Northern England – Howgills, Cumbria

Distance: 17½km/11 miles
Time: 7–8 hrs
Type: Hill and waterfall
Where: Circular walk from Cross Keys Inn via Cautley Spout, the Calf, Calders, Winder and Rawthey Valley in the Yorkshire Dales National Park.
Start/End: Cross Keys Inn, Cautley, beside A683, northeast of Sedbergh (SD698969).
Terrain: Steep climb up by waterfall, then high, grassy moorland ridges, returning along valley paths. Good visibility recommended, both for views and navigation.
Maps: OS Explorer OL19 (recommended); Landranger 97 & 98.

Though the Howgill Fells belong to Cumbria, they are not part of the Lake District, from which they are separated by the Lune Valley (and M6). Confusingly, the southern half of the Howgills is also part of the Yorkshire Dales National Park (hence the otherwise surprising inclusion in the information section of a guidebook on the Yorkshire Dales!). Unlike their Cumbrian neighbours to the west, you can wander these fells all day and meet hardly a soul. Wainwright described them as looking like a ‘herd of sleeping elephants’. The big, rounded, grassy slopes afford excellent walking with fine views of both the Lake District and Yorkshire Dales. This route is one of the best, linking Cautley Spout – England’s highest waterfall above ground – with a ridge-top walk via the Howgills’ highest point, the Calf, and a gentle return along the side of the Rawthey valley.

Click here to download a route card