hikes.guideLake District

22.23 km · ~1349 m ascent · ~6.5–9 h · loop · 6 summits

Home / Routes / Angletarn Pikes and the Martindale round
The broad, grassy top of Angletarn Pikes with its low rock outcrops, high fells on the skyline beyond
Severe distanceLoopWalked in part

Angletarn Pikes and the Martindale round

22.23 km
Distance
~6.5–9 h
Typical time
~1349 m
Ascent
6
Summits

Photo: © Lee McCoy

Download GPX →Walked in part · km 0.2–1.4, km 15.9–18.0 from the map

Key facts

Distance 22.23 km
Ascent ~1349 m
Descent ~1346 m
Time ~6.5–9 h
Best season Late spring to autumn. The ground between Rest Dodd and The Nab is notoriously boggy and the navigation is committing in cloud — save this one for a clear day with dry ground underfoot.
Type Loop
A long, quiet circuit of the Far Eastern fells above Patterdale — over Rest Dodd and out to the remote peak of The Nab, then back across Brock Crags to the twin tops of Angletarn Pikes, and home over Beda Fell and Place Fell. Twenty-two kilometres and six summits in some of the emptiest country in the National Park.

✎️ This is the antidote to Helvellyn on an August Saturday. The Nab is one of the least-visited Wainwrights precisely because of the deer forest, and the reward for the boggy trudge out to it is a summit almost nobody stands on. Angletarn Pikes and its tarn are the prettiest thing in the Far Eastern fells.

🥾 Walked in part — Lee walked this ground in August 2026; km 0.2–1.4, km 15.9–18.0 of this line are from the map. A planned line is a suggestion, not a guarantee — conditions change. Navigate independently and carry a map & compass. How to use this guide.

🧭 The automated detail on this page — distance, climb, pacing and a first-pass difficulty read — is live. Hand-written field notes are being added.

Difficulty profile

LengthSevere22.23 km — a long day out.
SteepnessHardSteepest sustained pull about 33% around the 1.2 km mark.
TerrainHardDeep peat and boggy channels either side of The Nab; slow, wet going. (Editorially assessed from the documented character of the route, not computed from gradient; not yet personally walked.)
NavigationHardBroad, rolling, landmark-poor ground — a compass-and-pacing day in cloud. (Editorially assessed from the documented character of the route, not computed from gradient; not yet personally walked.)
ExposureEasyRolling fell country. No meaningful exposure anywhere on the round. (Editorially assessed from the documented character of the route, not computed from gradient; not yet personally walked.)

Five independent axes, not one score — all field-checked on the ground here, with nothing left as a desk estimate.

Conditions on this route

We score every Lakeland Wainwright each morning on cloud, wind, rain and underfoot, and this route crosses 6 of them. The worst summit governs the verdict — a route is only as kind as its roughest top.

Modelled guidance — not a substitute for the mountain forecast or your own judgement. See how every fell ranks today →

Daylight & turnaround

Daylight is short from October to February — check today’s sunrise and sunset before you set off, and carry a head-torch and spare batteries. On short days, decide your turn-back time before you start.

Why this matters: 78% of Mountain Rescue call-outs come after midday — the day runs out on the way home, not on the way up. See also walking in bad weather and today’s conditions.

OpenTopoMap
Elevation profile, shaded by steepness
Elevation profile Rises from about 170 m to 666 m over 22.2 km, with the summits marked in order. The area beneath is shaded by sustained steepness over a 250 m window, in the same four bands as the route’s steepness rating: Easy under 15%, Moderate 15 to 25%, Hard 25 to 35%, Severe above 35%. 666 m 170 m 0 km 22.2 km 123456

1 Rest Dodd2 The Nab3 Brock Crags (Wainwright)4 Angletarn Pikes (Angletarn Pikes North Top)5 Beda Fell (Beda Head)6 Place Fell

Easy 74%Moderate 17%Hard 10%Severe

~1349 m
Total ascent
666 m
High point
171 m
Start height

Free mapping: OpenTopoMap / OpenStreetMap (switch layers top-right).

This walk covers about 22.23 km with around 1349 m of ascent, taking in 6 summits. The map above shows the line; the elevation profile and stage notes are below.

Access & barriers

Can a dog, a buggy or dodgy knees manage this route? A quick read from the gates and stiles mapped along the way.

