Is the weather looking nice? Would you like to do full days walk? Over a range of summits that include 2 Wainwrights? Would you like to see great views? Would you like to start a walk with a boat ride across one of England’s most picturesque lakes? Are you staying near the far Eastern fells? If it is yes to all of the above, then here’s a perfect walk for you. A 6.8mile line walk which takes you up above 500m to the summits of Bonscale Pike, Arthur’s Pike, White Knott, and Heughscar Hill.
The route starts in Howtown and ends in Pooley Bridge, providing excellent views of Ullswater. The best way to do the walk is to park your car in Pooley Bridge and catch the Ullswater Steamer across the lake to Howtown. The journey takes about 20 minutes, providing breathtaking views of the lake and the surrounding mountains. We captured some amazing shots as shown below.
The Ullswater Steamer timetable changes throughout the year. It is worth checking on their site to see what time the crossings are. In May, we caught the first boat of the day at 9.35 am. The next boat didn’t leave until 11.15 am, so it’s defiantly worth checking. An added bonus with us being on the first crossing of the day, they gave us 10% off our ticket. That’s worth noting if you’re after saving a bit of cash on your holiday. Fare prices change throughout the seasons, and prices vary on the type of ticket you want. In May, it cost us £7.05 with the 10% discount for a single ticket. You only need a single fair for this walk as you will be finishing the walk back in Pooley Bridge. We brought our ticket on the day from the ticket office there. However, you can purchase one online beforehand if you are planning on going at a very busy time.
Here is the link for the Ullswater website see their timetable and fair prices:
Here is our 6.8mile route which we took from Howtown to Pooley Bridge:
Bonscale Pike, Arthur’s Pike, White Knott, and Heughscar Hill Line Walk
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- Bonscale Pike
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- Arthur’s Pike
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- White Knott
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- Heughscar Hill
1.
Park your car in the Pooley Bridge Dunmallard car park, just off the B5320, next to River Eamont, costing £8 for the day. The machine takes card payments and cash.
2.
Take a right out of the car park and walk along the footpath to the Ullswater Steamer. You can buy your ticket from the ticket box there. Catch the boat across to Howtown. I recommended sitting at the front of the boat on the left-hand side for the best views.
3.
This is where your walk starts. Walk along the wooden jetty to the path forks. Take the fork to the left and head towards the road. Cross over the road to walk slightly to your left. You will soon see a footpath sign on your right-hand side. Take the footpath across the field to the next gate.
4.
Go through the gate and follow the short path to the next gate. Pass through the next gate. You should be at a path junction. Take the path which leads right.
5.
Follow the path towards Melguards. Keep an eye out on the lightly marked grass paths on your left-hand side. There should be two. Walk past the first one, take the second one. The path should go straight up the steep hillside. They are not super easy to see. We walked straight passed them! If you have walked too far, you will end up at Melguards farmhouse where the path ends.
6.
Follow the steep path up until you reach a path junction. Take the path on the left which will take you across and up until it meets another junction. Take the path on your right-hand side which takes you up steeply onto the ridge. On the way up, you should hopefully see stunning views of Ullswater and surrounding mountains. I prefer climbing steeply, as it gets you to the summit quicker! Maybe I’m just impatient!
7.
Once you reach the ridge you should see a path junction. Take the path to your left. Follow the path along the ridge to Bonscale Pike, 524m, a Wainwright summit. This was where we stopped for lunch. It was a perfect location to admire the beautiful scenery. The photo below shows our lunch spot.
8.
After you have finished enjoying the view on Bonscale Pike, continue along the path. The path will lead you down to a little valley where you will see a stream trickling by. Cross over the stream. You should see a choice of two paths. They are not very clear! Take the one to your right.
9.
Walk along the path taking you up towards Arthur’s Pike. The path should take you to a junction. Take the path on the left. Shortly after you arrive at another path junction. Again, take the path on your left. This path will lead you straight to the summit of Arthur’s Pike, 532m, another Wainwright summit.
10.
Once you have finished enjoying the views at the summit, continue on the path, heading straight across at the crossroad junction towards White Knott. Along the route to the summit you pass a path junction, you can take either. We took the one on the left to get better views of Ullswater. Shortly after this junction, you should reach the summit of White Knotts, 422m.
11.
Once you’ve had the chance to take in the views and enjoy your time at the summit, head-on along the path. You will see a path merging into the path you’re on. Carry on walking along the path going forward until you reach the next path junction. At this path junction take the path on your right towards Ketley Gate. If you’re getting tired or short of time by this point, you can take the path on your left-hand side. This is a short cut route back down into Pooley Bridge.
12.
For the ones who are happy to carry on and challenge yourselves to yet another summit, carry on along the footpath to the junction at Ketley Gate. Head straight across the footpath up towards the next path junction. Take the footpath on your left-hand side up Heughscar Hill. It is only a short climb up, providing views of the Pennines, Penrith, and Ullswater at a different angle. As you climb up your path, you will reach another junction, turn left. Shortly after, take the path on your right. You will see a lot of little footpaths around. The one’s going up all lead to the summit. It doesn’t matter which one you take, as long as you arrive at the little pile of rocks marking the summit, Heughscar Hill, 375m. A lot of them are like little sheep paths.
13.
We sat and had a bite to eat whilst enjoying the view, resting our feet before the descent down into Pooley Bridge. Once you’re ready for the descent down, make sure you head down on the right path. It’s the path that travels opposite to the tree line. If your path is parallel to the wooded area or heading towards it, then you’re on the wrong one! Once you are confident you’re on the right path, follow it down. The path should curve round to the left, passing a little rocky area.
14.
Follow along the path for a short distance until the path forks. Take the right fork down. Carry on walking down crossing straight across the crossroads towards the treeline. The path steers to the left. Follow the path until it meets the main chalked path. Turn right and head down to the gate.
15.
Pass through the gate and walk along the road straight down into Pooley Bridge, crossing over the crossroads. At the next junction, follow the road round to your left, through the village, and over the bridge back to your car. The car park is located on your right-hand side. We decided to stop at the Crown Inn for tea, sitting out in their beer garden looking over the River Eamont. We certainly earned burger and Cider that night for tea!
Here is a little vlog of our day completing the walk above:
