Brunt Knott from Staveley
Start Staveley
Getting here Parking: Staveley village (paid/free mix), 0.1 km from the start (straight line). Bus: the 6 and 555 stop at Staveley, outside Abbey Square, a 190 m walk from this start. Getting there ↓ · Route map ↓
Hardest part Hard steepness: Steepest sustained climb about 32% around the 2.9 km mark.
Before you choose
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 Brunt Knott
Easy 89%Moderate 6%Hard 6%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 → Brunt Knott (3.4 km, 337 m)
From the start in Staveley, walk north through the village and cross the River Kent by Barley Bridge at about 0.5 km. Hall Lane climbs north-north-east from the bridge. At about 1.1 km a path leaves the lane and climbs north-east to about 205 m. A lane then runs north, nearly level, to about 2.2 km, where a farm road leads north-east to Brunt Knott Farm. Beyond the farm a track and then a grass path climb north-east onto the open fell, over a stile at about 2.7 km, to the trig pillar on Brunt Knott (427m) at about 3.4 km. The last climb is the steepest ground on the route, around the 2.9 km mark.
WaypointsStaveley, Barley Bridge over the River Kent, Hall Lane, Brunt Knott Farm, the stile at about 2.7 km, Brunt Knott summit trig pillar (427m).
Decision pointThe lanes and the farm road lead from the valley floor to Brunt Knott Farm; once on the grass, the white Ordnance Survey trig pillar on the summit is the target in clear weather.
Easy to get wrongThe lower tracks are frequently churned up by farm machinery and can run like shallow rivers after heavy Lakeland rain, while the open fell section is notorious for thick, hidden bogs and uneven tussocks that sap your momentum. During summer, dense bracken can heavily obscure the faint sheep trods on the final 10% approach to the summit, making the terrain highly uneven and demanding on the ankles.
If you need to get offThe map shows the line on lanes to about 2.2 km, apart from a path between about 1.1 and 1.8 km; above the lane, past Brunt Knott Farm to the top, no mapped path reaches a road sooner than going back, so the way off is back the way you came, never more than about 1.2 km to the lane; not walked for this guide.
Brunt Knott → Finish (5.4 km, 68 m)
Leave the top south-south-east on a grass path, losing about 65 m. The path then runs south-east along the broad ridge for about 1 km, with a short climb of about 20 m; Brunt Knott South Top (395m) is about 100 m away on your left at about 4.5 km. At about 5.1 km, through a gate, the path heads south-east to a stream, crossed at a mapped ford at about 5.45 km. Over a stile at about 5.65 km, take the public footpath past Potter Tarn, which is on your right: at the tarn's outflow OSM maps a boardwalk and stepping stones, and a step-over stile follows at about 5.85 km. The public footpath then heads west through gates to about 6.7 km. Cross a stream on a bridge and follow the track south-west past the farm at Froste Hall; from about 6.8 to 7.4 km it is a private road that carries a public footpath, and it climbs about 35 m. A lane then leads south-west through Craggy Wood to about 8.2 km. There a public footpath leads west-south-west to a footbridge over the River Kent at about 8.5 km. Cross it and go through Staveley Mill Yard to Main Street; Main Street and Back Lane lead back to the start.
WaypointsBrunt Knott summit, the ridge path past Brunt Knott South Top, the ford at about 5.45 km, Potter Tarn, Froste Hall, Craggy Wood, the footbridge over the River Kent, Staveley Mill Yard, Staveley (finish).
Decision pointPotter Tarn, on your right at about 5.7 km, is where the route joins the public footpath towards Froste Hall. From Froste Hall a track and then a lane lead south-west to the edge of Staveley.
Easy to get wrongThe stream at about 5.45 km is crossed at a mapped ford, and the outflow of Potter Tarn at about 5.8 km by a mapped boardwalk and stepping stones: after heavy rain, judge each before you cross. There are stiles at about 5.65 km (type not mapped) and 5.85 km (step-over). The lane from about 7.4 to 8.2 km has no pavement mapped. Where there is no pavement, keep to the right to face oncoming traffic, stay close to the side and be ready to walk in single file; before a sharp right-hand bend, cross to the other side and cross back after it. Wear something bright, or reflective in poor light (Highway Code rules 2 and 3).
