as we reach Oxford Crag where on the way up we had noticed a solo walker standing on the top. As we walked up, although staggered would be a more appropriate word, we noticed that he eventually donned a hard hat/helmet and began uncoiling a length of rope so he was obviously preparing to do a spot of rock climbing or rock descending given that he was already on top of the rocks. By the time we wandered across to the viewpoint, out of shot on the right, he had disappeared into the rocks below us. Meanwhile a section of rope attached to a winch would have been handy for us as we continued on up the path.
The viewpoint on Oxford Crag and …..
….. a view over Glenamara Park while there was something more or less level to stand on. The cloud between Sheffield Pike (R) and Birkhouse Moor (L) was obscuring any view of what lay beyond the pair of them.
We reached the col below Arnison Crag but decided that we would go up to the summit on our way back as its only a very short climb which looks far worse than it really is from down here.
No view of the High Street range at the moment as I looked over towards Hartsop and its surrounding fells. Its possible that the bank of cloud is what greeted us this morning as we live to the east of the High Street range. All we can see at present are Brock Crags (L), Gray Crag and Thornthwaite Crag (C) and Hartsop Dodd (R) and they are also looking somewhat murky.
As we made our way from the col below the accepted summit of Arnison Crag I took this shot of the actual summit, which is only higher by a few feet/ metres, than the accepted one but which doesn’t have as good a view as it is some distance away …..
….. and this is the view back towards the accepted summit and Place Fell as we followed the path around it.
A view of Birks above Black Crag as we made our way over to Trough Head …..
….. followed by a view of Gavel Pike and the summit of Saint Sunday Crag.
As we followed the path above Trough Head we noticed that the cloud bank to the east had drifted away which resulted in revealing of part of the long ridge between Loadpot Hill and High Raise. The two obvious tops in the centre of the shot are the north and south tops of Angletarn Pikes.
The path we had been followed gradually disappeared so we had to continue up to the col between Birks and Saint Sunday Crag over some very rough and uneven ground above Cold Cove. J thought that he had missed a turn off from the path we had been using somewhere along the way and I had been too busy taking photos to notice so the usual ankle and back muscle problems soon made their presence felt. By way of compensation we did have some fabulous views of Gavel Pike and Saint Sunday Crag, the shot above being one of them.
Another interesting view was this of Lord’s Seat on the left of Gavel Pike. This was a close up shot as we weren’t as close to Coldcove Gill as it appears.
At last a skyline view of High Raise (L), Rampsgill Head (C) and High Street (R) now that the cloud bank has rolled back even further. It also seems to be breaking up a little. Also clearer to see now are Rest Dodd, just below High Raise, and The Knott which is just below Rampsgill Head.
Still crossing the rough ground with a look over to my right for a skyline view of Birks.
We eventually joined up with the missing path when I spotted a wide green path over to the right of where we were walking so for the last 200 yards or so we had a well trodden path underfoot. Ankles and back muscles began to stop complaining. On reaching the always soggy col we scouted around for somewhere suitable to have a coffee break. While we were looking we saw a group of three walkers crossing the marshy ground heading for the path through the series of outcrops on Saint Sunday Crag. Visitors to the area we supposed, judging by the large transparent map case one of them had dangling from across the shoulders, and the white spot visible on the first set of outcrops is the t-shirt of one of them. They had two dogs with them and their respective leads seemed to have become entangled resulting in a few minutes spent untangling them. After that we concentrated on our coffee break and subsequently lost sight of them.
After our break I crossed the pathways over the col to this small grassy mound for this shot looking back to Ullswater. Beyond the water is Gowbarrow Fell with Little Mell Fell right behind it, over on the right is Place Fell, and over to the left is Glenridding Dodd. The lone fell on the left skyline is Great Mell Fell.
Turning to my left for this fabulous view of the Helvellyn group across Grisedale. Below them, and immediately below the huge basin of Nethermost Cove, is Eagle Crag the site of a former mining area. A walk through Grisedale is one we’ve taken many times and can often be more interesting than the walk across the tops of Dollywaggon, Nethermost and Helvellyn.
The top of Catstycam was just visible above the beginning of the Striding Edge route up to Helvellyn with a little of the latter showing over on the left.
After our coffee break we climbed up the path from the col and started out on the crossing of Birks. In the distance are two walkers standing on one of the humps and bumps making up Birks, we were to meet up with them later as we crossed over.
