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Although "Wainwright" describes a route up to Calfhow Pike from Fornside in St Johns in the Vale, there is actually no public access to the fells via the fields of Fornside Farm. This problem can be avoided by using a little known path from Castle Rock in St Johns in the Vale which traverses above the intake wall bringing you out above the farm where an old "peat track" ascends a rib to Calfhow Pike. The track was used to transport peat on sleds down to the farm from the Dodds ridge over 200 years ago. Because it is rarely walked (other than by Fornside residents, such as myself!) the path is not eroded and the zig-zags to assist the passage of the sled mean that height is gained surprisingly easily over very steep ground. This walk is well worth doing with excellent and unusual views and because so few people know of the path between Castle Rock and Calfhow Pike, you are unlikely to meet another walker on this part of the route. Stay above the fellwall between Castle Rock and Fornside and you will remain "legal" without trespassing on private land. THIS ROUTE IS NOT RECOMMENDED IN MIST.
Start at the carpark at Legburthwaite (GR NY318196) half a mile down the B5322 from its junction with the A591. The carpark is on the west side of the B5322. Opposite the carpark on the east side of the road is a stile which marks the track leading up to Castle Rock. The track to Castle Rock ascends steeply and crosses a leat built to carry diverted water from Mill Gill to Thirlmere. Castle Rock is an impressive climbing cliff. Well named, it is easy to understand how it came to feature in an epic Arthurian poem by Sir Walter Scott called the "Bridal of Triermain" - King Arthur has ridden south from Carlisle..... ....past huge Blencathra’s ridgy back / ‘til on his course obliquely shone / the narrow valley of St John / and midmost of the Vale, a mound / arose with mighty turrets crown’d / and mighty keep and tower. Once the foot of the rock is reached turn left (north) and ford a stream below a waterfall in Mill Gill where walking poles will be found useful for balance. Follow the faint track above the fell wall for threequarters of a mile until Fornside is seen below. Pass the first gate in the fellwall and proceed for two hundred yards until a second gate is reached by the corner of a small wood. A small gill tumbles down the fellside. Climb from the gate up the left (north) bank of the gill and after a hundred feet or so look for the peat track rising diagonally to your left. Follow the track for a few hundred yards to cross rocky gill and follow the faint path onto a steepish rib of grass and rock above Beckthorne’s Gill. The old peat track zig zags up the rib and makes the steep climb relatively easy. The views south along St Johns in the Vale are good and can only really be seen from this rib. Beckthorne’s Rib reaches the peat moor near a small ruined sheepfold (GR327212). In clear weather, Calfhow Pike (looking like a Dartmoor tor) can be seen quarter of a mile away just south of east. A steadily rising climb with no path leads to the Pike which is a good viewpoint. Clear paths lead from the Pike north to Clough Head and southeast to our next objective Great Dodd. After half a mile the main path reaches the shoulder called Little Dodd and at this point branch left (east) and take a curving path leading to Great Dodd summit cairn after quarter of a mile. A better lunch stop is at a shelter 100 yards to the south east. From Great Dodd shelter follow a path leading over level ground to Watson’s Dodd which is reached after half a mile. Note: On the Dodds ridge it is easy to miss out the summits by accident. On this leg of the walk keep to the west, taking paths to the right when a choice is available. The summit is hardly noticable being a minor pile of stones on a flat moor. From Watson’s Dodd a path heading south east over level ground reaches the summit of Stybarrow Dodd after less than half a mile. Like Watson’s Dodd, the summit is hardly noticable. From the summit a path leads south west and then due south and drops down to the summit of Sticks Pass where a small cairn and post mark one of the least impressive passes in the Lakes. Turn right and follow a gradually steepening path which eventually reaches a sheepfold above Stannah Gill. From the sheepfold good views open up of St Johns in the Vale and High Rigg and a steeper path zig zags down the fellside to rejoin the road at the hamlet of Stannah. Turn right onto the B5322 and follow it for half a mile back to the carpark at Legburthwaite. Suggested Maps It is recommended you take a map with you when following a walk route. The preferred scale is 1:25000 used by the Explorer series.
Note : If two maps are listed at the same scale then either (a) both are required for full coverage of the route or (b) the route is covered on both maps. Hedgehog Hill, Keswick - Cumbria Fountain Cottage, Keswick - Cumbria Stybarrow Cottage, Glenridding, Ullswater - Cumbria Cherry Holme, Glenridding, Ullswater - Cumbria Peat Howe Barn, Keswick - Cumbria Stoneygill & Stoneyacre, Newlands, Keswick - Cumbria Bawd Hall, Newlands, Keswick - Cumbria Lake District Cottages, Keswick - Cumbria Stay in the Lake District, Keswick - Cumbria Langdale Estate, Great Langdale - Cumbria Self Catering Directory Walks & Peaks Bedsearcher NOTE - all distances are "as the crow flies"
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