Hartsop, Kidsty Pike, High Raise, Rampsgill Head, The Knott, Rest Dodd, Angletarn Pikes and Boredale Hause
A magnificent walk in the Lake District from Hartsop visiting six of the Far Eastern Fells—Kidsty Pike, High Raise, Rampsgill Head, The Knott, Rest Dodd, and Angletarn Pikes—with a lovely break beside Angle Tarn.
Summary: The Far Eastern Fells have a unique, quieter, and more sombre Pennine-like attractiveness compared to their rockier Lakeland relatives. This walk visits six of them—Kidsty Pike, High Raise, Rampsgill Head, The Knott, Rest Dodd, and Angletarn Pikes—passing the restored Hayeswater reservoir and culminating with a magical break beside wild Angle Tarn.
Alfred Wainwright on the Far Eastern Fells
“The walker along this eastern fringe constantly finds himself passing from the exciting beauty that is typically Lakeland to the quieter and more sombre attractiveness that is typically Pennine.”
The Walk Report
The last time I had been in Hartsop the weather was not good. Walking a circuit to High Street, Thornthwaite Crag, and Stony Cove Pike with Chris, Dave, and Steve, cloud filled the sky and we were thoroughly drenched by the time we reached High Street. This time, all by myself, I had the absolute best of conditions: brilliant sunshine and not a single cloud in the sky.
Setting off from the Hartsop car park, I climbed via the vehicular bridleway following Hayeswater Gill upstream—a steady, unremitting climb of 260 metres over two kilometres of walking. Flanked by Hartsop Dodd and Gray Crag, the approach offered wonderful views of Pasture Bottom and tumbling waterfalls in the gill.
Setting off from HartsopPasture Bottom
Further up, I passed a drystone stock-shelter carpeted in rich fern before arriving at Hayeswater. After nearly a century serving as a reservoir, the dam has recently been removed and Hayeswater restored to its natural state. What an absolute delight!
Hayeswater GillHayeswater
From Hayeswater, I continued climbing across the open hill slopes to join the Coast to Coast path. Meeting eastbound Coast to Coast walkers struggling up the steep path to The Knott brought back fond memories of my own crossings in 1994 and 1999.
After rounding the Straits of Riggindale, I arrived at Kidsty Pike, praised by Wainwright as "an eyrie perched high over Riggindale."
Following the Coast to Coast pathStraits of Riggindale
Approaching Kidsty PikeThe view from Kidsty Pike to Haweswater
Leaving the Coast to Coast path, I ambled across the easy, rolling grassy uplands to High Raise (802m), my highest point of the day. The summit features a lovely assembly of erratic rocks and an exceptional west-facing view of Great Gable rising behind Deepdale Hause.
The view to High Raise from Kidsty PikeHigh Raise view to Scafells, Fairfield & Great Gable
Heading south from High Raise with effortless ease, I summited Rampsgill Head and then returned along the Straits of Riggindale to bag The Knott. From The Knott, I descended into the depression and faced the final stout climb up Rest Dodd, which proved surprisingly testing in the baking afternoon heat!
The path to Rampsgill HeadRamps Gill Dale
The KnottRest Dodd
Descending Satura Crag past rocky outcrops and cotton grass, I arrived at Angle Tarn—the highlight I had most looked forward to. Beguiled by its wild beauty, I settled on a grassy peninsula for lunch, followed by a blissful paddle in the crystal-clear water.
Satura CragMartindale
Angle Tarn and Angletarn PikesMy break-time view across Angle Tarn
After a fun scramble up Angletarn Pikes, I joined the Coast to Coast path around Stony Rigg toward Boredale Hause. Descending the steep path back to Hartsop with views of Place Fell across the valley, I completed a wonderful, sun-blessed circuit.
