Hart Side and Birkett Fell Walk – from The Royal Hotel
A quieter, more expansive fell walk from the hotel door, offering big skies, open ridges and a real sense of space.
Route Info: 6.5 miles (10.5km) | Moderate | 450m ascent / descent | allow 3-3½hrs
Start:The Royal Hotel, Dockray
Rising quietly above Dockray, the long ridge of Matterdale Common and Brown Hills leads to one of the more overlooked summits in this part of the Lake District. This walk builds gradually from the hotel door onto open fell, following a broad, grassy ridge to Hart Side and its neighbour, Birkett Fell. It’s a route that feels increasingly remote as you go, with wide views across Ullswater, Blencathra and the Northern Fells – but without the crowds of the better-known peaks. On a clear day, it’s a wonderfully satisfying half-day outing with a real sense of space.
Highlights
Route description
Safety & practical information
Terrain: A mix of tracks, grassy fell paths and open access land. Paths become faint or intermittent on the ridge and during the descent from Hart Side. Some sections can be wet, rough and boggy, particularly after rain.
What to take: Map (OS OL5 – English Lakes NE), compass, waterproof clothing, warm layers, sturdy walking boots and sufficient food and water. A headtorch and basic first-aid kit are also recommended.
Other info: Navigation is the main challenge on this route – paths are not always clear, so it’s best undertaken in good visibility. The area is exposed to the weather, with few landmarks once on the fell, and livestock may be present on open ground.
Start:The Royal Hotel, Dockray
Rising quietly above Dockray, the long ridge of Matterdale Common and Brown Hills leads to one of the more overlooked summits in this part of the Lake District. This walk builds gradually from the hotel door onto open fell, following a broad, grassy ridge to Hart Side and its neighbour, Birkett Fell. It’s a route that feels increasingly remote as you go, with wide views across Ullswater, Blencathra and the Northern Fells – but without the crowds of the better-known peaks. On a clear day, it’s a wonderfully satisfying half-day outing with a real sense of space.
Highlights
- A true “from the door” fell walk
- Quiet, open ridge walking with very few people
- Expansive views toward Ullswater and Blencathra
- The remote feel of Hart Side’s summit
- Reach a lesser-known Wainwright felltop (756m)
Route description
- Bear right from the hotel door, then turn right onto the road, After a short distance, turn right again onto a footpath as you enter Watermillock Common, heading away from Dockray in a SW direction.
- The path heads round to the left of the hills ahead (Common Fell) and Ullswater soon comes into view – and it stays there for some time, as the path converges with a drystone wall, which you follow for around 1.5km along a fine terraced line.
- The view keeps improving as the walk progresses, as you skirt the side of Brown Hills.
- After this wonderful terraced section, it’s time to leave the lakeside line and head inland towards Hart Side, in a NW direction. The summit lies up to the right, often out of sight until the final approach.
- On reaching the remote-feeling summit of Hart Side, Skiddaw and Blencathra should be discernible in the distance to the north.
- Retrace your steps from the summit cairn for around 200m before descending left (NE) to another cairn topping Birkett Fell, overlooking Ullswater. This fell was named after Lord Birkett, known as the ‘Saviour of Ullswater’ for his decisive 1962 speech in the House of Lords, which helped prevent the lake from being turned into a reservoir.
- Descend across open, pathless ground towards Matterdale, its glorious U-shaped valley spread before you. On meeting a footpath, turn left along it towards Dowthwaitehead in a northerly direction.
- Approaching the hamlet, you cross Aira Beck via a footbridge, where there’s precious little indication that this will turn into the spectacular waterfalls of Aira Force lower down.
- Once in the hamlet, the path turns right through fields and you walk along the lush valley floor for around 1.5km with Aira Beck now over to your right.
- Soon after rejoining the beck, you meet a quiet lane, along which you turn right to head back down into Dockray and the Royal Hotel.
Safety & practical information
Terrain: A mix of tracks, grassy fell paths and open access land. Paths become faint or intermittent on the ridge and during the descent from Hart Side. Some sections can be wet, rough and boggy, particularly after rain.
What to take: Map (OS OL5 – English Lakes NE), compass, waterproof clothing, warm layers, sturdy walking boots and sufficient food and water. A headtorch and basic first-aid kit are also recommended.
Other info: Navigation is the main challenge on this route – paths are not always clear, so it’s best undertaken in good visibility. The area is exposed to the weather, with few landmarks once on the fell, and livestock may be present on open ground.
Article | Walks
