Brock Crags, Angletarn Pikes, Beda Fell & Place Fell
Photo: © Lee McCoy
Start Hartsop village (donation)
Getting here Parking: Hartsop village (donation), 0.0 km from the start (straight line). Bus: the 508 and 509 stop at Hartsop, adjacent to road end, a 580 m walk and 28 m of ascent from this start. Getting there ↓ · Route map ↓
Hardest part Hard distance: 19.71 km — a long day out. Hard steepness: Steepest sustained descent about 27% around the 15.7 km mark.
Before you choose
- A long day (nearly 20 km, over 1,000 m of ascent) — start early, carry food, water and layers, and keep an eye on the time and the light.
- Boggy in places, especially along the Beda Fell ridge and the cols — slow when wet.
- The higher ground can be confusing in mist — carry map and compass.
- Livestock on the lower fells and valleys; keep dogs under close control.
Conditions on this route
We score every Lakeland Wainwright each morning on cloud, wind, rain and underfoot, and this route crosses 4 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.
See also walking in bad weather and today’s conditions.
Route map
1 Brock Crags (Wainwright)2 Angletarn Pikes (Angletarn Pikes North Top)3 Beda Fell (Beda Head)4 Place Fell
Easy 69%Moderate 27%Hard 4%Severe
Heights on this chart and its high point are read from the track itself (a terrain model sampled along the line, or a GPS recording), so a top can differ from its listed height, usually reading lower.
Free mapping: OpenTopoMap / OpenStreetMap, with SRTM elevation data (switch layers top-right).
The elevation profile is under the map; the stage notes follow.
The walk, stage by stage
- 1
Start → Brock Crags (Wainwright) (4.4 km, 401 m)
From the Hartsop car park, follow the track up beside Hayeswater Gill. Leave it for the steep grassy slopes up to the lumpy plateau, and cross the plateau to the rocky summit outcrop of Brock Crags.
WaypointsHartsop car park, Hayeswater Gill (lower track), Satura Crag (approach), Brock Crags summit (561 m).
Decision pointHayeswater Gill is the handrail at first. On the plateau, aim for the rocky knoll of the summit, which stands out from the grassy hummocks.
Easy to get wrongThe lower tracks are hard-packed; the open fellside above is steep grass with boggy patches. In late summer bracken can hide the lower trods. The plateau is very wet after heavy rain.
If you need to get offRetrace your steps down the grassy slopes to the valley track and Hartsop.
© Lee McCoy · 2 photographs - 2
Brock Crags (Wainwright) → Angletarn Pikes (Angletarn Pikes North Top) (2.4 km, 102 m)
Leave Brock Crags heading east-north-east for about 0.4 km, then turn north-north-west and north-west across the boggy, undulating ground near Satura Crag. Follow the worn path round the eastern and northern shores of Angle Tarn, then make the short, rocky pull up to the North Top of Angletarn Pikes.
WaypointsBrock Crags, Satura Crag, Angle Tarn (eastern/northern shore), Angletarn Pikes North Top (566 m).
Decision pointAngle Tarn is the handrail: keep the water on your left (south and west) as you go round it.
Easy to get wrongThe gentle average hides constant small route choices: a maze of rocky knolls, hidden peat hags and sheep trods. The final pull to the Pike is over blocky, polished rock, slippery when wet.
If you need to get offFrom Angle Tarn, take the clear path north-west to Boredale Hause and down to Patterdale.
© Lee McCoy · 2 photographs - 3
Angletarn Pikes (Angletarn Pikes North Top) → Beda Fell (Beda Head) (3.0 km, 63 m)
From the twin tops of Angletarn Pikes, head north-east onto the long grassy ridge of Beda Fell. The path undulates gently down the spine over small saddles, with a final small rise to the cairn on Beda Head.
WaypointsAngletarn Pikes descent, Bedafell Knott, Beda Head summit (509 m).
Decision pointThe ridge is clear to follow, with Boredale below on your left (west) and Bannerdale on your right (east).
Easy to get wrongEasy walking, but the ridge is open to crosswinds, and its saddles hold standing water and deep peat hags.
If you need to get offIf the weather turns, retrace your steps south-west towards Angletarn Pikes and take the path junction at Boredale Hause down to Patterdale. Don't drop straight off Beda Fell's steep sides into the valleys: they are trackless.
