It’s barely a mile from St Peter’s Church in Martindale to the summit of Hallin Fell and back again. It’s a short and relatively straightforward climb too, with just 150m or so of ascent all the way to the top. Don’t be fooled though - you get a lot of value for the such a short walk.
What’s the best summit view for the least effort? As I write this, I’ve climbed 102 Wainwrights out of 214, and I’ve managed most of the lower-hanging fruit, so I’m reasonably well placed to answer that question. I still think the answer is Latrigg, but Hallin Fell must be in the conversation. It’s not quite as straightforward as the path from Underskiddaw to Latrigg, but the views are almost as good.
It’s also much quieter, although if you’re planning on a summer Saturday expedition (well, when we’re allowed to have summer Saturday expeditions again…) the car parking does fill up quickly at the Hause.
Views from the short hop to Hallin Fell come in three flavours: valley views to Martindale and Boredale, lake views of the north end of Ullswater and surrounds, and a slightly-concealed view to the west of the Helvellyn range.
Looking back as you climb and again from the summit, there’s a lovely view of Martindale with Beda Fell prominent. Along the Martindale valley rises The Nab, the forbidden fruit of Wainwright summits. Moving closer, there’s a lovely view of St Peter’s Church and Steel Knotts is opposite the Hause. The gorgeous but desolate glacial valley of Boredale separates Beda Fell from Place Fell.
Place Fell climbs grandly when viewed from Glenridding or Patterdale. Here, although not without charms, it also blocks out the view of the southern reaches of Ullswater. The lower northern reaches of the fell, fortunately, are not tall enough to obscure the wider view of Helvellyn and friends in the distance. On a clear day, Catstye Cam and High Spying How are both well seen guarding the craggy eastern approaches to Helvellyn.
The lower reaches of Place Fell from Hallin Fell summit. Helvellyn is visible in the distance.
Finally, there is the fine summit column and the views across Ullswater. To the north east, the view extends beyond Pooley Bridge and Ullswater towards Penrith and on to the North Pennine fells in the far distance. Opposite, you can find Gowbarrow Fell and Little Mell Fell on the north shore of Ullswater.
Finding your way there and finding your way up to the summit
This is the earliest #flashbackfriday I’ve written about - the photos on this page are from way back on 6th September 2015 - so no OS Maps tracker on this article. Such a short walk doesn’t bear a huge amount of explanation but the Think Adventure online guide to Hallin Fell manages to pack in more route description than I even thought possible. More information is also available online at Walk Lakes or Wainwright Routes.
Martindale is a long way from any conventional public transport; your options are a car journey, a very long walk, or alternatively you can get the Ullswater “steamer” to Howtown and walk from there - it’s not much further to walk but you do have to ascend up from the lake shore. The 508 bus will let you pick up the steamer at either Pooley Bridge or Glenridding.