Height: 469 metres / 1539 feet Grid reference: SD 23758 94740 Category: The Outlying Fells
White Pike and White Maiden beyond Pikes from the descent of Caw
The Duddon Estuary from the summit of Pikes
Pikes
Caw and the Coniston Fells
Start Point: Kiln Bank Cross (SD 215 933)
Seathwaite – Park Head Road – Caw (OF) – Pikes (OF) – White Pike – White Maiden – Walna Scar (OF) – Walna Scar Road – Seathwaite
Distance: 7.8 miles Total Ascent: 773 metres Time Taken: 3 hours 20 minutes Start Time: 13:00
Weather: Generally overcast, 17°C
The weather was supposed to clear later in the day, unfortunately that never materialised but I was enjoying the fresh air so much I extended a planed shorter walk to Caw by linking it to the Coniston fells. It was an unusual route but it was worth it to see if it could be done (the answer is yes, but recommended? Probably not!).
Seathwaite and Wallowbarrow Crag from the Park Head Road.
Seasonal fungi.
Climbing the track, Fox Haw ahead.
Looking back along the Duddon Valley, Bowfell at its head. Shortly after this the path doubles back on itself to climb Caw.
Climbing through the old quarry workings.
Dougal decides the route for the rest of the day.
Black Combe and Stickle Pike from Caw.
The next stop was Pikes, a conspicuous peak between Caw and White Pike, here looking back towards Caw from the summit.
I've never linked Caw with the Coniston fells, so why not? I went for the mine workings central in this photo - it was a bit boggy to say the least!
Harter Fell and the Scafells from the quarries on the slopes of White Pike.
A steep climb brought me to the top of White Pike.
A reverse view of one of the photos from above, looking back to Caw.
Coniston Water from White Maiden.
The route walked from Walna Scar. From here, I descended the Walna Scar road back to the old workings and back the boggy way I came to descend back into Seathwaite.
Caw
Start point: Seathwaite, Dunnerdale (SD 228 960)
Seathwaite – Park Head Road – Stickle Tarn – Stickle Pike (OF) – Caw (OF) – Pikes (OF) – Green Pikes (OF) – Seathwaite
Distance: 7 miles Total Ascent: 700 metres Time Taken: 5 hours
Weather: Cool and clear. 4°C
Today I met up with Roger and Ann Hiley and their two dogs for a walk to Stickle Pike and Caw from Seathwaite in the Duddon Valley. The weather was almost unbelievably different to the wet and windy weather we have experienced over the last week or so as it was cool and clear. The views were superb from everywhere today; if only it would stay like this for a while!
Wallowbarrow Crag and Harter Fell above a cold looking Seathwaite.
Dow Crag from Park Head Road.
Passing Caw en route to Stickle Pike.
Stickle Pike ahead.
Caw from the climb up to Stickle Pike
...and the view from further up.
A clear view to Harter Fell with the Scafell range, Esk Pike and Bow Fell beyond from the summit of Stickle Pike
The Pike, centre, with Whitfell and Hesk Fell beyond across the Duddon Valley.
Casper enjoying the sunshine with a stray tail to the right!
Group summit photo - Angus, Casper, Bethan and Harry. It's bad enough getting two dogs to keep still, never mind four!
The view descending to a mirror finished Stickle Tarn
Caw across Stickle Tarn
Returning to Caw - we ascended from the south-east, to the right of this photo.
A beautiful azure sky heading for the summit of Caw.
Looking to the head of the Duddon Valley from Caw.
The Coniston fells.
Scafell Pike, Broad Crag and Ill Crag with Pen in the centre.
Harter Fell, Scafell beyond
Esk Pike.
Grey Friar.
Devoke Water.
Wallowbarrow Crag.
Dow Crag, Buck Pike, Coniston Old Man, Brown Pike, Walna Scar and White Pike.
In the sunshine on Caw - there was a cool breeze on the top today though
White Pike and White Maiden beyond Pikes, the next objective
The lowering sun gives some texture to the Scafells
...and the Coniston fells.
Panoramic Duddon Valley.
Esk Pike and Bow Fell.
Haycock, Scoat Fell and Wasdale Red Pike. The left central ridge is Illgill Head with Yewbarrow to the right and Harter Fell in the foreground.
A final view of Scafell and Scafell Pike on the descent from Green Pikes.
Lickle Horseshoe
Start point: The Hawk (SD 239 924)
The Hawk – The Knott – Natty Bridge – Pikes (OF) – Caw (OF) – Long Mire – Stephenson Ground – Water Yeat Bridge -The Hawk
Distance: 4.5 miles Total Ascent: 500 metres Time Taken: 2 hours 30 minutes.
