A 5 day Eastern Fells Trek, Lake District - Traveling through Longsleddale, Over Gatescarth Pass to Scales Farm, Helton and back via High Street

 

Sometimes crazy ideas work and it helps when the weather gods are on your side. My friends had their annual horse holiday booked at Scales Farm and invited a few of us to join them. When venturing into the Lakes I do try and leave the car behind and with that thought in mind the plan started to come together to ride to our holiday cottage. In the Lakes if your traveling by foot, hoof or wheel it is quicker to use the old packhorse routes through the fells than travel on the valley roads. In the lakes there are over 20 fell or mountain passes, which all have a history of being packhorse or drovers roads and are mostly now classified as bridleways or byways  (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_hill_passes_of_the_Lake_District).

Starting from Longsleddale we rode over Gatescarth Pass to Scales Farm, Helton (http://www.scalesfarmcottage.co.uk/ ) for three nights and then rode back via High Street. Altogether we rode for five days and covered nearly 50 miles. For this adventure my trail buddies were my horse Ryan, Liz Davison and her horse Luca, Bridget Pickthall and her horse Hope and Anna Twiname and her pony Docs.

Day 1 Longsleddale 7 miles

We parked in the layby opposite Garth Row, A6 near Kendal - Grid Ref SD 53151 97258 (https://gridreferencefinder.com). From here we crossed the road and rode through the lanes to Longsleddale and then up the bridleway for 7 miles to nearly the head of the Valley.

The only thing to note about this route is there are a lot of gates! In fact we tried to count them, but soon gave up! Longsleddale is a lovely Lakeland valley that is very much unknown. If you were not doing a trek this would be a nice day ride, by riding up the bridleway and back down the lane or a circular ride could also be done in a loop to Kentmere. Longsleddale is also a good point to start a trek west toward Ambleside or Windermere.

There had been some dilemma as to where and how to start Gatescarth Pass. We though about being dropped off at the head of the valley in Longsleddale, but as the valley road is quite narrow we started looking as to whether we could rent a field in the valley, meaning the horses were well rested before we started Gatescarth Pass. Luckily Bridget used her farming contacts and we managed to rent a field from Olive and Richard Simpson at High Swinklebank Farm (we paid £5 per horse per night  https://www.highswinklebank.co.uk ). 

While the horses settled into their overnight field the humans were given a lift out the valley back to the vehicles in the A6 layby by our friend the fabulous Sharon Cash! We went home to sleep, but you could sleep in the valley at the church (https://champing.co.uk/church/longsleddale-cumbria-st-marys/) or other accommodation (http://www.longsleddale.co.uk/pages/accomf.htm)

Anna and Docs. A tree branch was required for the fly's! 

The end of the ride, getting the horses gear off ready for the overnight field

The horses overnight field with views of the head of Longsleddale Valley 

Day 2 Longsleddale – Gatescarth Pass with an elevation of 572 m (1,877 ft) - Haweswater – Bampton Common – Scale Farm, Helton - covering 15 and bit miles

Gatescarth Pass is a byway with a Traffic Regulation Order. This means the route has restricted use to try and maintain the surface, which in parts is quite fragile. When we did this route you needed a permit, but from August 2025 the kissing gates have been replaced by bridleway gates and the route is now always open to walkers, 4x4 wheel chairs, equestrians and cyclists. More info on Gatescarth Pass can be found on the Lake District National Park Authority (LDNPA) website at https://www.lakedistrict.gov.uk/visiting/things-to-do/unsealed-roads/green_road_gatescarth. For 4x4 vehicles and motorbikes there are specific permit dates in the year when you can use the pass with a permit and its advisable to look up these permit dates on the LDNPA website.

The horses had a lovely field for their overnight stop and were very much ready for the days adventure ahead. As we got the horses ready we had a good chat to the local farmer, who was about to start moving sheep! With the pressure of needing to move out the way of the sheep, we did not have much time to think about the day ahead and went swiftly up the lane to the start of the pass. Here you can also take the byway over to Kentmere.

The start of Day 2 - We had to make a quick exist as one of the local farmers was moving sheep! 

Start of Gatescarth Pass, Longsleddale 

As long as you have a hardy fit horse/pony Gatescarth Pass is doable and if I had to grade the trail in equestrian terms then I would say it is a routes for fell ponies, native and cob type horses. In mountain bike terms it would be a blue to red route.