© Lee McCoy - 4
Beda Fell (Beda Head) → Place Fell (5.2 km, 482 m)
Descend Beda Fell's ridge north to the valley floor. Turn west along the valley, then climb south-west up Place Fell's long north-eastern flank to the trig pillar on the top.
WaypointsBeda Fell north ridge, valley floor, Place Fell north-east flank, Place Fell summit (657 m).
Decision pointThe climb starts from the valley floor on the north-east side of the fell. The summit trig pillar sits on a rocky outcrop among smaller craggy hummocks.
Easy to get wrongA 482 m climb late in the day. It is steepest at the bottom, about 29% near 12.7 km, and eases above about 13 km. In cloud, Place Fell's rocky top is confusing, with small crags close by.
If you need to get offBoredale Hause is not on this leg. No other way off this leg has been checked for this guide.
© Lee McCoy Place Fell → Finish (4.8 km, 23 m)
Leave the summit of Place Fell south-south-east on the path, down the rocky upper steps to Boredale Hause (about 16.5 km). Carry on down to the valley, and follow it south back to Hartsop.
WaypointsPlace Fell summit, Boredale Hause, the valley floor, Hartsop.
Decision pointUllswater, to the west, is the catch feature, and the paths lead down to the valley.
Easy to get wrongA 462 m descent on tired legs; the rocky upper steps off Place Fell are slippery when wet. The valley floor is easy, on farm tracks.
If you need to get offThis is the way off. Keep to the paths; don't try to shortcut down Place Fell's steep, craggy western face above the lake.
© Lee McCoy
GPX track for your GPS or phone. Walked in part · km 2.8–3.3, km 10.0–14.9, km 16.7–19.3 from the map
Summits bagged (4)
- 1Brock Crags (Wainwright)561 m
- 2Angletarn Pikes (Angletarn Pikes North Top)566 m
- 3Beda Fell (Beda Head)509 m
- 4Place Fell657 m
In the order you walk them — the same numbers the elevation profile, the stage notes and the pacing table use.
More about this walk
A grand tour of the quieter Far Eastern fells, with Angle Tarn and the Ullswater view from Place Fell as the highlights — a long but rewarding round.
Conditions and timing
Check live conditions in the “From the fells” panel, on MWIS (opens in new tab) and the Met Office mountain forecast (opens in new tab) before you set off.
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.
- 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.
How to read these times
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.
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.
Getting there and back
Parking
2 more places to park near the start
Positions are approximate.
Of the pay-and-display machine tickets sold at Cow Bridge from 17 August 2024 to 31 March 2026, 34% were bought before 10am (our count of FOI/2026.500 ticket data). Contains public sector information provided by the Lake District National Park Authority and licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Vehicles are left at their owner’s risk: we list places people park and cannot vouch for any of them. Take valuables with you and leave nothing on show.
If the parking is full
If the first one is full, these overlap least in our model. The 3 below sit in different places or are different kinds of parking, so a busy morning at one does not mean a busy morning at all of them.
- Hartsop village (donation) — at the start
- Steel Knotts (layby) — joins the loop at about km 11 of 19.7: a 470 m walk to the line, and you walk the round from there
- Cow Bridge (layby) — joins the loop at about km 19.2 of 19.7: a 440 m walk to the line, and you walk the round from there
- By bus: buses stop at Hartsop, adjacent to road end, a 580 m walk from the start. A bus is not affected by a full car park. Its return times are under Buses.
We never say whether anywhere has spaces today. Walks to the line are measured along mapped paths (OpenStreetMap), not in a straight line. How we choose these places.
No signal when you get there? RoutePark keeps this list on your phone: choose this walk’s GPX at home, keep it, and it opens offline.
Buses
The 508 and 509 stop at Hartsop, adjacent to road end, a 580 m walk 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; that timetable runs to 1 November 2026. Times here are a guide, not a promise — leave yourself more than the minute.
The 508 passes this route at 19.2 km (Hartsop, adjacent to road end, 40 m off the line).
Rural routes change seasonally — confirm on stagecoachbus.com (opens in new tab) or Traveline before travelling.
