Bampton Fell

The walk, stage by stage

1. 1

   Start → Bampton Fell (Bampton Common) (4.2 km, 279 m)

   Climb of about 279 m over 4.2 km (around 7% average).

   Leave the valley bottom—typically starting near the Haweswater dam or Burnbanks—and begin the steady, drawn-out ascent onto the vast, open expanse of Bampton Common. The gradient is relatively forgiving but persistent, winding up through bracken-clad lower slopes before crossing the intake walls and emerging onto a wide, rolling, and largely pathless moorland plateau that makes up the summit area of Bampton Fell

   Waypoints

   Haweswater dam/Burnbanks approach, lower intake walls, Bampton Common plateau, Bampton Fell summit area

   Decision point

   The drystone intake walls provide a solid, reliable guide on the lower slopes. Once you break out onto the open fell, navigation relies heavily on maintaining a steady compass bearing, as the rounded, featureless topography of the common offers very few distinct landmarks in thick clag

   Easy to get wrong

   The primary challenge here is the sheer trackless nature of the upper common. The grass is notoriously tussocky and conceals sudden, deep bogs, particularly after the autumn rains. While the physical ascent is only moderate, the lack of defined trails means your ankles will take a beating on the uneven, yielding moorland, and summer bracken on the lower slopes can obscure old sheep trods

   If you need to get off

   The safest retreat is to simply turn around and head downhill (generally north or east); the broad slopes will naturally funnel you safely back towards the enclosed agricultural land and minor lanes around Bampton and Burnbanks. Do not drift aggressively south, as you will eventually encounter the steep, craggy drops overlooking the Haweswater shoreline

2. Bampton Fell (Bampton Common) → Finish (7.0 km, 176 m)

   Climb of about 176 m over 7.0 km (around 3% average).

   Strike out across the undulating, expansive moorland of the common, navigating a series of minor grassy bumps and broad depressions that account for the residual 176m of climbing. Eventually, you will begin a sweeping descent off the high ground, picking up the ancient corpse road or lower agricultural tracks that contour down the fellside, funneling you back into the valley network to close the long loop at your starting point

   Waypoints

   Bampton Common upland, trackless depressions, old Corpse Road / farm tracks, Burnbanks / Haweswater finish

   Decision point

   Your primary goal on the descent is to intercept the historical Corpse Road or the prominent boundary walls that slice across the lower fell; once located, these distinct trackways serve as bombproof linear handrails that will guide you dependably off the common

   Easy to get wrong

   The 7 km return is a deceptively long slog across terrain that feels uniform and highly disorienting in mist. The minor depressions between the rises hold standing water year-round, meaning a direct compass line often leads straight into a boot-sucking peat bog; route-picking is essential. The descent paths, once you find them, are deeply rutted by farm vehicles and livestock, often turning into slick clay chutes in wet weather

   If you need to get off

   This lengthy return stage acts as a progressive, non-committing walk-out. If fatigue sets in, the safest bailout is to maintain a steady eastward or north-eastward bearing, which will drop you securely off the high moorland and onto the network of quiet country lanes serving the sheltered Bampton valley