Knott, Great Sca Fell, Meal Fell and Great Cockup
Walk date – 7th May 2025
Distance – 8 miles
Weather – dry, mostly sunny with a short cloudy spell late morning, chilly north easterly breeze at height
We drove over to Orthwaite today to take a walk over some of the Uldale fells, Meal Fell in particular, which we haven’t set foot on since 4th May 2015, ten years ago. The intervening years have come and gone and despite walking the Uldale fells during that time for some reason or other Meal Fell hasn’t been included. Today we decided to put that right as the weather was forecast to be more of the same type we’ve been having for the last few weeks although the north easterly breeze was likely to be quite chilly and stronger, which it was especially as we climbed higher. We had a cloudy spell late morning which turned the temperature down a bit but it didn’t last long and by the early afternoon the large clouds had broken up and we ended our walk in much the same conditions as we had started out. It was also a good time to visit Knott again as we were hoping, after a few weeks of dry weather, that the squelchy ground between it and Great Sca Fell wouldn’t be quite as wet as it usually is. It wasn’t and we had a dry and mud free walk as we walked from one to the other.
Route
Orthwaite – Horsemoor Hills – Brockle Crag – Hause Gill – Knott – Great Sca Fell – Meal Fell – Great Cockup – Orthwaite Bank – Orthwaite
We made our way down the road from Orthwaite where we had parked on the empty concrete parking area in front of the barns opposite Orthwaite Hall. There is an honesty box attached to the wall so we popped three £1 coins into it, gathered our gear together, switched on the gps and set off down the road to this wooden gate just a short distance from the parking area.
The gateway leads on to this track across the Horsemoor Hills with a view of the Skiddaw group directly in front of us. Its a lovely sunny morning, the hawthorn trees and bushes are in full bloom and the breeze is intermittent at valley level.
Not too far from the gate we leave the track and take to the path leading up over Brockle Crag. Jumpers were removed at this point as we didn’t really need them for the time being. Lots of fully flowering gorse bushes along the way which were nice to look at but we were wary of coming into contact with them as they are covered in spikes. Gorse spikes and bare skin do not get on well together.
J on the path leading up to Brockle Crag. The bracken is beginning to appear but at present its only a few inches high. August 2019 was the previous time we used this path and the bracken then was much higher so it was nice to be able to see the route clearly today. The path climbs steadily, with the occasional level stretch, up to the peak over on the right of the shot.
Up on the peak of Brockle Crag looking towards Orthwaite and Binsey. The patch of gorse and our route through it are below us, over on the right.
From the peak of Brockle Crag the path levels out for a short distance which offers some good views of Dead Crags on Bakestall and Broad End, behind Bakestall, and the Cumbria Way path below them. Dash Beck runs through the valley bottom. I had hoped for a long view of Dash Falls further up the valley but the dark shadows around the area leading up to the falls put paid to that idea.
The level path across Brockle Crag begins to drop down the valley leading us into the valley, across Dash Beck and around the lower slopes of Burn Tod into Hause Gill.
We enter Hause Gill and make our way along the narrow path which changed from time to time, gravel, grass, scree and one particularly wet area where it completely disappeared from view. The wetness must have originated from an underground spring since we haven’t had enough rain lately to create such a wet and muddy area. J mentioned that he could see two people coming down towards us but as they were walking down quite carefully they didn’t appear to be fell runners. When we met up with them we could see that they weren’t. We had a brief chat with them before we and them carried on with our respective walks.
The gill becomes a little wider further up where it becomes more grassy and where the stony stream bed can be seen. Getting across to the grassy area involved …..
….. crossing over a few slithery scree areas as can be seen when I took a look back at them from the grassy area. The stream bed is quite dry from this point but just out of shot on the left is the point at which the water in the beck behind me disappears into the ground. It must re-appear at some point below us as it eventually joins up with Burntodd Gill and then flows into Dash Beck. The chilly wind had been blowing straight at us as we made our way up the gill and increasing in strength as it did so.
We’re almost out of the gill at this point so, having found a flatter area on which to perch ourselves, we decided to put our jumpers back on (and have a chocolate bar break) before putting our heads above the parapet and venturing out onto the open fellside.
