Birketts to the South of Ullswater

The walk, stage by stage

1. 1

   Start → Sleet Fell (2.2 km, 215 m)

   Descent of about 68 m, then a climb of about 215 m, over 2.2 km.

   From St Peter's Church at the Hause, climb straight onto the steep, bracken-covered lower slopes. The route heads generally south-west, climbing a broad grassy spur (OSM maps a path up it) that slowly elevates you above the shoreline of Ullswater to reach the modest, gently rounded summit of Sleet Fell.

   Waypoints

   St Peter's Church at the Hause (start), lower intake walls, Sleet Fell summit (378m).

   Decision point

   The glittering expanse of Ullswater directly behind you provides a massive, distinctive rear-reference point. Keep the intake walls of the valley to your left (east) as a boundary funneling you onto the correct spur.

   Easy to get wrong

   As with many of the lower far-eastern fells, summer bracken is your primary enemy here. It grows chest-high on these lower slopes, completely obliterating any faint sheep trods, hiding uneven ground, and acting as a haven for ticks. The lack of a defined path means the 9% gradient feels much harder as you fight through the vegetation.

   If you need to get off

   Simply turn 180 degrees and march straight back down the grassy spur. You have continuous line-of-sight to the valley floor, providing an immediate retreat to the starting lanes.

2. 2

   Sleet Fell → Low Birk Fell (2.2 km, 201 m)

   Descent of about 177 m, then a climb of about 201 m, over 2.2 km.

   This stage drops to the valley side before it climbs. From Sleet Fell, go back north down the path you came up for about 0.5 km, then turn south-west onto a footway that runs at about 240 m for about 0.5 km, crossing small streams at fords OSM marks on the line. Paths then lead west and north down to a public bridleway, about 40 m from a building OSM names Lowther Barn Tea Room. Follow the bridleway west-south-west over two bridges, the second across Scalehow Beck, to the stage's low point, about 190 m. Just past it, leave the bridleway and climb west-north-west to Low Birk Fell; this last 0.6 km is on ground where OSM maps no path.

   Waypoints

   Sleet Fell summit (378m), the path back down north, the footway fords, the Scalehow Beck bridge on the bridleway (low point, about 190m), Low Birk Fell (373m).

   Decision point

   As far as the bridleway the stage is on mapped lines: the path you came up, a footway, then paths down to the public bridleway. From the point where you leave the bridleway, Low Birk Fell is about 0.5 km to the west; use a compass bearing to hold the line if the cloud is down. The higher bulk of the main Birk Fell summit lies about 1.5 km to the south-west.

   Easy to get wrong

   Much of the height gained on Stage 1 is given back: the track loses about 150 m between Sleet Fell and the Scalehow Beck bridge, so most of the stage's 181 m of climbing comes in its last 0.6 km, off any mapped path, where OSM maps crags within about 10 to 30 m of the line.

   If you need to get off

   Reversing your route back over Sleet Fell to the start is the way back. Do not attempt to bail west towards the lake; no line that way has been checked for this guide.

3. 3

   Low Birk Fell → Birk Fell (Bleaberry Knott - Birk Fell) (1.5 km, 151 m)

   Climb of about 151 m over 1.5 km (around 10% average).

   Push south from Low Birk Fell, tackling a steeper, rockier series of shelves and craglets. You will need to pick a careful line through blocky volcanic rock and steep heather to finally break out onto the exposed, high-level plateau of Birk Fell, marked by a scattering of minor rocky tops including Bleaberry Knott.

   Waypoints

   Low Birk Fell, Bleaberry Knott, Birk Fell plateau (512m).

   Decision point

   The western edge of the plateau drops vertically into the lake; use this sheer boundary as a hard handrail, but maintain a safe distance from the edge, particularly in high winds.

   Easy to get wrong

   This section may require brief, hands-on scrambling over rocky steps that become highly treacherous when coated in wet lichen. Once you crest the plateau, you lose the shelter of the lower slopes and are fully exposed to the prevailing westerly winds blasting across Ullswater.

   If you need to get off

   Retreating north down your ascent path is the usual way back. Do not drop west: the plateau's western edge drops steeply towards the lake, and bailing east drops you into complex, pathless ravines above Boredale.

4. 4

   Birk Fell (Bleaberry Knott - Birk Fell) → The Knight (0.8 km, 66 m)

   Climb of about 66 m over 0.8 km (around 8% average).

   Traverse south-east across the broad, undulating, and often saturated high plateau of the Place Fell massif. Navigate the confusing network of peat hags, tarns, and grassy hummocks to locate the very minor, rocky bump known as The Knight, sitting quietly on the expansive moor.

   Waypoints

   Birk Fell plateau, The Knight (552m).

   Decision point

   Rely heavily on strict compass bearings and pacing if visibility drops. The massive, towering bulk of Place Fell to the south acts as a huge, unavoidable backstop if you drift too far.

   Easy to get wrong

   This plateau is a micro-navigation nightmare in thick hill fog. The Knight is an incredibly subtle Birkett, barely distinguishable from a dozen other identical rocky outcrops. The ground is a sponge, guaranteeing wet boots if you fail to carefully link the drier, rocky sections.

   If you need to get off

   There are no immediate lateral escapes from the center of this plateau. You must either push forward towards High Dodd or fall back to the known ground of Birk Fell.

5. 5

   The Knight → High Dodd (1.6 km, 65 m)

   Descent of about 48 m, with about 65 m of climbing, over 1.6 km.

   Continue tracking north-east across the high ground, linking faint sheep trods over a wide, marshy saddle. Leave the rocky outcrops behind as the terrain transitions back to thick grass, making a gentle, dragging pull up to the smooth, domed summit of High Dodd.

   Waypoints

   The Knight, connecting saddle, High Dodd summit (501m).

   Decision point

   The steep drops into the Boredale and Martindale valleys to your east and north-east provide a broad, clear visual handrail. Keep to the high, domed ground and avoid straying too close to the steepening eastern flanks.

   Easy to get wrong

   The wet underfoot conditions persist, and the lack of a distinct path means energy is continuously sapped fighting through tussock grass and reeds. The 51 meters of ascent is negligible on paper but feels like a heavy drag on tired legs across this spongy terrain.

   If you need to get off

   No way off has been checked from the saddle before High Dodd, and the slope east into Boredale is steep: stay on the high ground and complete the stage.

6. High Dodd → Finish (3.1 km, 93 m)

   Descent of about 327 m, then a climb of about 93 m, over 3.1 km.

   Plunge east-north-east off the steep, grassy flanks of High Dodd, picking up intermittent zig-zags through the bracken to reach the lower farm intake walls. Once off the open fell, follow the undulating, enclosed valley-bottom paths and quiet country lanes back to your starting point at St Peter's Church.

   Waypoints

   High Dodd eastern descent, Martindale/Boredale intake walls, valley floor tracks, St Peter's Church (finish).

   Decision point

   The valley floor, the boundary walls, and the glittering expanse of Ullswater ahead are massive, inescapable visual targets. Aim directly for the distinct line of the intake walls at the base of the fell, which will seamlessly funnel you onto the farm tracks.

   Easy to get wrong

   The initial descent off High Dodd is aggressively steep on wet grass, posing a massive slip hazard that demands walking poles or careful zig-zagging. Lower down, the summer bracken completely swallows the faint paths, turning the final drop to the boundary walls into a frustrating, tick-ridden bushwhack.

   If you need to get off

   You are on the final escape route. Stay on the route's line down; no other way off has been checked for this guide.