While planning this trip I walked about half of the route and thereby split Gatescarth Pass into three parts:

Part A – Longsleddale to the Brownhowe Bottom/Mosedale Bridleway – A long valley bottom stone track that then climbs up to the Mosedale bridleway. Some parts are cobbled/pitch flat with some sharp bends and it is steeper the closer you get to the end of this section. All horses found this ok going up and we rode all the way. Once at the top of Part A there is a nice beck to water the horses at Mosedale bridleway junction. At this point you could turn right and ride to Mosedale Cottage, Swindale or Wet Sleddle. This route is used by Fell Pony Adventures (https://fellpony.co.uk/) but care should be taken as some parts can be wet and boggy.

The Valley Bottom of Longsleddale 

Having a break before the next steep part 

The top of Part A 

Part B – Before the next climb, you need to unlock the first gate with a coded padlock. Unlocking the first gate was a tense moment and part of me felt uneasy thinking about whether the padlock code was going to work. With a little persuasion the padlock opened and then once through you have the responsibility of locking the gate correctly! The next climb is a loose stone path that zig zags up the fell. This section can be ridden or led up and is all very doable with care. Once at the top of the pass there are fantastic views of the High Street range and Harter Fell towering to your left.

The first locked gate 

The gate was locked again! 

Having a break going up!

The top of Gatescarth Pass at 572 m (1,877 ft) of elevation

 

Part C – The decent down – This is a loose stone zig zag path, we all led down this and as long as you keep it steady and have a horse who is good from the ground it is all achievable and time should be taken to take in the views. A long lead rope is a must for the moments when you need your horse to wait while you go ahead or if they suddenly rush forward. The second locked gate is at the bottom of the zig zags and again needed some persuasion!

Going down!

The second locked gate 

The bottom and time for lunch

I would recommend doing the Gatescarth Pass in the direction of Longsleddale to Haweswater (South to North) as Part C is very sleep in places with very loose rocks and by doing the route this way you do not have the long valley bottom to do at the end. A short film of us going over the pass can be found at https://twitter.com/GardnerKHannah/status/1672895967773835267?s=20

On the road adjacent to Haweswater 

From the bottom of the pass we rode along the road adjacent to Haweswater reservoir and then over Bampton Common from the fell gate at Burnbanks to Scales Farm after getting some local advice from Rachel Ardley (https://www.lakeland-horse-trails.com/). The route across Bampton common takes in some amazing views of Hawewater, a ford and a small packhorse bridge. Some of the ground is boggy so care should be taken. There are paths everywhere here being open access land by foot and hoof and therefore map reading skills are a must. Alternatively, you could also ride through the lanes and bridleways to get to the Scale Farm.

Once you get onto Brampton and Askham Common you are entering Fell Pony country and do not be surprised if a herd of free-roaming ponies come to say hello! They are very use to riders, but we decided to give them a wide berth, but they still came charging toward us, but then gave up, which our horses (and us) were very glad about! Arriving at the farm we were greeted by Anita and once we sorted out the horses we had a well earned cup of tea! Liz checked her Strava tracker and to our surprise we had done over 15 miles! I had measured the journey to be just over 10 miles, so now there is thing called 'Hannah mile'! Thankfully everyone forgave me as it had been a fantastic day full of adventure.

Crossing Bampton Common with views of Haweswater 

Lovely packhorse bridge 

We could see Scales Farm in the distance! 

We arrived at Scales Farm, Helton 

Day 3 - Askham Fell at Sunset

The horses had a well deserved rest on Day 3 while the humans did the tourist thing and went into Pooley Bridge. After dinner though we thought it was time to stretch the legs and we went for a ride across Askham Common to see the sun setting over Ullswater. We covered just over 5 miles and did a loop around the paths of the common and also visited the stone circle called 'The Cockpit'. It is believed that this stone circle dates back to the Bronze Age and stands at a crossroads of two trading routes. The circle has a large flat area with a clear entrance suggesting this could of been a meeting place or it may have also had religious significance (https://www.ullswaterheritage.org/heritage-trail/cockpit-stone-circle). A lovely evening out and its not often I get home from a ride at 10pm!  

The Cockpit Stone Circle 

Day 4 – Bampton village lanes and bridleways

In anticipation for the following days ride we had another relaxed day and decided a gentle ride to the cafe in Bampton was in order. Starting at Scale Farm we rode out the back of the farm on the bridleway and over the common to the gated lane that leads to Brampton village. We returned on the road to Helton and then took the bridleway past Widewath, which leads to Askham Common. Here we took one of the many paths to wind our way back to Scales Farm and covered around 7 miles.

The horses chilling in their holiday field 

While we were away we were sent cake from Bettys Tearoom! Thank you Sharon! 