Toilets and refreshments
The essentials
- Arrival Hartsop village car park, beside the start: it asks an optional donation, not a charge. 5 m in a straight line, not a walking distance. (Lee, who walked past it on 14 August 2026, checked 14 August 2026)
- Toilets No toilets are mapped within 250 m of the start. (OpenStreetMap, as mapped on 13 September 2026, checked 13 September 2026)
- Refreshments No café or pub is mapped within 250 m of the start: bring what you need. (OpenStreetMap, as mapped on 13 September 2026, checked 13 September 2026)
- Limitation The higher ground can be confusing in mist: carry a map and compass. (our route notes (this route's own warnings), checked 28 September 2026)
Everything mapped near the start
Mapped as nearby on OpenStreetMap, as of 13 September 2026, within 250 m of where this route starts (information boards within 150 m; benches and shelter within 50 m):
Also mapped within reach: a bench.
Distances are straight lines from where this route starts, not walking routes. Opening hours are as mapped and change; none of this is checked daily.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (opens in new tab), ODbL.
Water, shelter & getting away
On-route facilities © OpenStreetMap contributors — an absent marker does not mean the facility isn’t there.
Getting there across the Lake District: Buses · Parking map · By train · By boat
Planning detail
How each grade on this page is set, and the timings stage by stage.
Difficulty profile
Hard overall — hardest: Length and steepness
Five independent axes, not one score. Three of the five were set on the ground; the rest are computed from the recorded track and the map, which measures the line rather than surveying the ground. This line was walked in part, so a grade set on the ground covers the stretches Lee walked; km 2.8–3.3, km 10.0–14.9, km 16.7–19.3 are from the map.
How we grade: each axis is Easy, Moderate, Hard or Severe, and a route between two bands takes the higher one. Length: under 8 km, 8–14 km, 14–20 km, over 20 km. Steepness, the steepest 500 m of the track: under 15%, 15–25%, 25–35%, over 35%. Terrain, navigation and exposure are judged rather than measured, and each note says why. How we grade.
Pacing
| Summit | Cumulative | Ascent | Time (fast–steady) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Brock Crags (Wainwright) | 4.4 km | 401 m | 1:33–2:04 |
| 2Angletarn Pikes (Angletarn Pikes North Top) | 6.8 km | 504 m | 2:12–2:56 |
| 3Beda Fell (Beda Head) | 9.8 km | 567 m | 2:54–3:52 |
| 4Place Fell | 15.0 km | 1049 m | 4:44–6:18 |
| Finish | 19.7 km | 1072 m | 5:44–7:37 |
A fast–steady range from Naismith’s rule, deliberately on the slow side. Breaks, weather, rough ground and the slowest person in your party all add to it. How we time walks.
Access & barriers
Can a dog, a buggy or dodgy knees manage this route?
- Buggy: Not a pushchair route.
- Knees: A long, steep ~32% drop over 250 m around the 10.2 km mark — hard on the knees.
With a dog
Hardest for a dog here: stiles and gates. The steepest stretch is a sustained descent of about 27% around the 15.7 km mark.
- Stiles and gates: Stiles of unmapped type at 3.8, 11.6 and 11.7 km — a dog may need lifting over. (OpenStreetMap, mapped as of 12 July 2026)
- Rock and scrambling: Ground underfoot: Moderate – graded by Lee on the ground, on the stretches he walked. Good fell paths with boggy stretches on the ridges and cols.
- Drops and exposed ground: Easy – graded by Lee on the ground, on the stretches he walked. Rounded fells and no scrambling on the paths. Place Fell's rocky top has small crags close by, so keep to the path in cloud.
- Ways off early: None recorded for this route.
- Livestock, shade and water: Not recorded for this route yet. We never call a stream safe for a dog to drink, so carry enough for both of you. The lead rules, and what to do around cattle, are on dogs on the fells.
On the line: 10 gates · 2 kissing gates · 3 stiles (type unmapped)
Barriers as mapped on OpenStreetMap, which can miss some. Spotted one? Tell us (opens in new tab). Barrier data as of 12 July 2026. Access data © OpenStreetMap contributors (via Overpass).
Places to stay near this start
- Greenbank Farm Bed and Breakfast (opens in new tab) guest houseabout 1.8 km
We have not stayed at any of them. We take no bookings or affiliate fees. Distances are straight lines from the route start, never walking times. Properties found via OpenStreetMap (opens in new tab).
Walks from places nearby
- Walks from Angle Tarn (Patterdale) — 1.5 km from this start
- Walks from Patterdale — 3.4 km from this start
Straight-line distance from this walk’s start. Those lists hold the routes we have mapped and every Wainwright and Outlying fell within about 5 km of the town, ranked nearest first.