Weather: Dull and overcast, very still. 15oC.
Relatively few visit the Lickle Valley, some perhaps have not heard of it but it is a lovely place – very quiet and removed from all manner of everyday life. It was a pity about the lack of views today as perhaps the photos do not show it at its best, so we will return when the skies are clearer. It almost felt as if we were pioneering on The Knott for this must surely be a different scene now the trees are removed.
Setting off along the forest road from The Hawk.
The Dunnerdale Fells across Carter Ground, Stephenson Ground and the Lickle Valley. The River Lickle is below the tree line at the bottom of the picture.
Casper settles down next to an ancient cairn on a prominence approaching The Knott. This area has recently been cleared of forestry and it has really open views now.
The tongue on The Knott!
Caw, the summit in mist, from The Knott.
Not a battle field scene but cleared forestry on The Knott.
The River Lickle and the Lickle Valley.
Looking over to Pikes.
A drink and a dip under Natty Bridge.
Waterfall and pool by Natty Bridge.
Natty Bridge.
Looking south along the Lickle Valley.
Heading for Pikes it was amazingly quiet - not a whisper of a breeze or anything.
Into the mist - Caw from Pikes.
Angus - still not given up!
These two seem quite content on the summit of Caw; no view today though.
Looking across Long Mire on the descent of Caw - the ghostly peak beyond the near ridge is Stickle Pike.
Long Mire.
Following the old walled lane to Stephenson Ground.
Looking over Stephenson Ground to The Knott, the summit visited earlier. The full extent of the deforestation is evident from here.
Stephenson Ground.
Caw
Start point: Kiln Bank Cross (SD 215 933)
Kiln Bank Cross – Park Head Road – Long Mire – Pikes (OF) – Caw (OF) – Park Head Road – Kiln Bank Cross
Distance: 4 miles Total Ascent: 300 metres Time Taken: 1 hour 30 minutes
Weather: Bright and sunny with mist on the tops. 7ºC.
It was much brighter than of late today with clear blue skies and sunshine for a walk up to Caw from Kiln Bank Cross. On the ascent of Caw, the clouds suddenly came over and I was fortunate to witness two interesting phenomenon – a Brocken Spectre and (almost) a temperature inversion.
Looking over the Duddon Valley to The Pike and Hesk Fell under a thick blanket of cloud.
Caw from the slopes of Fox Haw. I climbed Caw from the south, up to the right of the photo.
Mountain dog finds the shapely summit of Pikes.
Looking south-east to the Leven Estuary, the low lying areas are under a blanket of cloud.
A ghostly apparition - a Brocken Spectre on Pikes
..and a close up. This phenomenon was constantly repeated as the sun shone through the mist as I walked from Pikes up to Caw.
Caw, clear of the mist now, on the approach from the east.
The Sca Fells, Esk Pike and Bow Fell across the temperature inversion in the Duddon Valley.
Another Brocken Spectre and the Sca Fells which now looked close enough to touch across the sea of cloud.
Stickle Pike, centre, with Black Combe beyond, still with a thick cloak of cloud.
Grey Friar across the Duddon Valley.
Dow Crag.
A panoramic view across the Duddon Valley.
Bow Fell.
Harter Fell.
The Sca Fells.
Stickle Pike. Later on in the afternoon, we were up on top of Birkrigg Common, near Ulverston, for the most fantastic temperature inversion with the whole of Morecambe Bay and the low ground up to the Coniston fells under a thick blanket of cloud...no camera, of course! I would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a happy New Year - thank you for supporting StridingEdge throughout 2005, here's to a great 2006 with many more walks to come - Sean McMahon (and Angus!).
Caw
Start point: Seathwaite, Dunnerdale (SD 228 960)
Seathwaite – Park Head Road – Caw (OF) – Pikes (OF) – Green Pikes (OF) – Seathwaite
Distance: 4.1 miles Total Ascent: 532 metres Time Taken: 1 hour 40 minutes
Weather: Grey and overcast. 12oC.
This morning’s walk was part of the Wainwright Society’s celebratory week commemorating 50 years since the first publication of the famous ‘Pictorial Guides’. The Great Lakeland Challenge records the ascent of all 214 Wainwright fells and 56 ‘Outlying Fell’ walks in one week by Society members who have nominated their choice. I chose Caw as it commands an outstanding view along the Duddon Valley and it has a great pyramidal shape when viewed from the valley below.