Start of the Day 4, thanks for the Photo Rachel! 

Everyone waited while I checked for bogs! 

Day 5 The ride Home via High Street to Troutbeck

We rode home via High Street ridge and ended the day in Troutbeck covering just over 14 miles. As with any mountain trip it always best to check the weather and be prepared as possible for the challenges ahead. There is some good advise about going into the fells and mountains on the Adventure Smart website (https://www.adventuresmart.uk/). The ride to the top of High Street can be challenging due to its elevation, but the surface is made up of grass and stone trails that are good under hoof. In mountain bike terms the the route up to Loadpot Hill and along High Street ridge would be a blue. As this is the Lake District there are some wet and boggy areas and please note these in the route description below. The decent into Troutbeck is very steep and tricky in places (see info below) and therefore if your planning to do the whole of this route on horseback I would recommend that you need a fell pony, native or cob type horse. In mountain bike terms the decent down into Troutbeck valley would be a red to black route. There is very little water on High Street and the only water can be shallow ponds that often dry up. As there are no becks, streams or tarns that hold a good amount of water High Street should not be done by horseback in very hot weather. A short film of us riding over High Street can be found at https://twitter.com/GardnerKHannah/status/1672918879994097664?s=20

The start of Day 5 - all packed and ready to go! 

Starting from Scale Farm we rode out on the bridleway to the rear of Scales Farm and then picked up the Loadpot Fell bridleway. Around the point on the OS map where it says 'Cairne' and 'The Pen' you need to find a path to cross over so you are following the adjacent track path up to Loadpot Fell. If you continued on the the bridleway route you will come across some very boggy ground that needs to be avoided. Once on the adjacent track follow this to the top of Loadpot Hill. On a clear day the views from here are amazing and as we stood around the trig point three low flying jet came very low over our heads, which really was a Top Gun style moment! The noise was incredible and I am sure the first pilot went of the radio to his other flying pals and said something like 'there are horses at the top, keep going their fine and are waving!'. If you do not have the time to do the whole of High Street you can ride down to Arthur's Pike, across Askham Common and back to Scales Farm. This shorter route is good in both directions.

Going up

The Top of Loadpot Hill

We had a flyby at the top of Loadpot Hill!

From Loadpot Fell we headed South over Wether Hill and from here start looking out for Red deer and as you approach Raven Howe look out for Ravens! When you get to Raven Howe do not take the bridleway through the gate and wall, but keep on the open fell side of the wall. I recommend this as the bridleway gate at the High Raise end of this walled enclosure is very awkward. The gate is on a steep slope with a drop off. We led up this hill and through the gate.

Naming all the fells!

Raven Howe Area

Next of the list of Wainwrights is the peak of High Raise and as you go down to Rampsgill Head you will see Haweswater and also Gatescarth Pass. Once you start entering this areas your begin to see a few more people as theses are popular Wainwrights. Up until this point we had hardly seen anyone. We had a good chat to a few people in this area and had to ask everyone the obligatory question 'where are you heading and where did you come up from?!'. The lakeland fells can be a very sociable space and on this sunny day we met lots of smiley people, with everyone very much being 'Be Nice Say Hi'.

Looking down into Haweswater and you could also see Gatescarth Pass

From Rampsgill Head there is a down and then a climb up to the top of High Street and Racecourse Hill. This is the highest point of the route with an elevation of elevation of 823m (2718 ft).

On the top of High Street 

Having a chat at the top

From the top of High Street head down to Thornthwaite Crag and go on the the bridleway to the Beacon before turning South to start the descent down towards Troutbeck. The other bridleway by here is a bit wet in places and you need to pick your way through.

Leaving the Top of High Street 

The start of the down

We led the horses down the Park Fell bridleway from Thornthwaite Crag to Troutbeck valley bottom. In my opinion this bridleway should only be done if you have a hardy fell pony or similar breed and any horse over 15h may struggle. It is the kind of route where the horse needs to have short legs to be close to the ground so it is able to cope with the steep slope. In addition to it being very steep it feels long as there are not many breaks on the steep path. The path is narrow in places, the ground drops off steeply on one side, it can be slippy and there is a large rock step to get around (about a 1m drop). At this point we bashed our way through the bracken in a uphill direction to get around the rock step. The route needs to be taken very steady and you need to stop and plan the route down. Most stony areas can be skirted around up hill from the path.

Where the bridleway splits from the path to III Bell
(looking back up toward Thornthwaite Crag) 

Looking down the bridleway into Troutbeck Valley 

Above 'the Rock' 

Looking down on 'The Rock' 

The Rock - take a path up hill from the rock to get around this area.

