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17th September 2020 - The Howgills

Walk Details

Distance walked: 14.4 miles

Total ascent: 3985 ft

OS map used: OL19 - Howgill Fells & Upper Eden Valley

Time taken: 8 hrs

Route description: New Bridge, Sedbergh-Thorns Lane-Settlebeck Gill-Arant Haw-Rowantree Grains-Calders-Great Dummacks-Cautley Crag-Red Gill Beck-Force Gill Beck-The Calf-Bush Howe-Fell Head-Bush Howe-The Calf-Bram Rigg-Birkhaw-Howgill Lane-New Bridge, Sedbergh


My last walk on the Howgills back in January didn't quite go according to plan when the weather unexpectedly changed, and the fells ended up becoming covered in low cloud so that I had no views. I definitely wanted to have another walk on the Howgills before the end of the year, and with a forecast of wall-to-wall blue skies and sunshine, today was the ideal day for it. It was a beautiful early autumn day, and to make the most of it I kept to the high ground for as long as I could by walking from The Calf to Fell Head and back. To round the day off I had some really good fish and chips from the Haddock Paddock fish and chip shop in Sedbergh, which I had at the picnic site at New Bridge.

From where I parked in the layby at New Bridge on the A684 just outside Sedbergh I walked up the A684 to its junction with the A683, and crossed the road to Thorns Lane. I then walked up Thorns Lane until I reached a footpath on the left, which I took up to Howgills Barn, across Settlebeck Gill, and up to access land. I then made my way up the path above Settlebeck Gill and joined the bridleway from Winder to The Calf, which I followed uphill towards Arant Haw before leaving it to head up to the summit of Arant Haw. From Arant Haw I returned to the bridleway and followed it north across Rowantree Grains and up to the summit of Calders. From Calders I followed the fence east to the top of Middle Tongue before continuing on to the broad top of Great Dummacks and the southern end of Cautley Crag. I then made my way north along the top of the crag before dropping down to Red Gill Beck and the sheepfold next to it, where I stopped for lunch. After lunch I followed Force Gill Beck up to its source at the col between Bram Rigg Top and The Calf before heading up to the trig point on The Calf. The path to the northwest to Bush Howe was then taken, and then on to Breaks Head and Fell Head. Once I'd taken in the view from Fell Head I retraced my steps to The Calf and took the bridleway south towards Calders, soon leaving it for the bridleway on the right down the ridge of Bram Rigg, round Seat Knott, and down to Birkhaw and Howgill Lane. A walk south along Howgill Lane took me back to Sedbergh, and after walking through the town, to where I'd parked.

Route map
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© Crown copyright. All rights reserved. License number PU 100034184.

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Looking back to Sedbergh
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Following the path up by Settlebeck Gill
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Arant Haw as I reach its top
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Looking back to Winder
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On the summit of Arant Haw and there are great views to enjoy. Looking southeast to Baugh Fell, Garsdale, Great Knoutberry Hill, Aye Gill Pike, Penyghent, Whernside, Ingleborough and Great Coum.
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and then south to Aye Gill Pike, Penyghent, Whernside, Ingleborough, Great Coum and Middleton Fell, with the hills of Crook and Winder below..
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Finally, a long line of distant Lake District fells to the west
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Leaving Arant Haw..
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..to cross Rowantree Grains to Calders
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Numerous Howgill ridges to my left
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Looking back to Arant Haw as I make my way up Calders
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On the top of Calders and I have another great view to take in. Penyghent, Aye Gill Pike, Whernside, Ingleborough, Great Coum and Middleton Fell to the south.
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Middleton Fell and Arant Haw
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Lake District fells in the distance with Lunesdale below
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Bram Rigg Top and The Calf
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Great Dummacks with High Seat and Wild Boar Fell beyond
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Baugh Fell, Penyghent, Aye Gill Pike, Whernside, Ingleborough, Great Coum and Middleton Fell from the Top of Middle Tongue
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Calders, Bram Rigg Top and The Calf from Great Dummacks
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Wandale Hill, Harter Fell and Wild Boar Fell with the valley of the River Rawthey below
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Baugh Fell, Penyghent, Aye Gill Pike, Whernside, Ingleborough, Great Coum and Middleton Fell from the top of Great Dummacks
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Yarlside from the top of Cautley Crag..
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Wandale Hill, Harter Fell, Wild Boar Fell and Swarth Fell
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The Andy Goldsworthy sheepfold by Red Gill Beck. A good place to stop for lunch...
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Following the path up by Force Gill Beck
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Looking back down Force Gill Beck
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At the trig point on The Calf for the first time today. There's a fantastic view from here, which makes it a great place to be when the weather is like this.
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Penyghent, Whernside, Ingleborough, Great Coum and Middleton Fell beyond the nearby Calders and Bram Rigg Top
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Morecambe Bay to the southwest
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A great view of the Lake District fells to the west
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Cross Fell and the North Pennines on the other side of the Eden Valley
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High Seat, Wild Boar Fell and Swarth Fell to the east
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Heading for Fell Head
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Looking back to The Calf
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On the summit of Fell Head and a fantastic view across to the Lake District
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Cross Fell and the North Pennines in the distance
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Penyghent, Whernside, Ingleborough, Great Coum and Middleton Fell in the distance beyond the slopes of the nearby The Calf, Bram Rigg Top, Calders and Arant Haw
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Can't resist taking another photo of the view across to the Lake District
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Zooming in on Scafell, Scafell Pike, Great Gable and Pillar
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and on Fairfield, Helvellyn and High Street
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Lunesdale below with Morecambe Bay in the distance
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One last shot of the Lake District
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The hills and ridges of the northern Howgills
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Heading back to The Calf..
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On The Calf for the second time today and the view is just as good as it was nearly two hours ago
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Distant Lake District fells
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and the North Pennines on the right
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The sun shining on Morecambe Bay
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Heading down the ridge of Bram Rigg..
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The Calf, Bram Rigg Top and Calders after crossing the ford over Bram Rigg Beck
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Fell Head and Chapel Beck from the bridleway beneath Seat Knott
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Great views across Lunesdale as I follow the bridleway down to Birkhaw....
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Lunesdale from Birkhaw
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The Howgills as I walk south along Howgill Lane..
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New House beneath the slopes of Arant Haw
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Lunesdale as I reach the outskirts of Sedbergh
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The River Rawthey from New Bridge as I make it back to the layby where I'm parked

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© Alan Kilduff 2016-2022                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      
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