Parking: On the road at Hardraw. On busy days the parking is limited so get there early. When we returned to the car there was a note saying we had outstayed the 3 hour waiting limit and should pay £5 at the Green Dragon. I took no notice of it but the note said that they had our car number. I wondered what was going on. More of this later.
The Walk
Walk through the village (west) away from Sedbusk. As you leave the village and just before the end of the 30mph speed restriction turn right up a walled track (FP). This is the start of the ascent of Great Shunner Fell. The track climbs up Hollin Hill for 0.5km where it bends left and continues to climb. You can make good time on the track all the way up to the summit of Great Shunner Fell.
In a further 1km a track – Hearne Coal Road - goes off right to Pickersett Nab. Keep left (FP) up the main track. A further 200m on, a path goes off left to Cotterdale (FP). The track continues to climb and views open up. Lovely Seat is on your left and as you climb the hills of Baugh Fell and Sail come into view on your left. A further 1.2km on the track divides again. Take the right hand track (FP) which now climbs for a further 4km to the lonely top of Great Shunner Fell. It’s a great climb. The path is easy to follow, even in poor visibility. In part it’s paved and the remainder is a mixture of grass, peat and some stoney patches. The views continue to open up as you climb.
As you climb you can see the quadrant stone seat that marks the top of the Fell for miles. It never seems to get closer. However, as you climb to the top of the flat top plateau of the fell the line of hills from Sail to High Seat and on to Nine Standards Rigg opens up. Close to the summit you cross a stile in a fence and 50m later you’re at the summit. The view from the top is stunning. All around to the north, east and west are lonely grass and heather covered peat moors. To the south is Pen-y-ghent, Ingleborough and Whernside, to the east is Swaledale with Rogan Seat on its north side and Lovely Seat at the head of its southern side. North is Nine Standard Rigg and to the west the fells that border the Mallerstrang Valley with the Howgills beyond.
From the top the way ahead is north of west. On a clear day you can see Hugh Seat so navigation is easy. Head to the fence on your left and walk back to a sheep gate. Go through the sheep gate and descend off the top to the left hand side of a fence. This fence can be followed all the way to the top of Hugh Seat; on days with poor visibility this would be the safe option. But the fence twists and turns and you can shorten the route by cutting across some of the bends. It’s over 4.25km from Shunner fell to Hugh Seat. The route follows the watershed between East Gill and West Gill that flow south into the Ure and Great Sleddale Beck that flows into the Swale. It’s a wet area.
As you traverse the watershed the route adjacent to the fence becomes easier as you can follow quad tracks from the gamekeepers. The whole area is being fenced, drained and re seeded to promote heather regeneration and re-introduce black grouse. Eventually you cross a new track and the go through a gate in the fence to cross to the northern side. From here a fence drops to the watershed between West Gill Head and Short Gill; the fence follows the right hand side of a clough that leads into West Gill. The final ascent of Hugh Seat starts at a sharp right hand corner in the fence and climbs up the left hand side of a fence along a line of wooden butts that run parallel to the fence. Half way up you cross a fence coming from the left then cross back to back to the left hand side of the fence climbing up the fell. Soon the gradient drops and you reach the apex of the fence which almost doubles back on itself. This is the top of Hugh Seat. Ahead 100m away is Lady’s Pillar and in front of this the Mallerstang valley framed by Swarth and Wild Boar Fell. It’s a great view.
From Hugh Seat head due south, dropping down and crossing the top of Little Grain. You pass two cairns and head for a third which is adjacent to a fence. In bad weather follow the line of the fence. It’s quite easy going in the dry as you descend but can be wet at the bottom as you cross the head of Little Grain and before the climb up to the top of Little Fell. Once you get to the fence follow it south with the fence on your left. It’s wet at the bottom of the coll and you may need a detour away from the fence to cross the bottom of the coll. However, get back to the fence and follow it until it turns hard left (west).
