Parking
Start at Noble Knott car park on Whinlatter Pass, off the B5292. The loop begins behind the information board and returns to the same car park.
Overview
About Heavy Sides Trail
Why go
- Skiddaw and Bassenthwaite Lake views
- Short, clearly waymarked forest loop
Heads up
- A steep climb packed into a short walk
- Uneven ground and steps limit accessibility
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Lake District map
Full mapElevation215–318 m
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Best time to go
Safety
8 active Lake District alerts
- ClosureChapel Stile footpath closed for retaining-wall riskPart of Footpath 543030 between Chapel Stile and Baysbrown campsite is closed because a retaining wall beside the path could collapse and material it supports could fall across the footpath.Official details
- ClosureStanley Ghyll Lower Falls footpath closed for rockfallThe section of Footpath 408037 leading towards Stanley Ghyll Lower Falls is closed because severe rockfall damage has made the path unstable and further rockfall remains a danger.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Lake District Tour Guide
Your drive to Heavy Sides Trail, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Lake District National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
Recorded for this trailhead
Noble Knott: Two Short Woodland Loops0:00 / 0:53
“You're getting close to Noble Knott, a quieter woodland starting point for the Heavy Sides and Masmill Beck trails.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Lake District Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Braithwaite: Coledale Ridge or Mine Walk
- Whinlatter: Beck Walk or Summit View
- Barf and Lord's Seat from Powter How
- Causey Pike: Scramble and Ridge Loop
- 298 audio storiesacross Lake District’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Red Deer, Eurasian Otter, Osprey, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 265 trails, 89 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking Heavy Sides Trail
The route in briefThis is a 1.5-mile/2.
This is a 1.5-mile/2.5-km total circular loop from Noble Knott car park, and the official guidance is to allow about an hour. It is waymarked in white the whole way, so navigation is straightforward once you find the start behind the Noble Knott information board.
How it unfoldsThe walk builds in three clear stages:
The walk builds in three clear stages:
The payoff comes on the boundary section, where the trees open toward Skiddaw, Bassenthwaite Lake and the wider Lake District mountain panorama.
- Beckside oaks. You begin in mature oak woodland alongside Masmill Beck.
- The climb. The path rises through coniferous woodland and follows the forest boundary along Heavy Sides.
- The return. The loop drops back through mature mixed woodland to the car park.
Difficulty and footingRated moderate, and that rating is about the climb rather than the length.
Rated moderate, and that rating is about the climb rather than the length. One independent account records roughly 168 m of ascent packed into a short distance, so expect a sustained pull rather than a gentle stroll. Official guidance notes the Noble Knott trails are steep, narrow and uneven in places and include steps. Wooden bridges near the streams have been reported as slippery, so take them with care.
Exposure and conditionsMost of the route is sheltered by woodland, but the boundary stretch has sections that sit open…
Most of the route is sheltered by woodland, but the boundary stretch has sections that sit open to the weather. That is also where the views are, so the walk rewards a day with decent visibility. On a hazy or low-cloud day the mountain panorama simply will not be there.
PhotographyThe Heavy Sides boundary viewpoint is the place to set up for the mountain panorama.
The Heavy Sides boundary viewpoint is the place to set up for the mountain panorama. Soft side light does the most for the ridgelines and the lake surface, so aim for the parts of the day when the sun is low and off to one side rather than overhead. Inside the woodland, the beck and the oak trunks handle flat, overcast light well.
Practical notesManaged as a public forest route by Forestry England.
- Managed as a public forest route by Forestry England.
- Dogs are welcome under forest rules: keep them under control and clean up after them. The climb suits a reasonably fit dog.
- This is not a flat accessible promenade, so plan accordingly if steps and uneven ground are an issue.
A gentler option from the same car parkIf you want the woodland and the beck without the sustained climb, the Noble Knott Masmill Beck…
If you want the woodland and the beck without the sustained climb, the Noble Knott Masmill Beck Trail is a 2 km circular of about 45 minutes with less ascent. It starts from the same place, so you can decide when you arrive.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Lake District
81 sightingsRed DeerMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
13 sightingsEurasian OtterMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
76 sightingsOspreyMost seen around 8 AMSighting map
51 sightingsEuropean BadgerMost seen around 8 PMSighting map
233 sightingsMute SwanMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
176 sightingsGrey HeronMost seen around 7 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Lake District. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
