A Walk on the Quiet Side

If you're anything like us, you may find that as the years go by you begin to crave a little more solitude, peace and quiet. After decades of haring madly around the globe, determined to see and do as much as possible, we've discovered the pleasure of slowing down a little. Those years of travelling were wonderful, but these days we try to take our travels, life in general, and our hillwalking at a slightly more relaxed pace.

Having completed our Wainwright and Outlying Fells challenges, we feel we can now be a little more mindful in choosing our walks. We select routes that suit how we're feeling and what we want to get out of the day. Sometimes it's the pleasure of walking and chatting with friends or family; sometimes it's the luxury of a summit and its views to ourselves. Other days might be about exploring new or more remote areas, or it could be simply wanting to switch off and immerse ourselves in our surroundings.

Much as we love fell walking and climbing, there are, and have been, times when we didn't always want to spend six or seven hours tackling strenuous routes in the high hills. Occasionally shorter, quieter routes were preferable with less effort, fewer people and less distance, whilst still enjoying breathtaking views. 

Here are five quieter fells where we've found exactly that.

School Knott

This lovely fell lies almost exactly to the east of Bowness and Lake Windermere's eastern shore and parking is in a small layby just at the junction of Cleabarrow Lane and Crook Road, opposite Windermere Golf Club. The route is well signed and the first part of the walk is through the pretty hamlet of Cleabarrow on the Dales Way. There are two gates to negotiate before you pass Scout Tarn on your left. It's all very easy and very pleasant. Leaving the Dales Way, branch off to the right where the there is an obvious path up. It is a little steeper, but it's gentle and on grass, with plenty of places to admire those emerging views of Windermere. Head up towards a very photogenic lone Oak Tree and follow the path the runs to the left of it, up to the obvious summit ahead. If you choose, you can drop down and tack on Grandsire which affords wonderful views of the Howgill Fells and distant Pennines, or even drop down to explore the shores of pretty School Knott Tarn. 

Irton Pike

This fell sits at the entrance to Wasdale and is a lovely, quiet place to walk. There is a small parking area on the Santon Bridge to Eskdale Green road and you can nip out of the side of the car park to join a stoney track which would eventually lead to Wasdale. You will be able to spot Irton Pike to your left through the trees, and Green Crag to the right as you climb higher. After about a third of a mile, there is a path that branches off to the left and winds through very pretty pine trees. If you carried on on the original track, a gate would lead out onto open fellside with the bulk of Whin Rigg ahead of you. Our path is lovely and for the most part flat, with a very gentle climb up to the summit at the end. The views are expansive in all directions, and for a walk of only about a mile, the rewards certainly outweigh the effort.

Latterbarrow

This gorgeous fell sits high above the western shore of Windermere, looking out over the lake to the east and Hawkshead to the west. We climbed it from Wray Castle as we found parking in Hawkshead was a little tricky and I think this route made the walk really interesting. From the back of the castle car park, follow the path and signs to Windermere Lake shore. You will pass a very picturesque boat house before reaching a gate and taking a path to the left. You will then go through a gate to your right following an obvious path up through the fields. Go over a stone stile at the top, follow the path to the right and out onto a narrow road. Carry on until you see a left turn and a National Trust sign that says Basecamp. Fork right after a few hundred metres and go through (or round the side) of a gate onto Forestry Commission land. Follow the lane, then take a signposted path to the right into the woods. The path climbs and winds up through the trees before emerging onto rougher ground, just below the summit. Follow the obvious path up to the truly enormous summit cairn. The views are absolutely breathtaking, especially of Windermere and the fells encircling Ambleside. 

Muncaster Fell

This is a wonderful walk with equally wonderful views. Parking is in the Muncaster Castle car park, taking Fell Lane which leads directly out of it to your left. The lane climbs gently with lovely views of Ravenglass behind you. After about half a mile, the path descends as you near pretty Muncaster Tarn, then divides. Take the right hand branch with its sign to the summit, as the left hand path leads to the tarn which is on private land. You will be able to glimpse it through the trees as you pass. Go through a five bar gate onto open fellside where the views really open up. Follow a path that edges a forest on slightly rougher ground, with the summit of Hooker Crag up ahead. This is the highest point of Muncaster Fell. There is a slightly steeper climb, although all on grass, to the summit cairn, but it is fairly straightforward. The views in all directions to the high fells of Lakeland are stunning. You could continue on to the curious stone table called Ross's Camp before heading back the same way.

Cunswick Scar

This is a lovely walk to do on a blustery, sunny day. There is a small parking area on the Kendal - Underbarrow Road where the Bradleyfield Radio Mast towers over the trees just behind the car park. Take the obvious lane which leads into Cunswick Woods  and keep going to a gate and a sign for Cunswick Fell. Walk across a couple of fields; there isn't really a defined path, but you can head towards a drystone wall where there is a agate and another sign. Through that, and this is all flat walking, you cross another field on a slightly less obvious path which will then start to descend to a gate. Through that, and it is very pleasant walking on a gently undulating path past a couple of cairns, before reaching the larger summit cairn which sits in the middle of the path. The views are wonderful from the Scafells to the Shap Fells and over Kendal.