Here cross the fence via a stile and take a weak path that heads south and climbs up to the top of Little Fell. It’s quite easy going. You have to cross a fence close to the top – there is no stile so be careful not to damage the fence. On the top side of the fence a lot of work has been done on the fellside drilling drainage ditches and planting heather. Head south and climb to the top which is denoted by a small cairn and a large post.
From the top continue south over Ure Head and onto Sail.
From Sail the way down off the top is just north of west. Head north to a large cairn on the western side of the top. From here you can see Hell Gill a couple of kilometres below you due west. If you follow the gill down you eventually come to a wood. At the bottom of the wood is Hell Gill Bridge. The wood is just north of west and around 2km below you . Although it doesn’t look it, it’s quite an easy descent. However, contractors have drilled drainage ditches by contouring round the fellside. So be careful not to twist your ankle. As you drop down and are close to the wood you pick up tracks that takes you along the bottom (eastern side) of the wood and drops down to a good track – The High Way – to the south of Hell Gill Bridge.
Turn left on The High Way. It’s a good track that contours along the side of the valley with the infant river Ure in its bottom. You follow the track for 3km before leaving it at High Dike. Soon the track divides; take the left hand track. The track crosses a number of gills, the first of which is the infant Ure. This is followed at regular intervals by Birks, Washer, Grass, Lambfold and Keld Gills. Eventually you climb up to the buildings of High Dike where you turn left (FP) and climb diagonally right up and over Tarn Hill. It’s a pleasant climb on a grassy path. After 1km you reach the top and the apex of two fences (FP). Continue straight and the path drops down towards Cotterdale.
After 0.7km you reach the edge of what used to be an extensive plantation which you enter via a stile over a fence. Parts of the plantation have been felled, but the path is reasonably clear and in part well way marked. The top part is felled and the path runs to the left of Tarn Gill. Eventually you hit the trees; we had to make a detour as some had fallen over the path. The path then hits a track which you turn right on to (way marker). In 30m you turn right off the track (way marker) and drop down through a further felled area to the edge of the trees. A way marked path takes you right, round the top of the trees and eventually drops down to a track by Tarn Gill. Cross the track and continue ahead dropping down to West Gill – which is now a river.
You cross the Beck via stepping stones; if the Gill is in flood then 100m or so up stream is a bridge. Across the Beck turn right and follow the left hand bank for 300m. As the river bends right and the path tracks the left hand side of a fence to a farm. Ignore the stile and continue along the line of the fence and across the bottom of the farm buildings to a stile by a gate. Turn right along a track and immediately turn left and cross Cotterdale Beck using a footbridge.
On the far side turn right and walk down a track on the left hand bank of the Beck. After two walls off left a path is marked as going left into a field. We could see the stile exiting the field we should have gone into. However, turn left through a 5 bar gate in the next field – there is a stone barn in the middle of the field – and walk to the top right hand side of the field. Cross a stile (FP) , then a footbridge and climb diagonally right to a stile in a wall. Here turn right and track along the top of the wall.
The path essentially contours along the valley side but there are dangers and care is needed to keep to the path especially in the first 300m. From the stile the path follows the top of a wall and then crosses an open field to a wall. Cross the wall. There is a tendency to go low in this field but the path follows below the top wall in this field and above a barn. On the far wall of this field is a stile. The path is now more distinct and you contour down the valley side. Addleborough comes into view and below you can see Appersett and Hawes.
After 1.3km the path begins to climb before levelling out and joining the track (FP)you were on earlier in the day that took you to Great Shunner Fell. Turn right on the rack and drop down into Hardraw (FP). At the road turn left walk past the cafe and the Green Dragon pub to the car.
GPS settings
Summary
An excellent walk in perfect walking weather. The route is reasonably easy to follow but care is needed in poor visibility from Great Shunner fell to Hugh Seat, from Hugh Seat to Sail and from Sail to Hells Gill. It is a walk for a clear day after a dry period. Surprisingly for a Saturday we saw few people but did see and hear lots of wild life.
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