Dove Crag and Hart Crag
Walk date – 24th April 2026
Distance – 8 miles
Weather – sunny and very warm, hardly any breeze
The current spell of warm and wind free weather tempted us out onto the higher fells today and, despite one or two ‘iffy’ moments, we had a thoroughly enjoyable walk. We had been hoping all week that the good weather would hold and that it wouldn’t have decided to revert to type by the time Friday came around which it didn’t. Apparently it is set to remain sunny and warm over the weekend too so there’ll be a lot more people walking the fells than we saw today.
Route
Lay-by above Brotherswater Inn – Caiston Glen – Scandale Pass – Black Brow – Dove Crag – Hart Crag – Descent path via Houndshope Cove – Hartsop Hall – Settlement – path below High Hartsop Dodd – field path back to lay-by above Brotherswater Inn
Looking across to Caiston Glen between Middle Dodd (L) and the slopes of High Hartsop Dodd (R) from the Kirkstone Pass. It looks as though a slight frost has covered the ground in the shadow of Caudale Moor.
The route of the path across the frosty grass has changed since we first used it many moons ago, and to begin with we made for the little bridges across Caiston beck using the route we remembered. When we saw fencing where there was once a bridge we realised what must have happened and searched around for another route. We spotted a path first, then noticed the bridge, put two and together and here we are, ready to cross the frosty planks of the small boardwalk, then head over to the bridge and begin making our way over to where we want to be. We were impatient to get there too because it was very chilly in all that shade.
From the bridge in the previous picture we followed the path to a new bridge with handgates at either end of it and once across we climbed a small hill up to the Caiston Glen path. It was great to be in the sunlight and once we had warmed up again our jackets and mid-layers came off. Here’s a look back to Place Fell (L), Angletarn Pikes with just a part of Brock Crags, which was obliterated by the great bulk of Caudale Moor, as we progressed up Caiston Glen.
I restrained myself from taking shot after shot of the various waterfalls in Caiston beck but it wouldn’t be a walk up Caiston Glen without at least one waterfall, would it?
I also thought this rock formation and the beck cascading over it was worthy of inclusion
The path kept disappearing on us and J’s hip was giving him some problems along the route too so our progress up to Scandale Pass was slow and steady with plenty of stops to allow his hip a bit of a rest. At this point there wasn’t much further to go before it could have a ten minute respite.
Once we were up at the pass we had a ten minute rest and refreshment stop by the wall. the shot above shows the superfluous ladder stile and Little Hart Crag.
Suitably refreshed and the aching hip rested we set off again and climbed the path going over to Little Hart Crag. On the left of the skyline is the tall and well made cairn on High Beckstones, it will need a zoom in to see it though. See our walks of 2013 and 2016 for photos of it.
Passing Scandale Tarn as we climb. The two peaks above are Low Pike (L) and High Pike (R).
Following the path up to Little Hart Crag. We didn’t visit it today so we didn’t follow the path across …..
….. although its not a difficult climb and there are a couple of pretty tarns up there, but we’ve been up there several times and we wanted to save our energy for the climbs up Dove Crag and Hart Crag.
From the same spot I turned around and took a shot of Red Screes as well.
From the top of the climb we now have to drop down and walk across Black Brow, a walk we’ve usually done after dropping down from Dove Crag. Today it will be the other way round!
As we started climbing I took a look back towards Little Hart Crag (C) with Caudale Moor to the left of it and Red Screes to its right.
From a ‘get your breath back’ pause a look at what’s on display behind us. The skyline view, from left to right, is of High Raise, Rampsgill Head, Kidsty Pike and High Street. The middle foreground is occupied by Gray Crag with The Knott just behind it, in front of them is Hartsop Dodd and the long sweep over to Stony Cove Pike.
A little higher now and a look across Hartsop above How towards Place Fell (C) and the two tops of Angletarn Pikes (R).
The tops of Froswick, Ill Bell and a little bit of Yoke began to appear behind Red Screes.
We’re climbing up the Dove Crag path so I asked J how his hip was doing but apparently it was giving him no trouble at that moment. However, my back troubles were only just starting!
A view down to Brothers Water and the green fields of Patterdale during the climb up.
We finally reached the plateau area below Dove Crag where I could stand upright again and give the back muscles a breather. The peak below us is High Pike which has a great view of Windermere below it. Beyond Windermere is Morecambe Bay and over on the right is Coniston Water. We could just about make out the sea in the distance but it doesn’t show up at all in the shot.
We’ve reached the path between Dove Crag and High Pike where the Coniston Fells were on view and so were all the others along the skyline …..
….. starting with the pointed top of Harter Fell (Eskdale) on the left which is followed by Pike O”Blisco, Little Stand, Stonesty Pike, Crinkle Crags and Bowfell …..
….. coming after Bowfell are the Scafells and Great End …..
….. opposite Great End is Great Gable (with Glaramara just below it) and Pillar, while Great Rigg, immediately opposite us, blocks out any other fells except the High Stile ridge above Buttermere over on the distant right.
In the gap between Great Rigg and Fairfield are Dale Head and the flat top of Robinson.
This shot would have featured a solo walker but by the time I’d finished taking the previous shot he’d disappeared round the corner. I might not have a rear view of him but I know where he was going as this path is referred to by AW as ‘the easiest mile in Lakeland”. In other words it leads walkers from Dove Crag down to High Pike.
However, we’re going in the opposite direction so we’d better get a move on.
Dove Crag’s summit cairn on its rocky plinth …..
….. and a look back at Windermere and Morecambe Bay from the summit cairn.
