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Walk up Ill Bell and High Street from Troutbeck

By Dave Roberts   

on September 1, 2014    4.5/5 (2)

Posted as a walk in – England, Europe, Lake District National Park, Lake District's Far Eastern Fells

Walk up Ill Bell and High Street from Troutbeck

Route Essentials

Route Summary

See the end of the article for local information about parking, public transport facilities, pubs and cafes.

Distance

21.34 km

Ascent

1072 m

Time

7 hours

Calculate the time using Naismith’s Rule and factor in your own pace.

Start Location

Troutbeck

Difficulty

Hazards

Weather Forecast:

Met Office Lake District Mountain Weather

Check out our Best Mountain Weather Forecast?
Remember that we cannot outline every single hazard on a walk – it’s up to you to be safe and competent. Read up on Mountain Safety , Navigation and what equipment you’ll need. 

Walk up Ill Bell and High Street from Troutbeck Ordnance Survey Map and GPX File Download

View the full route map

Download file for GPS

Walk up Ill Bell and High Street from Troutbeck

The Ill Bell ridge provides a lengthy route towards High Street from Troutbeck that provides good walking for its entire length. With five summits in all, there’s plenty to keep you going, as well as a good yomp back to the start to end the day.

Walk up Ill Bell and High Street from Troutbeck Route Description

Starting at the Mortal Man in Troutbeck, follow the minor lane to the main road, from where you can follow a permissive path that takes you to Limefitt Caravan Park. The right of way leads into the caravan park, across the bridge and up towards the caravan park pub which is open to the public. It’s probably too early to pop in now, but the route ends at a pub, so you won’t be losing out.

Walk up Ill Bell and High Street from Troutbeck

The track continues to the left directly behind the pub, and climbs steadily uphill to join another track where you turn right. This climbs steadily below a slope which is being reforested with native trees before meeting yet another track. Continue uphill along this track, known as the Garburn Road, which takes you immediately past a small plantation and steadily on to the col before the Garburn Pass.

Walk up Ill Bell and High Street from Troutbeck

When you pass a small stand of trees in the col (not to be confused with the one lower down), the main track turns right while the path to Yoke is to be found to your left, clearly marked with a cairn.

Walk up Ill Bell and High Street from Troutbeck

This leads to a wall and a very clear and easy to follow path that brings you steadily towards a wall just beneath the summit, followed by a steep final grassy pull to the flat top. Yoke even has small tarn just beyond the summit, complete with views to Kentmere. This would certainly make an awesome wild camping spot!

Walk up Ill Bell and High Street from Troutbeck

There’s a short descent and you’re back up Ill Bell, which does have an apparently intimidating descent at first glance, but the convex slope merely masks the steep path below that poses no real problems if you descend with care.

Walk up Ill Bell and High Street from Troutbeck

Finally, there’s Froswick to contend with on this approach, a steady pull of around 100m before again descending in the direction of Thornthwaite Crag and it’s huge obelisk and then on towards High Street. You’ll need to take some care in mist, but the path is wide and obvious enough to make navigation pretty straightforward. You need to veer off and follow the wall that leads to the summit at some point, which is easiest if you do so as soon as possible as you’ve got the wall to aid navigation, as well as a path that makes the route obvious. The summit isn’t much, and being on a plateau doesn’t make it the best viewpoint.

Walk up Ill Bell and High Street from Troutbeck

From here, you can return the way you came, past Thornthwaite Crag and descend back in the direction of Froswick to find the High Street roman road, hopefully, to your right. There are earthworks which you need to follow which don’t lead to an obvious decent at first. However, you soon hit a clear path and this is generally easy and grassy all the way down. It has begun to erode badly in places however, with one bad muddy step to tackle, but takes you steadily down into the valley below and across to an easy track.

Walk up Ill Bell and High Street from Troutbeck

This track continues easily down the valley, with a possible return to Limefitt Park by taking the junction at NY425 064 (also detailed in this route – High Street from Kirkstone Pass). The track eventually leads to Troutbeck Park, but it’s quicker to take the direct footpath from the track that leads to Ing Lane (towards Hagg Bridge on the 1:25k map). This country lane leads directly back to Troutbeck, ot you can turn up right into the hamlet of Town Head with Troutbeck being only a few minutes away along the lane that leaves the main road behind the Queen’s Head – End the walk at a pub!

Local Information and Recommended Maps and Guidebooks

Route Summary:

This walk includes the 5 Wainwrights of High Street, Thornthwaite Crag, Ill Bell, Froswick, Yoke

This walk includes the 5 Hewitts of High Street, Thornthwaite Crag, Ill Bell, Froswick, Yoke

This walk includes the 5 Nuttalls of High Street, Thornthwaite Crag, Ill Bell, Froswick, Yoke

Route Start Location: Troutbeck

Distance
 Ascent
 Time
21.34 km 1072 m 7 hours

Calculate the time using Naismith’s Rule and factor in your own pace.

Activivity Type: 

Summits and Places on this Route

Facilities

Check out the businesses nearby for more places to stay and drink.

Hazards

Remember that we cannot outline every single hazard on a walk – it’s up to you to be safe and competent. Read up on Mountain Safety , Navigation and what equipment you’ll need.

Parking :

Public Transport:

Traveline for UK Public Transport

Weather Forecast:

Met Office Lake District Mountain Weather

Check out our Best Mountain Weather Forecast?

Recommended Maps: 

Guidebooks:

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Dave Roberts

Dave Roberts founded Walk Eryri in 2004, with the aim of providing routes that are off the beaten track. Walk Eryri is now part of Mud and Routes which continues to provide more off beat routes and walks in Snowdonia and beyond. Dave has been exploring the hills of Eryri for over thirty years, and is a qualified Mountain Leader. Dave also established Walk up Snowdon, Walk up Scafell Pike and Walk up Ben Nevis just to mention a few.

More Posts by Dave Roberts

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