There was a fine view of Saint Sunday Crag as I took a look back as we started out …..
….. and a lovely view of the Helvellyn group and the grassy mound I stood on to take the previous shot of them. The clouds looked wonderful today as they slowly drifted across the fells and cast ever changing shadows over the landscape below. We eventually met up with the two walkers previously mentioned who were Tiffany and Gillian accompanied by Gillian’s dog Cosmo, all from Carlisle. They had recognised us from this website and we spent quite a while chatting to them about fell walking and routes, in particular Saint Sunday Crag which they were about to walk up, and this and that in general. At one point Cosmo looked up at Gillian as if requesting something so she put a hand in her pocket, tossed something to him which he caught immediately without any difficulty, his feet never even left the ground. They took a photo with us included before we parted company with them but I forgot to ask to take one of them so I kept looking back and took the following one when they re-appeared …..
….. and there they are, making their way over to begin their ascent of Saint Sunday Crag. It might need a zoom in to see them clearly although even with that it will be difficult to make out any detail. After checking the original photo the one on the right is Tiffany, who was identifiable from her long blonde hair. Nice meeting you ladies and we hope you had a pleasant walk up Saint Sunday Crag and arrived back in Carlisle safely.
After our meeting with Gillian and Tiffany, and I hope that I’ve spelled their names correctly because I didn’t remember to ask how they were spelled, we carried on over to to the summit cairn on Birks with Place Fell in the background. From the summit I took my usual look around at what we could see around us …..
….. prominent on the skyline is Red Screes with Middle Dodd just below it and St Raven’s Edge over on its left. The fell stretching across the middle foreground is Hartsop above How …..
….. a little further to the left for this shot of Caudale Moor with Thornthwaite Crag on the extreme left …..
….. a little further to the left shows the extensive plateau of High Street below which is Gray Crag …..
….. and even further to the left is High Raise (L) and Rampsgill Head (R).
We descended Birks via the collapsed wall for part of the way before leaving it and taking to the green path over on the left. Before we left the wall path we stopped and had a longish chat with a husband and wife team who were out enjoying the sunshine. I didn’t ask their names so my apologies for referring to you anonymously and hope you had a very pleasant walk. Nice to meet you both.
Once down off Birks we followed the path up from Trough Head leading us back to Arnison Crag. On the way I noticed that this morning’s cloud bank had gone from between Birkhouse Moor and Sheffield Pike and we were now able to see the fells which lay beyond those two fells, those being Green Side, White Stones and Stybarrow Dodd.
We arrived back at the col below Arnison Crag and climbed the short path up to the top from where we had a view of Hartsop above How and some of the fells behind it which have already been identified.
We had a very sunny view of Hartsop Dodd, Stony Cove Pike, Caudale Moor and St Raven’s Edge beyond Hartsop above How …..
….. a view down to Hartsop Village and its surrounding fells …..
….. and an equally sunny view of Angletarn Pikes and Brock Crags across Patterdale …..
….. and finally the cracking view from the summit crags along Ullswater and its surroundings.
We descended along the path by the wall with a view of the the waters of Ullswater reflecting the blue of the sky all the way down. J takes a look behind him to see what I’m doing.
Almost back down to Oxford Crag and its viewpoint …..
….. and when we reached it there was a group below it being instructed about rock climbing, safety and everything else that goes along with climbing activities. The cricket ground and its pavilions are clear to see as is the parking area beneath the shade of the trees. The gate and the path leading to it which I mentioned earlier is not very far away now.
Once we had dropped below Oxford Crag there was just a short length of path left to walk along before we were by the gates I mentioned at the beginning of today’s walk. We passed through the double gate onto a path which took us down a very gentle incline and to the path around the cricket field. One wicket had its covers on and this coming Saturday 26th April the Patterdale first XI will be playing Nunwick Cricket Club first XI starting at 2.00 pm. The Nunwick team are also a local side and are based in the Eden Valley. Who do you support when you live close by both areas?
This last shot shows what must surely be the shortest and lowest footbridge ever built. It made me smile because it was so cute and whimsical. It was at the junction of the path we were on with a different one going in another direction and only a couple of minutes walk from the car parking area. Its obviously spanning a constantly damp patch of ground so someone has thoughtfully provided a solution to the problem of muddy shoes/boot/paws for anyone local who is out walking the dog or for any walkers using the path to make their way over to the higher fells. After all, you don’t want to start a walk with muddy boots, do you?