From Dove Crag we carried on over to Hart Crag where the path becomes much stonier. The fell to the left is Fairfield which we didn’t visit today.
The summit cairn on Hart Crag with a view of Saint Sunday Crag over on the right. The chap in the dark coloured top in the centre of the shot walked up Hart Crag as nonchalantly as if he was walking to the shops, followed by the female in the red top, with the silver haired third member of the party bringing up the rear. He stopped many times to take photos and when I took the shot he was somewhere over on the right taking another one. They looked to be descending via the Hartsop above How route.
On the extreme left is the summit area of Fairfield and to the right are the Helvellyn group of fells.
There’s a good view of Saint Sunday Crag from Hart Crag, especially on a day like today. Sun’s out, no clouds, and, when it can be bothered to stir the air, only a very light breeze.
From the spiky peak of Hart Crag a look down towards Hartsop above How and a look across at all the fells on the far side of Patterdale. We’ve even got a view of the Northern Pennines on the far side of the Eden Valley. Absolutely wonderful views today.
Before starting the descent we stopped up here and took a refreshment break with this view of Dove Crag below us. It wasn’t crowded today but we seemed to get moments when several walkers were around all at once which were followed by times when there was no-one around but the two of us.
A look over Great Rigg towards the Coniston Fells and I wondered how many walkers were still making their way up Great Rigg, looking forward to rounding Fairfield, dropping down into Link Hause before climbing up Hart Crag and then realising they were more than halfway round the Fairfield Horseshoe.
After our refreshment break we started our descent with a last look at all the distant fells …..
….. and a look back at the rocky slopes of Hart Crag. We had decided to return via the Houndshope Cove route so we followed the marker cairns to pick up our descent path.
The view ahead as we reach the path, where a solo walker dressed in dark clothing is on the same path but quite a distance ahead of us, and begin our descent …..
….. passing the menacing crags below Dove Crag.
Looking back at Hart Crag from the isolated boulder …..
….. with a look up towards the Priest Hole as we passed below it. The descent route became rather more formidable from this point and at some points the stepped path became almost vertical. At such points we resorted to five points of contact which slowed us down a bit but on the plus side we did get down safely. We wondered how the walker ahead of us had managed this part of the descent. When we were back home we looked at the route we had taken when we walked to Dove Crag in 2017 as we didn’t remember going up this way and the photos we took on that occasion seemed to indicate a slightly different route. Maybe the route has been slightly changed since 2017 and that’s why it didn’t seem familiar, either that or in 2017 we had followed a slightly different route. The stepped path at the bottom end of it had definitely been recently installed.
The view along Dovedale now that the ‘iffy’ section is behind us and the descent continues at a much better angle.
Crossing the little beck, which had started its journey in Houndshope Cove before it and a few others join Dovedale Beck, which we did remember crossing in 2017.
Looking back at the beck after we had crossed it. Yes, its another waterfall!
We’re on a much better and less stony path now as we continue our descent through the valley. The silence was only broken by the burbling of the beck.
Passing above the bridge that we saw being installed in our 2017 walk. The path from the bridge links up with the one we’re on so walkers can either continue on up to Dove Crag or, as we’re doing, return to Patterdale by this route. The walker in dark clothing who had been ahead of us turned off at this bridge and made his way back to Patterdale via that route. He’s over on the left of the shot, now wearing a white sunhat and talking to a couple of walkers who were on their way up to the bridge. A zoom in will help to spot the little group.
A closer look at the bridge. Looks like the lads solved the nuts not fitting the bolts problem. (See our 2017 walk up to Dove Crag for an explanation.)
We pass through the gate leading to Wood Side …..
….. which, although the leaves weren’t fully established, provided us with some much needed dappled shade. Very pleasant walking through here and not at all difficult.
A close up of the derelict mine buildings. There used to be a lead mine situated here, Hartsop Hall Lead Mine, and its earliest workings are thought to date from the late 17th century. It was worked sporadically from that time but was finally abandoned in 1942.
The old lead mine in situ. Once through the gate on the right we’ll be down at Hartsop Hall.
From Hartsop Hall we take the path across the field towards Middle Dodd. At the end of this field is what is marked on the map as ‘Settlement’, which to us at least, indicates that some form of human habitation was situated here. To our untrained eyes there are a few rocks and boulders scattered around but there is nothing apparent now which would indicate that people of long ago used to live here. When we reach that spot we’ll pick up the path on the lower slopes of High Hartsop Dodd above Kirkstone beck and keep a lookout for …..
….. this gate leading to the small double gated bridge I mentioned at the beginning of this report. Above it can be seen the bridge that the path from the bridge leads over to. It will probably not be visible when the trees are in full leaf though.
J holds the other gate open while I pass through and continues to pose as I take a shot. From here we’ll follow the path to the bridge, cross over a little beck and continue on the path which leads us back to the lay-by on the Kirkstone Pass. While we were walking along we tried to remember the first time we used the old bridges when we walked over to Caiston Glen. We couldn’t remember the exact year but other things came to mind so we estimated that it must be getting on for more than twenty but probably less than thirty years ago. The workmen who installed this particular bridge might only have been toddlers then, they might have not even been born! There was very little traffic on the Kirkstone Pass as its closed beyond the Kirkstone Inn and we walked back to the car along an empty road. We were very thirsty and only had warm water left so when we reached Glenridding we pulled up at the shop, bought a bottle of water straight out of the ‘fridge, and drank more than half of it between us. Even so, that won’t stop us making a cuppa when we get back home.