Dog
Mostly gates
Buggy
Not buggy-able
Knees
Steep in places
  • Dog: A stile of unmapped type — a dog may need lifting over.
  • Buggy: Not a pushchair route.
  • Knees: A sustained ~30% descent around the 3.3 km mark — a little jarring on tired knees.

On the line: 4 gates · 1 kissing gate · 3 stiles (type unmapped)

These are mapped barriers, from OpenStreetMap — coverage in the Lakes is good but not guaranteed complete. Spotted a stile or gate we’ve missed? Tell us and we’ll fix it. Barrier data as of 2026-07-12. Access data © OpenStreetMap contributors (via Overpass).

Pacing

SummitCumulativeAscentTime (fast–steady)
1Rest Dodd3.2 km508 m1:29–1:58
2The Nab4.8 km553 m1:53–2:30
3Brock Crags (Wainwright)8.0 km755 m2:52–3:48
4Angletarn Pikes (Angletarn Pikes North Top)10.1 km850 m3:27–4:35
5Beda Fell (Beda Head)13.1 km922 m4:10–5:32
6Place Fell17.7 km1252 m5:37–7:28
Finish22.2 km1349 m6:42–8:54

Naismith-based estimate — a fast/steady range. Your pace will vary. These use Naismith’s textbook constants (5 km/h, 600 m of ascent an hour). Measured against a pace fitted to 41 recorded Lakeland walks they run about 8% slow, and we have left them that way deliberately: a slow estimate strands nobody.

The walk, stage by stage

  1. 1

    Start → Rest Dodd (3.2 km, 508 m)

    Climb of about 508 m over 3.2 km (around 16% average).

    A gap between two drystone walls with old wooden gateposts still standing, a stony path running through it onto rolling grass tops with cloud on the skyline
    A large, loosely built cairn of flat slabs on a grassy summit, with thick white cloud closing in just beyond it
    © Lee McCoy · 2 photographs
  2. 2

    Rest Dodd → The Nab (1.6 km, 46 m)

    About 1.6 km with 46 m of ascent.

    Decision point

    From Rest Dodd drop north along the fence to the ridge out to The Nab.

    Easy to get wrong

    The boggiest ground of the day and the access-sensitive ground too. Stay on the permissive line; this is a working deer forest, not open access.

    Deep peat hags cut into a broad grassy plateau, the exposed black peat bare between tussocks, with rounded green fells beyond
    A very low scatter of stones marking a summit on a broad grassy top, with cloud spilling over the ridge and a valley just visible below
    © Lee McCoy · 2 photographs
  3. 3

    The Nab → Brock Crags (Wainwright) (3.2 km, 202 m)

    Climb of about 202 m over 3.2 km (around 6% average).

    A stony path climbing through pale moor grass into thick cloud, with the fellside above lost in mist
    A big cairn of angular blocks on a grassy top, looking down over the wooded valley and a glimpse of Ullswater with cloud on the fells beyond
    © Lee McCoy · 2 photographs
  4. 4

    Brock Crags (Wainwright) → Angletarn Pikes (Angletarn Pikes North Top) (2.1 km, 95 m)

    Climb of about 95 m over 2.1 km (around 5% average).

    Decision point

    Back over Rest Dodd to Brock Crags, then north to Angle Tarn and its two rocky tops.

    Easy to get wrong

    Broad, pathy, easy to drift in mist — the tarn itself is the handrail.

    A rocky notch on a heathery ridge looking across a wide peaty hollow to smooth grass tops beyond, under a sky of broken cloud
    © Lee McCoy
  5. 5

    Angletarn Pikes (Angletarn Pikes North Top) → Beda Fell (Beda Head) (3.0 km, 72 m)

    Climb of about 72 m over 3.0 km (around 2% average).

    A grassy ridge path running away over a series of rounded knolls, with deep valleys on either side and the low country far beyond
    © Lee McCoy
  6. 6

    Beda Fell (Beda Head) → Place Fell (4.5 km, 330 m)

    Climb of about 330 m over 4.5 km (around 7% average).

    Decision point

    North over Beda Fell, then the pull onto Place Fell.

    Easy to get wrong

    A sting in the tail after 18 km. Do not underestimate the last climb.

    A slate-built cairn on a rocky summit ridge, with outcrops and rough grass sloping up to it under a blue sky streaked with cirrus
    © Lee McCoy

  7. Place Fell → Finish (4.6 km, 97 m)

    Climb of about 97 m over 4.6 km (around 2% average).

