Longlands, Lowthwaite and Brae Fells

This is a closed loop of 4.5 miles (7.3 km) for the whole circuit, not an out-and-back doubled up, with around 450 m of ascent. It starts and finishes at the informal access by Longlands Bridge, near the waterworks building, and the gate onto the fell is right beside the parking spot. From there you climb Longlands Fell, cross a grassy, boggy depression to Lowthwaite Fell, continue past Broad Moss and the Great Sca Fell bridleway area to Brae Fell, then drop down the north-west spur into Charleton Gill, cross the beck and follow the bridleway and Cumbria Way back along the old road to Longlands.

Call it 5 out of 10. The official grading is easy terrain with a low bog factor and modest technical difficulty, and a minimum time of 2 hours 12 minutes, but that is a brisk figure. Plan on 3 to 3.5 hours, around 3.25 hours as a fair point estimate. The initial direct climb is steep on grass and makes a poor descent, so the loop direction described here is the sensible one. Nothing here is technical, but the paths are faint and the ground is soft in places.

Expect indistinct grassy paths, peaty ground, and wet going near Broad Moss and around Lowthwaite. The beck crossing in Charleton Gill needs a little care. These are rounded, featureless tops, so navigation is the real skill on this walk and the route is not recommended in poor visibility. Carry map and compass skills rather than relying on a line of footprints. There is little water until Charleton Gill, so bring what you need.

Lower slopes carry bracken, higher ground has heather with grassy and mossy tops over peat. The views open north-west to the Solway Firth and Dumfries and Galloway, and south to Bassenthwaite, Binsey, Skiddaw, Blencathra and the surrounding Caldbeck and Mungrisdale fells. The best pictures come from the open summits and connecting ridges, and clear morning or late-day light gives the ridgelines more shape.

• Steep grass on the direct initial climb
• Faint paths and boggy ground on the crossing to Lowthwaite
• A beck crossing in Charleton Gill
• Livestock, including cows near the start and finish
• Little water until Charleton Gill
• Navigation difficulty in mist

Parking is informal and very limited, roughly four cars by the bridge, with the fell gate alongside. Dogs are allowed. The route crosses open access and common land with livestock, so keep dogs under close control, on a short lead around animals, and on open access land between 1 March and 31 July the lead must be no more than 2 m. No separate permit is needed for this public-access route.