Hartsop above How & The Priest's Hole - Thursday 22 June 2023
Route
Cow Bridge - Low Wood - Bleaberry Knott - Gale Crag - Hoggill Brow - Hartsop above How - Blake Brow - Houndshope Cove - Priest's Hole - Hunsett Cove - Dovedale - Hartsop Hall - Brothers Water - Cow Bridge
Parking
Cow Bridge, Hartsop (Charge, but free for NT Members) - Grid Ref NY403134. Nearest postcode is CA11 0NY.
Mileage
6.4 miles
Terrain
Good mountain paths throughout. The access path to the Priest's Hole is on a sloping, rocky and sometimes intermittent path - care needs to be taken, particularly when the rock is greasy, icy & wet.
Weather
Warm & sunny with light breezes on the ridges
Time Taken
4hrs
Total Ascent
2200ft (670m)
Wainwrights
1
Map
OL5 - The English Lakes - North Eastern Area
Walkers
Dave, Angie & Fudge
Cow Bridge - Low Wood - Bleaberry Knott - Gale Crag - Hoggill Brow - Hartsop above How - Blake Brow - Houndshope Cove - Priest's Hole - Hunsett Cove - Dovedale - Hartsop Hall - Brothers Water - Cow Bridge
Parking
Cow Bridge, Hartsop (Charge, but free for NT Members) - Grid Ref NY403134. Nearest postcode is CA11 0NY.
Mileage
6.4 miles
Terrain
Good mountain paths throughout. The access path to the Priest's Hole is on a sloping, rocky and sometimes intermittent path - care needs to be taken, particularly when the rock is greasy, icy & wet.
Weather
Warm & sunny with light breezes on the ridges
Time Taken
4hrs
Total Ascent
2200ft (670m)
Wainwrights
1
Map
OL5 - The English Lakes - North Eastern Area
Walkers
Dave, Angie & Fudge
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Route Map
Angie and a camouflaged Fudge at the Car Park, Cow Bridge
Hartsop Dodd from Cow Bridge
From the Car Park the route heads through a gate that leads to Brothers Water. However once through the gate we would be turning immediately right to head up the path through Low Wood. The hand gate to the extreme right is the path to Patterdale.
Cow Bridge over Goldrill Beck
The climb up through Low Wood is steep on a rough, stony path
The path continues up through Low Wood to reach a hand gate
Once clear of the foliage the views open out. The village of Hartsop is over to the right with Brock Crags centre.
Looking to the north over to Place Fell on the left with the unmistakable twin peaks of Angletarn Pikes centre
Brothers Water now in full view with Hartsop Dodd beyond with Caudale Moor to the right
Middle Dodd and Red Screes in the centre of shot as we continue the climb through light bracken
Gale Crag is ahead of us now as the gradient levels out
The path reaches a substantial wall near Gale Crag - the wall stretches from Wall End in Deepdale (below centre) to Dovedale
The route crosses the wall just below Gale Crag via a large ladder stile
Looking across Deepdale to Hart Crag, Fairfield, Cofa Pike, Deepdale Hause & St Sunday Crag
A St Sunday Crag & Birks panorama from Gale Crag
From the ladder stile there is some easy scrambling up on to Gale Crag
Easy for some eh Fudge?
Hartsop above How's summit is now in view with Dove Crag, Hart Crag, Fairfield & Cofa Pike to the rear
Fudge on the summit of Hartsop above How - the local name for the fell is Gill Crag
Dove Crag, Hunsett Cove & Houndshope Cove from the summit of Hartsop above How. From here we would be off to the Priest's Hole which to the trained eye can just about be seen below Dove Crag's summit. Our return route to Cow Bridge via Dovedale can be seen snaking its way down the fell side.
From the summit the ridge continues towards Hart Crag & Fairfield
Caudale Moor, Red Screes, High Hartsop Dodd, Little Hart Crag & Dove Crag across Dovedale
Hart Crag & Scrubby Crag
St Sunday Crag across Deepdale
Looking back along Hartsop above How and our outward route
At Grid Reference NY 37334 11366 we left the path to Hart Crag and turned left aiming for the large erratic stone in the centre of shot. This section of the route is pathless but the going was generally good.
A small carpet of Eriophorum, commonly known as Cotton Grass or Cotton Sedge
Angie approaching the erratic boulder. The large stone is at the top of the path coming up from Dovedale and is at Grid Reference NY 37488 11119. It marks the start of the path up to the Priest's Hole.
The path to the Priest's Hole can just about be seen heading up to the crags below Dove Crag. Whilst the going is slightly rough, the way ahead is not in doubt unless walking in mist. Heading in a south easterly direction means that you should hit the path higher up the fell that comes in from right to left. It is stressed that any attempt to access the Priest's Hole should only be undertaken in good visibility and also when the terrain is free of snow & ice.
The latter part of the sloping path is over boulders
After negotiating the boulders the upper path is reached which is exposed on one side. The path is rough underfoot therefore we simply took our time over this section.
The Priest's Hole - complete with a purpose built wall to protect visitors who stay overnight from the wind. It is not clear how the cave obtained this name, it is possible it may have been used as a hermits or monks cell in the past.
The classic picture taken from inside the Priest's Hole
Bugger - didn't have my stove. I love a bit of free scran me.
From the Priest's Hole we retraced our steps back to the erratic boulder and started the descent via Hunsett Cove into Dovedale
Making my way down the steep descent into Dovedale with Stangs ahead of me. The path, whilst steep is thankfully pitched.
A little further below on the descent and Fudge waits for his aged parents to catch him up
The path passes below a ruined shepherd's hut as it continues through Hunsett Cove
Looking back up to Dove Crag from Hunsett Cove
Dovedale Beck
The footbridge over Dovedale Beck with Hartsop Dodd & Caudale Moor beyond
Descending towards Dove Falls
Fudge enjoys cooling off in Dove Falls
Dove Falls
Almost down on the valley floor now as we continue on through Dovedale
Crossing the second footbridge over Dovedale Beck
A well preserved farm barn near Hartsop Hall
High Hartsop Dodd
Hartsop Hall
Hartsop Hall is a 16th Century Grade I listed building of great historical significance, owned by the National Trust. It is an important valley-head farm. The house itself contains many fascinating features, such as priest holes. There are various outlying barns on the estate, all examples of vernacular Lake District constructions of the 16th and 17th centuries, featuring cruck frames and bank barns. The land consists of some 3000 acres containing a flock of 800 predominantly Swaledale Sheep and a herd of 30 Aberdeen Angus beef suckler Cows.
Hartsop Hall is a 16th Century Grade I listed building of great historical significance, owned by the National Trust. It is an important valley-head farm. The house itself contains many fascinating features, such as priest holes. There are various outlying barns on the estate, all examples of vernacular Lake District constructions of the 16th and 17th centuries, featuring cruck frames and bank barns. The land consists of some 3000 acres containing a flock of 800 predominantly Swaledale Sheep and a herd of 30 Aberdeen Angus beef suckler Cows.
Near the end of the walk, the route passes Brothers Water with somebody who is itching to get in amongst it
Once called Broad Water, the name was changed in the 19th century after two brothers drowned there. An article outlining this tragedy can be found here
Once called Broad Water, the name was changed in the 19th century after two brothers drowned there. An article outlining this tragedy can be found here
Digitalis Purpurea - the Foxglove