    Decision point

    Descend south off Place Fell, back down the valley to the start.

    Easy to get wrong

    Steep, stony and long. Tired legs, worn rock — take it slowly.

    A tall drystone column on a rocky summit, looking out over Ullswater and the green lowlands under a heavy bank of cloud
    © Lee McCoy

Summits bagged (6)

  1. 1Rest Dodd696 mFar Eastern · Wainwright, Birkett, Fellranger, Synge, Nuttall, HuMP
  2. 2The Nab576 mFar Eastern · Wainwright, Birkett, Synge
  3. 3Brock Crags (Wainwright)561 mFar Eastern · Wainwright, Birkett, Fellranger, Synge
  4. 4Angletarn Pikes (Angletarn Pikes North Top)566 mFar Eastern · Wainwright, Birkett, Fellranger, Synge
  5. 5Beda Fell (Beda Head)509 mFar Eastern · Wainwright, Birkett, Fellranger, Synge
  6. 6Place Fell657 mFar Eastern · Wainwright, Birkett, Fellranger, Synge, Nuttall, Marilyn

In the order you walk them — the same numbers the elevation profile, the stage notes and the pacing table use.

Getting there & parking

Hartsop village (free, donation) — 0.0 km from the start (straight line)
For Hartsop Dodd, Gray Crag, High Street via Hayeswater, Brock Crags.
Directions Something changed here?
If it is full: Cow Bridge, Hartsop (paid) (0.9 km)
Hartsop Dodd car park (free) — 0.7 km from the start (straight line)
Nearest fells: Hartsop Dodd (0.9 km), Gale Crag (1.2 km), Brock Crags (Wainwright) (1.6 km). Free (OSM-tagged). Compacted surface (OSM-tagged).
Directions Something changed here?
Cow Bridge, Hartsop (paid) — 0.8 km from the start (straight line)
Paid car park by Brothers Water — Hartsop above How, Dovedale, Caudale Moor. Fees: pay and display; coins and cards; RingGo ID 37323 (LDNPA, checked Aug 2026).
Directions Something changed here?
Gale Crag (layby) — 0.9 km from the start (straight line)
Walking base for Middle Dodd, Little Hart Crag (Little Hart Crag - West Top), High Hartsop Dodd and Gale Crag — the 'Middle Dodd Little Hart Crag and High Hartsop Dodd' route starts 56 m away. Also serves 'Hartsop Fells and Hart Crag'. Free (OSM-tagged). Unpaved surface (OSM-tagged).
Directions Something changed here?
Hartsop Dodd (layby) — 1.6 km from the start (straight line)
Nearest fells: Hartsop Dodd (0.9 km), High Hartsop Dodd (1.2 km), Gale Crag (1.3 km). Free (OSM-tagged).
Directions Something changed here?

Positions are approximate. Lakeland car parks fill before 9am on fine weekends.

Vehicles are left entirely at their owner’s risk. We list places people park; we cannot vouch for any of them. Judge it on the day: take valuables with you, leave nothing on show, and if a spot feels wrong when you get there, park somewhere else.

Every option near this start, on the parking map →

Water, shelter & getting away

🚌 Road End (467 m)

On-route facilities © OpenStreetMap contributors — an absent marker does not mean the facility isn’t there.

Buses

The 508 stops at Hartsop, adjacent to road end, 560 m and 28 m of ascent from this start. The last bus is 19:51 towards Windermere (508), every day. Checked against the operator’s timetable, 7 September 2026. Times here are a guide, not a promise — leave yourself more than the minute.

The 508 passes this route at 21.7 km (Hartsop, adjacent to road end, 350 m off the line).

Stagecoach 508 “Ullswater Bus”
Penrith – Pooley Bridge – Aira Force – Glenridding – Patterdale (summer services continue over Kirkstone Pass to Troutbeck and Windermere)
Catch it from: Penrith · Windermere (summer only)
The key route from Penrith for the Eastern and Far Eastern fells: Helvellyn from Glenridding, Place Fell, the Hartsop fells. The summer Kirkstone extension drops you at the pass for Red Screes and Caudale Moor.

Rural routes change seasonally — confirm on stagecoachbus.com or Traveline before travelling.

If the parking is full

There is no real plan B here. Every place we know beside this route serves the same walks and sits close together, so if one is full the others usually are too. Worth starting early, or having a different walk in mind before you set off.