If you need to get offFollow the route's own line to the finish.
GPX track for your GPS or phone. Planned route · not yet walked
Summits bagged (1)
- 1Brunt Knott427 m
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.
Getting there and back
Parking
1 more place to park near the start
Positions are approximate.
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
There is no real plan B by car here. Every place we know beside this route serves the same walks and sits close together, so expect them to fill on the same mornings. Worth starting early, or having a different walk in mind before you set off. The bus below is the exception: it is not limited by car-park space, though it runs to a timetable and can be full.
- Staveley village (paid/free mix) — at the start
- Roadside parking for Reston Scar (free) — joins the loop at about km 0.5 of 8.8: a 150 m walk to the line, and you walk the round from there
- By bus: buses stop at Staveley, outside Abbey Square, a 190 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 6 and 555 stop at Staveley, outside Abbey Square, a 190 m walk from this start. As timetabled from 27 October to 1 November. Towards Kendal (555): Tuesday to Saturday 23:55; Sunday 20:53. Towards Kendal (6): Tuesday to Saturday 16:17; Sunday 22:30. Checked against the operator’s timetable, 24 September 2026. Times here are a guide, not a promise — leave yourself more than the minute.
The 555 passes this route at 0.2 km (Staveley, outside Abbey Square, 80 m off the line). It passes again at 8.6 km.
Rural routes change seasonally — confirm on stagecoachbus.com (opens in new tab) or Traveline before travelling.
Toilets and refreshments
The essentials
- Arrival Parking in Staveley village, about 95 m from the start: a mix of paid and free spaces. No operator, fee or capacity is recorded for it here. 94 m in a straight line, not a walking distance. (our parking map, checked 2 August 2026)
- Toilets Toilets are mapped about 170 m from the start. 172 m in a straight line, not a walking distance. (OpenStreetMap, as mapped on 13 September 2026, checked 13 September 2026)
- Refreshments Mr Duffins Coffee is mapped beside the start, with Wilf’s Café (about 120 m), the Nook and more in the village. Check opening hours before you rely on them. 12 m in a straight line, not a walking distance. (OpenStreetMap, as mapped on 13 September 2026, checked 13 September 2026)
- Limitation A single top, but rated hard for steepness: 8.8 km and about 400 m of ascent, about 2¼ to 3¼ hours. (our route notes (this route's own summary), checked 1 October 2026)
Everything mapped near the start
At Staveley village (paid/free mix), the closest parking we hold to where this route starts:
Distances are straight lines from the car park, not walking routes. Opening hours change; none of this is checked daily.
Mapped as nearby on OpenStreetMap too, as of 13 September 2026, within 250 m of the start and not already listed above:
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: Steepness; terrain not assessed; exposure not assessed on the ground
Five independent axes, not one score. None of them was set on the ground: they are computed from the recorded track and the map, which measures the line rather than surveying the ground.
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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Brunt Knott | 3.4 km | 337 m | 1:14–1:39 |
| Finish | 8.8 km | 405 m | 2:26–3:14 |
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: Stiles or rough going on the route.
- Knees: A sustained ~19% descent over 250 m around the 3.5 km mark — a little jarring on tired knees.
With a dog
Hardest for a dog here: drops and exposed ground (estimated from the map). The steepest stretch is a sustained climb of about 32% around the 2.9 km mark.
- Drops and exposed ground: Not assessed on the ground; the map suggests Hard. Graded from slope only (~41% max); treat exposure as unverified.
- Stiles and gates: Stiles of unmapped type at 2.7 and 5.7 km — a dog may need lifting over. (OpenStreetMap, mapped as of 26 July 2026)
- Rock and scrambling: Ground underfoot: Not assessed.
- 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: 11 gates · 1 step-over stile · 2 stiles (type unmapped)
Barriers as mapped on OpenStreetMap, which can miss some. Spotted one? Tell us (opens in new tab). Barrier data as of 26 July 2026. Access data © OpenStreetMap contributors (via Overpass).
Places to stay near this start
We have not verified an independent place near this start — these are the chains and charities that serve it.
- Windermere Camping and Caravanning Club Site (opens in new tab) campsiteabout 2.0 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).