Steep section near the fell gate at bottom of the fell

Looking down on the fell gate at the bottom of the fell

The bottom of the decent, A lovely stream where we all had a drink! 

Once at the bottom of the steep slop there is a very welcomed beck for everyone to have a drink. The bridleway then turns into a lovely valley route made up of grassy and stone tracks all the way to our end point for the day at Limefitt. There are a few gates to do and some fields had hardy cows and sheep to ride through. As we rode through Limefitt Holiday Park we felt like we had again entered civilisation. A few phone calls were made and then our amazing other half’s picked us up (and had also drops us off in Longsleddale on Day 2)! This was the most amazing days riding where many memories were made, fantastic company and the horses were just superb.

The valley bottom heading towards Troutbeck 

The end of the ride at Limefitt

Useful Info and My Kit List - What's in my saddle bags!

For this trip there was quite a lot of background research, but we also had a lot of in-hand knowledge and experience between us. Bridget had ridden High Street once before from Troutbeck to Pooley Bridge and Liz and Anna had both been up Loadpot Hill. I must say its quite hard to find new routes for these trail buddies! The gap in the knowledge was Gatescarth Pass and how to get across Bampton Common. I therefore convinced my family that we should walk the Wainwright fells in the Gatescarth Pass area, which meant I had soon walked about half the route or looked down on it. This was enough in my mind to establish that we could do this challenge. Liz had been across Bampton Common on a endurance ride some years ago, but we also checked with Rachel Ardley for her recommended route.

We did not have to carry as much gear as many trail rides as on the weekend before we started riding I dropped a car off at Scales Farm with our overnight bags (slightly cheating I know, but very helpful to be able to get out to the local pub to eat!) . This meant that all we needed was everything for a long days ride in the fells, which actually turns out to be quite a lot! For me it was the same as my rucksack for when I go fell walking with a few extras for the horse. In my saddle bad I carried:

For me: Bottle of water, lunch, chocolate and sweats, water proof coat and trousers, if a changeable weather day a woolly hat, buff, gloves and more jumper layers (you can get four seasons in a day in the Lake District), sun cream, paper OS map, compass, phone (with OS app), power bank and phone charging wire, mountain first aid kit (including aspirin and steri strips) , whistle, tissues and for this trip a print out of the email with the Gatescarth Pass gate code.

For my horse: A long lead rope (10 or 12 ft), bailer string, climbing sling (I use to climb and I have found these are great to help attach to a rock or tree to tie up your horse), hoof pick, pen knife/leaverman with screw driver (great for putting hoof boots back together), spare hoof boot parts, gaffer tape (many uses!), some basic first aid for the horse, a collapsible bucket (to be able to get water for my horse), waterproof saddle cover. For the morning of Day 2 a brush and some breakfast.

My saddle bags are from https://www.facebook.com/EquilinSaddleSystems

The other safety thing I have is a dog tags on by bridle and saddle giving out key info in case I get separated from my horse.

All our horses on this trip wore hoof boots and were a mix of Scoot Boots, Cavallo Trek and Equine Fusion All Terrain Ultra boots. I can recommend Urban Horse for more info and advice on hoof boots (https://www.urbanhorse.com/).

Useful Links

Gatescarth Pass info - https://www.lakedistrict.gov.uk/visiting/things-to-do/unsealed-roads/green_road_gatescarth

For advice about going into the fells visit the Be Adventure Smart website - https://www.adventuresmart.uk/

A GPX route file of these routes can be downloaded from the Ride Cumbria Facebook Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/367414084781168

Horse grazing in Longleddale - Olive and Richard Simpson at High Swinklebank Farm. £5 per horse per night https://www.highswinklebank.co.uk/

Accommodation in Longsleddale - http://www.longsleddale.co.uk/ or https://champing.co.uk/church/longsleddale-cumbria-st-marys/

Scales Farm, Helton - http://www.scalesfarmcottage.co.uk/

 

If you do not have your own horse, you could go out with Fell Pony Adventures - https://fellpony.co.uk/adventures

Info about Haweswater area - https://wildhaweswater.co.uk/

Other Horse Friendly Accommodation in the Area

Haweswater Cottage, Haweswater   https://www.haweswatercottage.co.uk/

Widewath Farm, Halton http://www.widewathfarm.co.uk/

Ullswater Saddleback Horse Trails - offering guided ride packages with holiday  accommodation https://ullswatersaddlebackhorsetrails.co.uk/

With thanks to Anna Twiname, Bridget Pickthall and Liz Davison for letting me use their photos