  • Cow Bridge, Hartsop (paid)
  • Hartsop village (free, donation)
  • Gale Crag (layby)

Worked out from the parking we hold within walking reach of this route and the other walks each place serves — two places that serve the same walks fill for the same reasons. We are not saying whether anywhere has spaces today, and we never will: this is what exists, not what is free.

When the sun reaches the tops

Not sunrise — the moment the sun clears the skyline from that summit, which on a fell with high ground to its east can be a good deal later. The two equinoxes are shown because they fall in the walking season, and late December too wherever a top keeps you waiting then; the clock gap between the equinoxes is British Summer Time, not the hill. Rounded to the nearest quarter hour and meant as a general idea, not a schedule.

  • Rest Dodd — in late March the sun reaches it around 06:45, about half an hour later. In late September, about 07:30. It waits longest in late December — about half an hour after sunrise.
  • The Nab — in late March the sun reaches it around 06:45, about half an hour later. In late September, about 07:30. It waits longest in late December — about an hour after sunrise.
  • Brock Crags (Wainwright) — in late March the sun reaches it around 06:45, about half an hour later. In late September, about 07:30. It waits longest in late December — about half an hour after sunrise.
  • Angletarn Pikes (Angletarn Pikes North Top) — in late March the sun reaches it around 06:30, about a quarter of an hour later. In late September, about 07:15. It waits longest in late December — about half an hour after sunrise.
  • Beda Fell (Beda Head) — in late March the sun reaches it around 06:30, about a quarter of an hour later. In late September, about 07:15. It waits longest in late December — about half an hour after sunrise.
  • Place Fell — in late March the sun reaches it around 06:15, with the sunrise. In late September, about 07:00.

Modelled from a 30 m elevation model against each summit’s own skyline — the same figures the fell pages carry, never observed. Cloud is not in it.

Safety & conditions

  • The Nab sits in the Martindale deer forest — England’s oldest deer herd. Access is by a permissive route only; keep to it, keep dogs on a lead, and do not wander. During the autumn rut the estate asks walkers to stay away entirely. Check before you go.
  • The ground either side of The Nab is genuinely boggy — peat hags and wet channels that swallow the path. Expect wet feet and slow going, and do not judge your timings by the distance alone.
  • A big day: over 22 km and 1,350 m of ascent, with navigation graded hard. The high ground is broad, rolling and short of landmarks — in cloud this is a compass-and-pacing exercise.
  • Long, remote and thinly walked. You will not meet many people, which is the joy of it and also the point — carry what you need to get yourself out.

Check live conditions in the “From the fells” panel, on MWIS and the Met Office mountain forecast before you set off.

Make it easier or harder

Why this direction: Anticlockwise, taking the wet ground out to The Nab early while legs are fresh, and finishing with the fine ridge over Beda Fell and Place Fell.

Short version: turn back at about 12.1 km (drop to Start) — roughly half the distance.

Download

Download GPX

GPX track for your GPS or phone.

Places to stay near this start

Greenbank Farm Bed and Breakfast guest house

about 1.8 km from the start, in a straight line

Ranked first despite being the eighth-nearest candidate because it answers more of the 6pm questions than anything else in the radius, and it answers them in its own sentences with prices attached: drying facilities, evening meals from £14.00, packed lunches at £6.00, and the only stated room composition on an independent B&B here. Its family room is a room for three, not four — which is exactly the fact a family of four needs before booking, and the reason a bare family_rooms=yes would have been a worse row than this one.

The farmhouse sits below Arnison Crag and looks across at Place Fell and Angletarn Pikes — the two fells this start's routes climb.

  • Drying room “We also have drying facilities and a large patio and garden to enjoy the view.”
  • Family rooms “Family: Room for three with a double and one single bed.”
  • Evening meal “We offer hearty home-cooked breakfasts and evening meals as well as packed lunches if required.”
  • Packed lunch “Packed Lunches £6.00”

Worth knowing before you book

These places state on their own site that they do not take children.

What each place says about itself, quoted from their own site. We have not stayed at any of them, and there are no prices, no booking and no affiliate links. Distances are straight lines from the route start, never walking times. Properties found via OpenStreetMap.

Related routes

Similar routes nearby

All routes →
Brock Crags, Angletarn Pikes, Beda Fell & Place Fell
19.71 km · ~1070 m
Finishing of the Far Eastern Fells
22.5 km · ~1279 m
Place Fell and The Knight
7.12 km · ~514 m