Graham’s Walks Vitals

• Distance: 6.6 miles/10.6 km
• Elevation: 1685 ft/514 m
• Difficulty: Moderate – there’s a very small bit of scrambling but it’s shown moderate because the navigation isn’t straightforward.
• Start: Glen Mary Bridge Car Park
• Graham’s Cafe: You’ll likely pass Chesters by the River on your way in.
• Classification: Birkett, Wainwright

The Maps

• OS Maps Route: 🗺️
• GPX Download: 📁

The Area

You start this walk at Glen Mary Bridge then proceed past Yew Tree Farm, I’ve written a bit about both of these in another guide.

There are two listed fells on this route and both give glorious views across many of the larger fells in this part of the Lake District without the need to climb far at all. Although, having said that, sometimes you have to wait for the views, as you will see from the photographs in this guide.

The fells on this route count as both Wainwrights and Birketts but are near to the bottom of both lists in height order. Holme Fell is Wainwright 213 of 214 and Birkett 530 of 541. Black Fell is Wainwright 212 of 214 and Birkett 521 of 541.

Holme Fell is a lovely walk in what is, on the ascent side, mostly ancient or semi-ancient woodland but there’s plenty on this walk that is man-made.

At the back of Holme Fell our walk takes us past and gives glorious views into Hodge Close Quarry which can be accessed as an extension of this walk via the adjacent Parrock Quarry.

Hodge Close Quarry is an eerie place where signs of a long history are everywhere, a history that started in the 1780s and was concluded in 1964.

The quarry is massive with excavations reaching over 300ft/90m down with half of that, 45m, now below the water level. To put that into context, Wastwater, the deepest lake in England, is 79m at its deepest point. The flooded chambers and tunnels are a favourite of divers but regarded as “not for the faint hearted or unprepared” and there have been several fatalities. If you want to get an idea of what lies within the murky depths watch this video on YouTube, though you may need to mute the soundtrack. People do swim here, but I’ve never seen the dark waters as appealing.

Prior to arriving at Hodge Close you will pass what appears to be a pair of idyllic, tree lined, tarns; these are also man-made and part of the workings for Hodge Close. They show how quickly nature will reclaim what it can when left alone. The tarns are marked on the map as Reservoirs (disused) their purpose was to provide water for a funicular that hoisted the heavy green slate from the quarry.

The Walk

Glen Mary Bridge to Uskdale Gap

Park at the National Trust car park at Glen Mary Bridge.

Leave the car park onto the A593 heading south-west. Take care here, this short piece of road can be busy.

At the next turning on the right head across the bridge towards Yew Tree Farm.

Just before the farm the lane heads to the right, follow it around and up an incline.

Near the top of the incline is a path to the right. A short way along the path is a kissing-gate into a field, head through it.

Traverse the field until you reach a fence with a kissing-gate into Harry Guards Wood (probably not named after someone called “Harry”.)

Once through the kissing gate, follow the path to the right.

This will bring you to a large rock. Follow the path to the right of the rock which loops to the left as you work your way around the base of Ivy Crag and then steeply uphill to Uskdale Gap.

If the weather is being kind to you the views of the Langdales will start to open out from this point.

Uskdale Gap to Holme Fell Summit

Uskdale Gap is a bit of a valley between two summits. Holme Fell is off the left, but isn’t the first one you will see.

There are a few summits here that are all of a similar height so you will have to use your map reading skills to make sure you’ve got the right one.

As you ascend the first large cairn that you will see sits atop Ivy Crag, make your way to this cairn.

Beyond the Ivy Crag summit, south-west, you will see the Holme Fell summit ridge. As you look at it you should be able to see a path up the ridge to the left. This path will take you to the summit which is identified by a cairn on top of a slab of rock.

Holme Fell Summit to Reservoirs (disused)

To find the route down to the reservoirs head back along the Holme Fell summit ridge and beyond the path where you ascended. This will descend almost directly to the tarns.

There are several routes down to the reservoirs all of them visible from the ridge, and it doesn’t really matter which one you use.

Spend some time at the tarns; these really are quite lovely.

Reservoirs (disused) to Oxen Fell High Cross

From the reservoirs continue downhill until you reach a lane.

Turn right onto the lane.

As you follow this lane you will see Hodge Close Quarry on your left. There are several places along this route where you can traverse a stile to get a closer view. Take care though, there isn’t a safety fence and some of the cliffs are massive.

At the end of the lane is a T-junction with another lane. Our route takes us to the right. If you did want to visit the base of Hodge Close you would turn left and then left again into the base of Parrock Quarry. At the end of Parrock Quarry there is a tunnel into Hodge Close.

The lane to the right will take you through High Oxen Fell, past Low Oxen Fell and on to Oxen Fell High Cross. Do you get the impression that there is some bovine history in these parts?

Oxen Fell High Cross to Black Crag

The lane to Oxen Fell High Cross joins the busy A593. Fortunately for us, there is also nice path off the road to the left which takes us all the way to Tongue Intake Plantation.

Along the edge of the plantation is a lane that also joins the A593, opposite you should see a footpath finger sign. This is the start of our route to the top of Black Fell.

Once on the footpath opposite it ascends for a short while then descends to a stream.

At the stream the path ascends again, to the right, following the route of the stream and a dry-stone wall.

Eventually the path will start to level out and become more of a lane.

Follow the lane around to Low Arnside until you reach another dry-stone wall.

Before the wall turn left and ascend a path that takes you almost straight to the top of Black Fell.

The summit of Black Fell is marked by a stone trig-point.

Black Crag to Tarn Hows

The route from Black Fell to Tarn Hows is quite well marked heading South West. There are a few route through the open grassy moorland towards Iron Keld and Iron Keld Plantation.

As you approach the plantation you will join a wide path where you will head to the left through a gate.

This path will take you through the plantation until you reach a lane. At the lane again turn left.

After a short distance on the lane you will see a path to the right over a still next to an iron gate. This will take you around the back of Torver Intake and through another stile onto the main Tarn Hows footpath.

You can choose to go either way around Tarn Hows on this path, the shortest route is to the left.

he Tarn Hows path Is a wide accessible path.

Tarn Hows to Glen Mary Bridge

At the end of Tarn Hows nearest to the car park are two path that lead down to the Glen Mary Car Park. The one shown on the map route is off to the left of the path that leads from the car park down towards the dam.

This path winds down to the car park and opens out to give some great views of Holme Fell which feels like a great way to end the walk.

Alternatives and Extensions

There is parking at Hodge Close so you could use that as the start of this walk. I’m not sure why you would as it’s at the end of a single lane track that winds its way through the fells just beyond Glen Mary Bridge.

You can also park at Yew Tree Tarn where there are a few spaces alongside the A593. If you do this you can walk through the woods across the dam and north to join the route in Harry Guards Wood, or cross over and walk through the woods south to Glen Mary Bridge. The route through the woods alongside the A593 is the route back from Glen Mary Bridge at the end of the walk.

A visit to the base of Hodge Close Quarry via Parrock Quarry is only a short detour of the route. From the base of Parrock Quarry you walk through a tunnel into the base of Hodge Close.

The route as set out makes its way back to Glen Mary Bridge from the path near to the Tarn Hows car park. There is also a route which takes you from the Tarn Hows dam alongside the stream and the waterfalls back to the car park.