Date & Time: Tuesday 5th September 2006. 11.15 am start.

Location of Start : The new Martindale Church, Ullswater, Cumbria, Uk. ( NY 435 191)

Places visited : Martindale, Winter Crag, Beda Head, Beda Fell Knott, Boredale Hause, Place Fell, High Dodd, Sleet Fell, Sandwick and back to Martindale Church.

Walk details : 7.2 mls, 2,700 ft of ascent , 5 hrs 45 mins.

Walked with : Jo Hall, Jon Paterson, Ann and the dogs Megan, Polly, Harry and Bethan.

Weather : Drizzle and low cloud at the start improving as the day progressed.

The weather decided our location and route today. The forecast was most optimistic for the northern and eastern fells so we met up at the Martindale Church at the top of the Howtown hair pin bends. The church is hidden in the trees at the top of the hill opposite.

First we dropped down the hill, crossed the Rampsgill Beck over the substantial stone bridge,

and then climbed onto the start of Beda Fell.

We planned to traverse the ridge to the left, and return via Place Fell to the right, making a circumnavigation of the Boredale Valley.

The photo here shows the route, still with some cloud on the high fells.

The chair, dedicated to D.A.Fray, as we made the ridge.	A red Rowan and a view across to Nettleslack Farm and High Dodd.

Climbing steadily along the ridge, looking back at Hallin Fell and Ullswater.

Wainwright didn't rate this as a climb. He obviously didn't turn round often enough to enjoy the view.

Marked as a cairn on the O.S. map, it turned out to be more of a shelter built into the rock.

The intrepid trio reach the summit of Beda Fell.

I'd like to think John is pointing out the fells opposite, but I don't think he was !

We crossed the flat top of Beda Fell untill we found a sheltered spot for lunch.   In the distance the sun was shining beautifully on the lower reaches of Ullswater.   The north and east was certainly getting the better weather.

The Nab and Rest Dodd with cloud still touching the top of the High Street Fells.

Rather than continue the climb to Angle Tarn Pikes, we cut down to the right and headed for Boredale Hause.

Ahead the Helvellyn Range was now clear of the cloud, and even a little sunshine shone through on our path ahead.

Boredale Hause, so often seen from the Patterdale side, but here from the east it looks quite different.

We had spotted an unusual stone built structure just above the Boredale path. It was marked but not named on the 1:25k map   It was about the size of a lime kiln, had a top aperture but had no fireplace arch below.   It looked relatively modern but the side wall had collapsed.   Only Wainwright gave a clue as he recorded it as a tank. Perhaps it was something to do with the Hayeswater Aqueduct which apparently runs across the hause.

A steady climb up from Boredale Hause brought us to Round How

from which we could see the last part of the ascent to the summit.

The Trig Point stands proud on the top of Place Fell.

and the view across to the Pennines remains clear and sunny.

The summit, however, was a very windy place.

John still has his pet cairn in tow I see ! ( confused ? See Sallows and Sour Howes )

The sheep fold on Low Moss as we left the summit and made our way north up the opposite side of the valley. We took the path ahead.

If climbing Place Fell from Glenridding, you would turn left here to continue down to the Scalehow waterfall and the lakeside path back to your start.

A short diversion up onto High Dodd to see the view north. The route onwards involved a steep descent down through the bracken

which is why the main path keeps left of this high point and provided a more gentle descent route along the ridge.

The lake steamer passes Beckside farm and Sandwick Bay

in this view down from the northern edge of the ridge. Hallin Fell is ahead of us on the right.

Lets hope Peggy had many more fine days looking down on Sandwick from her seat above the farm.

It just remained to retrace our route back to the church.

Rather than an extra half mile on the road, we took the bridle way short cut up from Doe Green.

Back across the bridge we used at the start, and our fine circular walk was nearly complete.

- - - o o o - - -

Technical note: Pictures taken with a Canon IXUS 400 Digital camera.

Resized in Photoshop, and built up on a Dreamweaver web builder.

This site best viewed with . . . a correct weather forecast.

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Previous walk - 2nd Sepember 2006 A wet and windy Low Fell walk and the OFC Dinner

A previous time in the area - 4th May 2004 Angle Tarn Pikes in Patterdale