Unfortunately, it was a bit of a grey day today and the clarity of last week has gone although it is still felt chilly on the tops. This walk follows Wainwright’s Caw chapter in his book ‘The Outlying Fells of Lakeland’, page 120.
Caw route map.
Elevation profile of the walk.
3D image of the walk route.
Seathwaite from Park Head Road.
The Duddon Valley and Harter Fell along Park Head Road, the old quarry road used in ascent. In the distance are Esk Pike, Bow Fell and the Crinkle Crags.
Old Level, Caw Quarry.
The Duddon Estuary from Caw.
Caw summit.
Caw, from Pikes.
The view north from Green Pikes.
Harter Fell from Green Pikes.
Rock formations on Green Pikes.
White Pike.
The beautiful pyramid of Caw from Ulpha in the Duddon Valley.
Ulpha Bridge.
Caw
Start point: Seathwaite, Dunnerdale (SD 228 960)
Seathwaite – Park Head Road – Caw (OF) – Pikes (OF) – Green Pikes (OF) – Seathwaite
Weather: Mainly dull and with rain and strong winds towards the end.
Well, the high winds of last night dropped by lunchtime and the skies were blue (sometimes!) so I managed to fit in a quick walk this afternoon. Today’s walk follows Wainwright’s Caw chapter in his book ‘The Outlying Fells of Lakeland’, page 120. The pyramid of Caw is recognisable from many other places in the Lake District and really deserves to be included in the full Wainwright list – whatever, it is still worth a visit.
Caw route map.
Elevation profile of the route.
3D image of the walk route.
Seathwaite with Wallowbarrow Crag behind and Harter Fell in the distance, right.
Looking along Park Head Road. Esk Pike is in the distance, directly in line with the road, next right is the pointy Bow Fell, Crinkle Crags and Cold Pike.
The sun shines on Harter Fell.
Old level, Caw Quarry.
The Duddon Estuary from Caw.
The Coniston Fells from Caw, annotated.
The Coniston Fells from Caw.
Caw from Pikes.
Rock formations on Green Pikes.
Caw and the Dunnerdale Fells
Start point: Stephenson Ground (SD 235 931)
Stephenson Ground – Green Pikes (OF) – Pikes (40) – Caw (41) (OF) – Brock Barrow (42) – Fox Haw (43) – Raven’s Crag (44) – Carter Ground – Stephenson Ground
Weather: Overcast turning to drizzle.
A short walk this morning over another almost undiscovered jewel – Caw and the Dunnerdale Fells. It is not often you can walk completely alone for miles, especially during half term, but this was the case today.
The path from Stephenson Ground
I started from the tiny hamlet of Stephenson Ground and walked high along a ridge overlooking the River Lickle as far as Natty Bridge where the path began to rise. A heron was sat here, looking for its breakfast before it spotted me and majestically flew away.
Rock formations on Green Pikes. As the path levelled out, ahead of me was Dawson Pike with its vivid white quartz summit and a sharp left turn took me to the summit of Green Crags, a non-descript top with strange slate formations.
Caw from Green Pikes summit. A quick hop and I was onto Pikes, I could see Caw ahead, in and out of the swirling mist.
The Duddon Estuary from Pikes summit.
Ordnance column on Caw with Grey Friar appearing through the mist. A short descent and then a zigzag path led to the summit of Caw, the ordnance survey column seemingly lower than the main top. The views from here were excellent, the distant tops of Harter Fell, Bowfell and Grey Friar in and out of the mist. I hung around here for a little while to try and catch the threatened temperature inversion, but it never quite happened.
Harter Fell, The Duddon Valley, Bowfell in the far centre and Grey Friar from the summit of Caw.
Brock Barrow. Again a descent, across a flat hollow (Long Mire) a hurdle over an ancient wall and up to the rocky top of Brock Barrow - decked out with aerial masts for the Duddon and Dunnerdale valleys below.
Stickle Pike (Dunnerdale) from the summit of Fox Haw, Black Combe and Buck Barrow are in the distance. Back over the wall and onto a rocky ridge to find a curiosity, namely a solar panel with a plaque 'Global Seismology Research Group', based in Edinburgh. Along the ridge to the summit of Fox Haw with lovely views of Stickle Pike and over to Black Combe, the Whitfell group and Devoke Water - the fells I had rounded on 13th May.
Caw from Raven's Crag summit. Again following the bumpy ridge I came to the summit of Raven's Crag. A steep descent towards Carter Ground, past the old Copper Mine and through a gate where the bridleway passes through the garden. A short stroll and I was back on the tarmac for the walk back to Stephenson Ground.
Stephenson Ground.