Before you start this pleasing walk, spend a little time in the small village of Bassenthwaite, not far from Bassenthwaite Lake. It has two farms within the village, which itself stands in an idyllic setting at the foot of Ullock Pike and Skiddaw. Its village green is flanked by pleasing terraced houses and edged by mature lime trees planted to celebrate Queen Victoria’s diamond jubilee. It has a stream running through it, where ducks dally. The popular friendly Sun Inn lies just off the green in a delightful corner of the village. It is a cosy inn with its two coal fires. The Methodist chapel lies just off the green but St John’s Church, built 1878, faces the main road, the A591.

Park in a layby south of Orthwaite farm, GR 252337. There is limited roadside parking here so get there early if possible and make sure you do not block any farm gates. Park in a layby on the left side of the road, just after passing, on the right, a gated farm track, signed ‘Public Bridleway, Burn Tod 3 miles’. Then set off for your walk by leaving the village and driving for two miles up the narrow road from Bassenthwaite towards Orthwaite.

1 Walk back a few steps, south, from the layby and go through the signed gate. Stroll the pleasing way with the slopes of Little Cockup to the left and a wall to the right, with scattered trees beyond. Continue on the track and curve left with it. Pause to look west to see Bassenthwaite Lake and then across the valley of the Dash to Ullock Pike and the lower hills in front of it, which line Southerndale. A short way along a small signpost directs you off the farm track, left, to ascend a superb, gently rising, grassy track.

2 Follow the way as it winds over the hilly slopes and also where it begins to descend towards Burn Tod Gill. When you can see a derelict stone shelter to the left, head left along an animal track to stand beside the beck. If the latter is just a trickle you may wish to follow an indistinct short path into the gill. The way climbs very gently but the path is eroded and you need to step across the narrow beck several times to choose the easiest way. If the beck is in spate, climb up above the shelter to locate a narrow path that contours above the gill through bracken. At the end of the gill, wind a little left to reach a cross of tracks. This is Trusmadoor a natural pass between Great Cockup and Meal Fell and a motorway for sheep.

3 At this junction of paths and tracks you are faced with two routes up Meal Fell, the hill which lies ahead, east, of the pass. Ignore the narrow path and ascend the wide grassy trod, which climbs pleasingly and easily up beside Frozen Fell gill, with Frozen Fell itself towering overhead on the far side. The trod carries on passing below the out-of-sight summit of Meal Fell to cross a long grassy coll. Keep on until you can join a distinct track coming down from Great Scafell and turn acute left along it. Follow this to the first cairn on the attractive summit, and then go right along the rim of the plateau to the second cairn. Wind on round to a circular stone shelter, the highest point at 1,804 feet. From here look down on to the large plateau you have just walked round. It is believed that long ago it might have been a small hill fort. The view from this lovely top is splendid.

4 Return to the second cairn, at the western end of the top and descend the narrow path, not taken for your ascent. This easy way takes you down to Trusmadoor once more. Here cross the narrow grassy pass and climb up the path opposite. Go with it as it winds around right for a short way and is much easier to ascend than it looks. After passing through heather, wind left with the path and climb the moorland slopes towards a cairn. Just before this, turn right to walk ahead on another easy path along the ridge to the summit cairn of Great Cockup, where you will want to pause and enjoy another great vista.

5 Then descend the slope on the continuing grassy trod, passing a couple of stone shooting butts, to carry on along the now level way. When you reach a wonderfully constructed shooting butt, quite deep inside and in the middle of the path, look left for an indistinct path through the heather, which you take. This rapidly comes to a wide stretch of grass, descending the fellside, the path soon joining the outward grassy trod taken earlier on the walk. If the weather has changed you may wish to turn right and return.

6 This walk crosses the trod and goes on, across the pathless pasture, towards wind-blown larches beyond a wall. Keep well left of some craggy outcrops as you descend.Turn right and walk a wide green trod, keeping parallel with the wall. Soon you can see Brockle Crag ahead and, when the way divides, take the left branch to walk beside the wall from where you can enjoy this extraordinary feature. Pause to look at the large tumble of quartzite rocks and craggy outcrops, streaked with white, that glisten silvery and can be seen from as far away as the Dash valley. Carry on to join the farm track and walk on until you reach the gate on to the narrow road at Orthwaite and turn right to return to where you have parked.

Information

Distance: 6.5 miles

Time: 3-4 hours

Terrain: Very pleasing grassy trods for much of the way. Burn Tod gill is great if the beck is low, otherwise use the path above.

Map: OS Explorer OL4

NB: Restrictions on space mean that this article provides a general summary of the route. It is advisable for anyone who plans to follow the walk to take a copy of the relevant Ordnance Survey map.