Low Kop - Lake District Walk

Wednesday 10th November 2021

With the weather forecast looking good for today we debated doing the Rough Crag walk but knowing that my knee and calf were feeling the effects of our walk into Swindale we thought a walk with a gentler ascent and descent was called for. Instead we opted for a walk up to Low Kop, somewhere we had only visited once before on a grey and gloomy day.

Start: Burnbanks (NY 5082 1612)

Route: Burnbanks - Measand Beck - Low Kop - Bampton Fell - Burn Banks - Burnbanks

Distance: 5.75 miles     Ascent: 482 metres      Time Taken: 4 hrs 40 mins

Terrain: Clear paths

Weather: Sunny start, clouding over as the day progressed

Pub Visited: Haweswater Hotel    Ale Drunk: Black Sheep Bitter

Route Map >>

 

Burnbanks

After dropping some money into the honesty box we set out from Burnbanks.

Knipe Scar

Looking back towards Knipe Scar as we join the path which will take us alongside Haweswater.

Measand End

Ahead of us we can see Measand End, which had been one option for today's walk.

Castle Crag

Ahead of us Castle Crag and the Rough Crag ridge.

Wallow Crag

Looking back across the reservoir to Wallow Crag from the same spot.

Measand Beck

We soon reach Measand Beck, which is the point at which we will start to head uphill.

Haweswater Reservoir

We quickly locate the path running alongside the beck and are soon rewarded with views along the reservoir.

Measand Beck

As we climb the various waterfalls mean another 'to do' is added
to my growing list. This time to return with the tripod and
the good camera to capture shots of the falls.

Bampton Fell

As we climb above the falls Bampton Fell and Four Stones Hill come into view.

Low Kop

The footbridge, whilst expected, was a welcome sight, as we get our first good look at the route we will take up to Low Kop ahead of us.

Measand End

We soon find ourselves looking down at the footbridge and start to realise just how steep Measand End is. One to come down rather than go up maybe.

Bampton Fell

As we reach the first of a couple of false summits we get a view back to Bampton Fell and the distant Pennines. Our route up has followed the track on the right, we will take the track on the left when we head to Bampton Fell.

Haweswater

As we climb the view extends across Naddle Forest and Harper Hills to Seat Robert and the Howgills.

Fordingale Bottom

Looking along Fordingale Bottom.

High Raise

As we approch Low Kop's summit High Raise and Low Raise come into view.

Low Kop

Low Kop's summit is now marked by a stone, clearly a fairly recent addition as checking Paul Sharkey's website confirms it wasn't there in 2019.

Loadpot Hill

Looking across to Loadpot Hill from the summit it is time to make a decision. Do we carry on to Red Crag and Wether Hill or not?

Selside Pike

No need to rush making a decision when the views are this good. Here looking towards Selside Pike and the head of Haweswater.

Fell Ponies

Given our current fitness levels we make the sensible decision and start the descent towards Bampton Fell. The fell ponies we had passed on the way up were still there. A few days later we were to see them again, when we watched the TV programme The Lakes with Simon Reeve.

Measand Beck

Looking down on Measand Beck and Haweswater as we descend.

Bampton Fell

The track heading onto Bampton Fell soon comes into sight.

Willdale

As we head along the track above Willdale I spot what looks like the remains of an old cottage.

Low Kop

Looking back to Low Kop from our ascent of Bampton Fell, from this angle the numerous false summits are easy to spot.

Bampton Fell

The track we are following doesn't actually go to the summit, but a short diversion off the track brings us to the summit cairn.

Heughscar Hill

The view north takes in Penrith, along with Askham Fell and Heughscar Hill.

Four Stones Hill

Lunch is taken sat next to the summit looking down on Four Stones Hill and across the reservoir to Scalebarrow Knott.

Bampton Fell

As we leave Bampton Fell we take a final look at the head of the valley.

Bampton Fell

We pass on climbing Four Stones Hill and instead take our time making our way back to Burnbanks. The tracks around here are numerous and it was more often than not a case of just picking the route we fancied the most.

Haweswater Reservior

For most of our descent we were able to enjoy a view of the reservoir.

Burn Banks

As we wandered through the various hills that make up this area I was looking out for a site we had been discussing with the manager of the Haweswater Hotel the day before.

Burn Banks

He had mentioned a site on the opposite side of the reservoir, located below Hugh Laithe's Pike, that he had found and cleared which was linked to the building of the dam wall. We think this may be the location of a similar platform used to help put the blocks that made up the dam wall into place. I haven't been able to confirm this story anywhere else, but the locations certainly match up.

Haweswater

As we have been making our way down it has got noticeably colder as the cloud has started to build.

Burnbanks

In no hurry we make our way down towards Burnbanks passing the bales of ferns we had looked at a couple of days ago and wonder what they are used for. A gentle meader through the hillocks eventually brings us back to the gate into the trees and the path back to the car.

 

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