Scope End, Hindscarth & Dale Head from Little Town
Start Chapel Bridge Car Park
Getting here Parking: Little Town, Newlands (paid, small), 0.1 km from the start (straight line). Bus: the 77 stops at Manesty, outside Cocklety How; from there it is 2.7 km and 301 m of ascent to this start. And the same back: about 17.5 km in all, with the walk. Seasonal: the 77 does not run all year. 1 November 2026 is its last day. Getting there ↓ · Route map ↓
Hardest part Severe steepness: Steepest sustained descent about 37% around the 6.8 km mark. Hands for a few steps: short awkward scrambles on the lower Scope End ridge (km 3.6–4.7).
Before you choose
- The descent off Dale Head is sustained and steep (around 43% at its worst) — take it slowly, and expect hard, slow going in the wet.
- Scope End's nose and the long descent off Dale Head are steep grass and scree: slippery after rain and hazardous in frost or snow.
- Hindscarth and Dale Head are broad, grassy, near-featureless tops — in cloud, take a compass bearing off each summit before setting off.
- Dale Head drops away in crags on its Newlands (north) face; in poor visibility be sure you've picked up the correct descent line and don't drift onto the steep ground.
- Hindscarth: The lower ridge is craggy with short awkward scrambles, and higher up the path runs along a narrow, airy terrace close to the steep western edge above High Crags. It gets greasy and slippery when wet. Keep to the crest where the terrace feels exposed, and save it for dry conditions if you're unsure.
Conditions on this route
We score every Lakeland Wainwright each morning on cloud, wind, rain and underfoot, and this route crosses 2 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 Scope End2 Red Knott3 High Crags (Newlands)4 Hindscarth5 Dale Head
Easy 67%Moderate 17%Hard 14%Severe 2%
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
Chapel Bridge Car Park → Scope End (2.5 km, 280 m)
Decision pointFrom Little Town take the lane toward the old Goldscope mine and pick up the path onto the foot of the Scope End ridge; once on the crest the line is obvious.
Easy to get wrongDon't carry on up the valley floor past the ridge foot — if you aren't gaining the crest within the first ten minutes, you've missed the turn.
If you need to get offThe map shows the line on the lane to about 0.75 km, then on paths up onto the Scope End ridge; no mapped path reaches a road sooner than going back, so the way off is back the way you came, never more than about 1.8 km; not walked for this guide.
- 2
Scope End → Red Knott (0.5 km, 59 m)
If you need to get offThe map shows no mapped way off between Scope End and Dale Head: back or on, and back down the Scope End ridge is the shorter, never more than about 2.3 km to the lane; not walked for this guide.
- 3
Red Knott → High Crags (Newlands) (0.6 km, 77 m)
If you need to get offThe map shows no mapped way off between Scope End and Dale Head: back or on, and back down the Scope End ridge is the shorter, never more than about 2.9 km to the lane; not walked for this guide.
- 4
High Crags (Newlands) → Hindscarth (1.1 km, 214 m)
Decision pointThe ridge steepens to Hindscarth's summit cairn; the path stays clear throughout.
Easy to get wrongLower down, the Scope End ridge is craggy with short awkward scrambles; higher up the path runs along a narrow, airy terrace close to the steep western edge above High Crags.
If you need to get offThe map shows no mapped way off between Scope End and Dale Head: back or on, and back over High Crags and down the Scope End ridge is the shorter, never more than about 4 km to the lane; not walked for this guide.
- 5
Hindscarth → Dale Head (1.7 km, 117 m)
Decision pointFrom Hindscarth drop to the col and follow Hindscarth Edge up to Dale Head; the line of old fence posts guides you.
Easy to get wrongIn cloud, don't confuse the Hindscarth Edge branch with the spur running north back toward Scope End.
If you need to get offThe map shows no usable way off between Hindscarth and Dale Head: the mapped paths down from Hindscarth Edge pass mapped crag and scree. The way off is back over Hindscarth and down the Scope End ridge, or on over Dale Head and down the walk's own line to Little Town, up to about 5.6 km either way; not walked for this guide.
Dale Head → Finish (5.6 km, 10 m)
Decision pointLeave Dale Head's summit east-south-east on the path down towards Dale Head Tarn, then turn north and descend into the head of the Newlands valley, past old copper-mine workings, and follow the valley track back to Little Town.
Easy to get wrongDale Head's north face is craggy — hold the path and resist dropping straight toward the valley you can see below; that ground is steep and broken.
GPX track for your GPS or phone. Planned route · not yet walked
Make it easier or harder
Easier: Turn back at Hindscarth and return down Scope End the way you came: about 9.5 km in all, skipping Dale Head.
Harder: Extend into the full Newlands Horseshoe by continuing from Dale Head over High Spy, Maiden Moor and Cat Bells before dropping back to Little Town.
Why this direction: Climb the steep Scope End nose rather than descend it — kinder on the knees and far safer on greasy grass — and it saves the best ridge views for the way up. The gentler valley track then makes an easy descent.
Summits bagged (5)
- 1Scope End412 m
- 2Red Knott452 m
- 3High Crags (Newlands)529 m
- 4Hindscarth727 m
- 5Dale Head754 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
Little Town sits right under Cat Bells, so Newlands catches the overspill from the honeypot next door — but almost everyone stops at Cat Bells. Start up Scope End instead and the crowds thin out within ten minutes. Roadside parking in Newlands is very limited, so arrive early or you'll end up driving back out.
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
2 more places 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 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.
- Little Town, Newlands (paid, small) — at the start
- Rowling End, south (layby) — a 160 m walk to the start
- Littletown Glamping, Newlands (paid) — a 240 m walk to the start
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 77 stops at Manesty, outside Cocklety How. From there it is 2.7 km and 301 m of ascent to this start — a walk in before the walk. And the same back: about 17.5 km in all, with the walk. Seasonal: the 77 does not run all year. 1 November 2026 is its last day. It returns on 22 March 2027. Confirmed with the operator: its last day on 29 August 2026, its return on 16 October 2026. The last bus is 18:54 towards Keswick (77), 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.
Rural routes change seasonally — confirm on stagecoachbus.com (opens in new tab) or Traveline before travelling.
Toilets and refreshments
The essentials
- Arrival A small paid car park at Little Town, about 55 m from the start; no operator or price is recorded for it. A hand-painted sign by Littletown Glamping, about 325 m away, asks £5 for all-day parking. 56 m in a straight line, not a walking distance. (our parking map; the Littletown Glamping sign: Lee's photo, 11 July 2026, checked 11 July 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 descent off Dale Head is sustained and steep, around 43% at its worst, on grass and scree that is slippery after rain and hazardous in frost or snow. (our route notes (this route's own warnings), checked 2 October 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
Severe 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Scope End | 2.5 km | 280 m | 0:58–1:18 |
| 2Red Knott | 3.0 km | 338 m | 1:10–1:33 |
| 3High Crags (Newlands) | 3.6 km | 415 m | 1:25–1:53 |
| 4Hindscarth | 4.7 km | 629 m | 2:00–2:39 |
| 5Dale Head | 6.5 km | 746 m | 2:32–3:23 |
| Finish | 12.1 km | 757 m | 3:41–4:53 |
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 long, steep ~43% drop over 250 m around the 6.8 km mark — hard on the knees.
With a dog
Hardest for a dog here: drops and exposed ground (estimated from the map). The steepest stretch is a sustained descent of about 37% around the 6.8 km mark.
- Drops and exposed ground: Not assessed on the ground; the map suggests Hard. Graded from slope only (~43% max); treat exposure as unverified.
- Stiles and gates: A stile of unmapped type at 12.0 km — a dog may need lifting over. (OpenStreetMap, mapped as of 9 July 2026)
- Rock and scrambling: Hands for a few steps: short awkward scrambles on the lower Scope End ridge (km 3.6–4.7). 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: 1 stile (type unmapped)
Barriers as mapped on OpenStreetMap, which can miss some. Spotted one? Tell us (opens in new tab). Barrier data as of 9 July 2026. Access data © OpenStreetMap contributors (via Overpass).
Places to stay near this start
- Braeside (opens in new tab) self-cateringabout 4.5 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 Grange-in-Borrowdale — 2.9 km from this start
- Walks from Lodore Falls — 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.