The view back down the gill to Brockle Crag after putting a long sleeved layer on and stuffing ourselves with chocolate. After that it was time to …..
….. take to the open fellside, brave the chilly wind and head up the hill towards the summit of Knott. After a couple of minutes in the wind I put my gloves on as well! On the way up we met a couple who had just made their way up to Knott via the Grainsgill route from the mining area at the top of the road from Mosedale where they had parked their car. They were going over to Great Calva next and then were planning to return to their car via the Cumbria Way. We also met a solo walker who passed the time of day with us before going on his way.
As we continued on our way I took a few shots of the surrounding fells, here’s Great Calva from the path up to Knott …..
….. Bannerdale Crags, Blencathra with Mungrisedale Common just below it …..
….. the Skiddaw group on the skyline and, in the bottom right corner, is Hause Gill from which we’ve recently emerged …..
….. followed by a pleasant walk across the flatter area leading over to the summit of Knott.
Visibility was better than on our last walk but still wasn’t of the ‘superb or excellent’ variety which had been mentioned in weather forecast. Nevertheless visibility was reasonable enough for a few photos from the summit of Knott. From L to R in the above shot are Carrock Fell, Bowscale Fell and Bannerdale Crags …..
….. Blencathra on the skyline behind Mungrisedale Common …..
….. Lonscale Fell (L), Great Calva (C), Jenkin Hill and Lower Man (R) …..
….. skyline views of Blease Fell (L), Clough Head & The Dodds (C) and Lonscale Fell (R) …..
….. filling the skyline is the ever present view of the Skiddaw group …..
….. and, after waiting for a cloud to move away, the summit cairn on Knott flanked by High Pike (L) and Carrock Fell (R).
After taking the previous few shots we were beginning to feel the wind chill so we started descending to Great Sca Fell, that’s the one with the dark green path on the upper right of the shot. The darker patches in the dip below indicate where the wettest areas are usually situated. Everything was bone dry today and it was a pleasant walk across, with no bog-hopping diversions, despite the large clouds beneath which the temperature dropped a few degrees.
The summit cairn on Great Sca Fell from where I took a look back at Knott. the dip between the two is where the usually wet ground is located. The clouds are joining forces at the moment but we still get the occasional glimmer of sunlight. I took the above shot just after a solo walker approached from Knott, gave us a quick hello and immediately turned along the path going down Great Sca Fell.
After taking the previous shot we also began to descend the very steep path down Great Sca Fell, so steep at the moment that we couldn’t see the solo walker who had walked by us just a few seconds before. The path was very dry and dusty so we moved away from it and descended via the grass.
Frozen Fell and Burn Tod to our left as we descended with the Skiddaw group on the skyline, and on our right were …..
….. Lowthwaite Fell and Longlands Fell behind the fellside coming down from Little Sca Fell. As we descended we could see the progress of the solo walker ahead of us. He reached the dip at the bottom of Great Sca Fell when we were halfway down it and reached the top of Meal Fell as we had just started climbing up it.
By the time we reached the summit cairn and shelter on Meal Fell the solo walker had disappeared and we didn’t see him again. It was just as chilly in the breeze on Meal Fell summit so we followed the path round to the shelter hoping for some respite from it but there was none to be had. Instead we dropped down a short distance behind it and found a sunny and wind free spot where we could sit and get the coffee and sandwiches out.
After the coffee and sandwich stop we began descending Meal Fell with its similarly steep path down to Trusmadoor …..
….. although the path is so steep that you almost have to be standing in Trusmadoor to be able to see it. In the above shot we can see two walkers heading up the Great Cockup path from Trusmadoor but we can’t yet see Trusmadoor itself.
The path up Great Cockup isn’t all that long but in its initial stages it is very steep. Where the gravelly path changes to a grassy one the gradient is somewhat easier and that eventually becomes a steady pull up to the summit. By the time we reached Trusmadoor, took the following shot and began the climb up to Great Cockup the two walkers had disappeared and we didn’t see them again either.
The view to the north west from Trusmadoor, the name of the gap between Meal Fell and Great Cockup. The larger clouds seem to have broken up so we are looking forward to a sunny afternoon.
