Heughscar & the Cockpit from Pooley Bridge

The wild, untamed landscape of Moor Divot above Pooley Bridge was, in ancient times, home to settlers who went to great lengths to create stone monuments. Today, the remains of those monuments can be found amongst the heathland, and this route takes you to the largest, The Cockpit stone circle, before heading to the low summit of Heughscar, from where you can survey almost the entirety of Ullswater. You will also see part of the ancient Roman Road, High Street, that linked the fort of Brougham (Brocavum) near Penrith with that at Ambleside (Galava).

The route takes place on either well maintained tracks or grassy paths. After periods of wet weather the ground can be boggy underfoot, so we recommend that you have suitable footwear. There are streams along the way where dogs can get water if required. You can either start the walk at Pooley Bridge, where there are dog friendly establishments, or at the start of the moorland, where parking is limited.

The Start of the Walk: Pooley Bridge

During the devastating floods of 2015 the old stone bridge at Pooley Bridge was sadly washed away. There is currently (February 2017) a temporary bridge in place whilst planning and consideration is given to a replacement. At either end of this temporary bridge you will find pay and display parking available. These do fill up quickly during peak periods. Park here, and head into the village.

Through the Town

Go through the village, following the main road. On your right you will pass The Pooley Bridge Inn, which will happily welcome dogs into the bar area. Public toilets can be found on the left. You will shortly come to a mini roundabout. Turn right here, signposted for Howtown and Martindale.

Following the Road

Follow the road, and you will eventually reach a crossroads. Go straight on here. You will then pass a holiday park on your left. Be advised that chickens are in the fields on your left and are known to escape onto the road at times, so dogs should remain on a lead for this section.

Roehead: Alternative Parking & Start Point

You will eventually reach the end of the road, with a turning on the left down to Roehead Farm. Along this section of the track there is a limited number of free parking spaces, and if space is available you could choose to start the walk here. At the end of the road there is a gate with a track the other side. Go through the gate and continue straight ahead. Dogs can be let off here, but be aware of occasional wandering sheep and cyclists.

The Crossroads in the Track

The track ascends gently up into the moorland. You will then come to a crossroads in the track. Turn right here, signposted for Howton. The path can be muddy in places, but is fairly level.

The Cockpit Stone Circle

Following this path will bring you to the Cockpit. This is one of several ancient monuments on the moor, and the largest. Historians disagree on the purpose of stone circles, and it remains a mystery as to whether the Cockpit was intended for rituals, a sign of landownership, or something else. It is thought that the Cockpit was created during the bronze age. As you continue on this walk you will pass other, single large stones, and again, their placement remains a mystery.

Leaving the Cockpit

As you stand facing the Cockpit on the path you arrived on, if you look right (west) you will see the ancient Roman road of High Street heading up towards Barton Fell. Look left (east) and there is a fairly prominent stone that stands taller than the others, with a faint grassy path leading off to your left next to it. This is the path you need to take to continue on this route.

Heading Towards Heughscar and Askham Fell

The path becomes more clear after a short distance. Looking straight ahead you will see a mound with a small woodland on top. This is Heughscar and you are aiming to reach the edge of the woodland. The path here is boggy at times and you may need to pick your way around some of the wetter areas. You will reach a crossroads. Go straight on to continue this route, up towards the woodland. However, history buffs may want to take a quick detour right, where after approximately 300 metres a second ancient stone circle, White Raise Cairn, marks the top of Askham Fell.

Heughscar Summit

As you get closer to the woodland the path splits. Take the left hand fork that will lead you to the left hand corner (as you look at it) of the woodland. There is a stone wall enclosing the woodland, with loose boulders making an ideal picnic spot. Turn left here at this corner, to head towards the summit, marked by a cairn. From the summit you can see almost the entirety of Ullswater, and on the other side you will see the Eden Valley, Penrith, and the Pennines.

Descending Heughscar

This route takes you down the other side of Heughscar before heading back to Pooley Bridge. From the cairn, continue along the path, heading in the opposite direction from where you came. The wide grassy path descends the hill gently. At the fork, veer left, and you will now be facing Pooley Bridge and Ullswater, as seen in the image above. The path descends quite steeply, and you will notice a crag on your left. At the bottom of this steep section, you will arrive at an old quarry track.

Through the Heathland

Don’t turn left or right onto the quarry track. Instead, look straight ahead for a faint path leading through the heathland. After a few metres, this path becomes much clearer, but again, can be boggy after wet weather. Follow this path, aiming for the tree line marking the field boundary ahead of you. You will arrive at the external corner of the field boundary wall. Follow this wall around the corner (heading to your right) and continue along the wall down the hill.

Returning to Roehead

About halfway along the field wall the path forks. Take the left hand fork, and you will see the small car park at Roehead in front of you. The path joins the track where you began this walk at Roehead. You can then return to Pooley Bridge by retracing your steps.