The view across Trusmadoor as we begin the climb up Great Cockup. The summit shelter on Meal Fell is just about visible on the skyline.
Its a steady pull up Great Cockup but at least the grassy path is kinder on the feet than the gravelly stuff at the beginning of it. Its still breezy but not as chilly as it was on Knott now that we have lost a lot of height.
This is the shot I chose for the top of the page photo as it shows the fells on today’s route. It was taken from the path up Great Cockup looking back to Meal Fell, just behind it is the path coming down from Great Sca Fell and the dip between it and Knott. The summit of Knott is just visible over to the right behind the hump of Frozen Fell.
As we were climbing the Great Cockup path we began to hear the low drone of an aeroplane’s engine and looked back in the direction of the sound. We saw a large ‘plane flying low and slow above Great Sca Fell, J thought it was probably a US air force C17 as it had such a distinctive sloping tail fin. It certainly wasn’t zooming noisily above us like the others they use to deafen everybody when they fly low over stretches of water in the Lake District. We’ve seen a lot of this type of ‘plane above us in the Eden Valley just lately which begs the question what cargo have they carried, or are carrying, and who is on the receiving end of it?
The summit cairn on Great Cockup isn’t anything to write home about but the backdrop of the Skiddaw group more than makes up for it.
From the summit we make our way over to a path across the top of Great Cockup. The view doesn’t change much, with Bass Lake on the left and Binsey on the right and that’s pretty much it so I didn’t take many photos along here.
We came across a few grouse butts along the way. This one was well built and quite deep and would have easily hidden a couple of grouse shooters in the past. As we didn’t see, or disturb, even one grouse as we walked across perhaps they aren’t used any more. If there are no grouse then there won’t be any need for grouse butts.
Tramping along with Binsey and Over Water always in view. Over Water together with Crummock Water and Chapelhouse stopped being reservoirs from March 2023 following the completion of the pipeline from Thirlmere to West Cumbria, the area which used to be supplied with water from the above named reservoirs but which is now supplied from Thirlmere via the pipeline. United Utilities’ West Cumbria water abstraction licences have been permanently withdrawn and they have a legal obligation to remove all the ‘fixtures and fittings’ which constitute the makings of a reservoir. The end result of which is causing some consternation amongst local residents, lowering of water levels, flooding, loss of amenities etc. etc. Apparently United Utilities have been slow in publishing their future plans for these bodies of water with the result that no-one really knows what is going to happen hence all the consternation. Hopefully it will be resolved before too much longer.
The little hamlet of Orthwaite comes back into view as we round Orthwaite Bank and descend back down to the gate we passed through this morning. It looks gentle enough but it was quite a steep descent and we were both pleased to reach the gate and take off the brakes. We’re now back to bare arms but I can’t recall just where the jumpers came off, probably at the grouse butt where we stopped so I could take a photo of it. Anyway its been a very sunny and warm walk back down to Orthwaite.
We took to the tarmac again after passing through the gate and after a five minute walk back up the hill we were in Orthwaite again and passing Orthwaite Farm, although it doesn’t appear to be a working farm any more as the external appearance seemed to suggest it is now a private residence.
Back at the concrete parking area and where Orthwaite Hall is just across the road. The hamlet is absolutely silent with no-one around, the afternoon is warm and sunny and the few vehicles which do come along the road do not stop at any of the houses. We stow our gear in the boot, glug down some water and flop down onto the car seats. J’s ankle is grumbling and so is my back but we’ve had a good day’s walking in fine weather. The aches and pains will be gone tomorrow but the walk we had will always be there in our memory, especially the dryness in the dip between Knott and Great Sca Fell, now that really was unusual!
An extra piece of info re the Judicial Review of the application for a visitor attraction at the Burlington quarry near Chapel Stile in Great Langdale. The review was held on 30th April this year but Mr Justice Mould did not come to an immediate decision regarding the matter in hand and reserved judgment on the case instead, so the final judgment is still awaited. More details about this and related information, plus a video on testing out the ‘sustainable travel plan’ submitted by the applicants (it turns out not to be so sustainable after all) can be obtained at the following link –
https://www.friendsofthelakedistrict.org.uk/News/postcard-from-the-lakes-may-2025