Little Fells for Little Legs

Updated 4  January 2024

As part of our Do More for 2024 push, we're looking at ways you can get out and explore with little ones.

Getting out into the fells with young children has so many benefits to their health and development and is good for parents too. Our Fell Top Assessor, Wes Hunter, revisits a time when his daughter was younger and he had to think carefully about his routes. Here he shares his top tips for heading out to the hills with young children in tow.

Seeing children immerse themselves in their surroundings and letting their inquisitive nature and imagination flourish is very special and has really strengthened our bond. It gives me a sense of purpose watching her develop, and a sense of pride seeing her gain strength and coordination as she now gallops down hillsides on her imaginary horse!

Throughout January is an ideal time to don your boots, pack a bag full of goodies and head out exploring with your little ones. It can feel a bit daunting taking young children out into the hills. My advice would be to:

• pick venues carefully
• check the weather and make sure you have the right gear with you
• if you're carrying infants on your back, use a pair of trekking poles and make sure you are able to keep them warm and dry. You might be hot from all the exertion of carrying them, but remember that if they aren’t moving, they may be getting cold.

I share my top four walking routes to explore with kids, which all take roughly 2-3 hours. I’ve included the Ordnance Survey grid references for each walk – remember to take your map! I hope you enjoy.

1. Castle Crag

This is a lovely craggy hill above Grange (NY 252 174) in Borrowdale which makes a good starting point. A circular walk can also be done around Castle Crag which takes you alongside the beautiful clear water of the Upper Derwent and all through beautiful woodland. The path at the top of the hill cuts through loose slate from the old quarry workings that are dotted around the summit. Be mindful to watch young children (and adults) around the summit where there are drops into the old quarry. There is also an option to take a look at Millican Dalton’s cave on the east side of the hill which is a great venue for a hot chocolate stop on a wet day.

2. Sale Fell and Ling Fell

Either or both of these hills make great objectives for little legs making their first self-propelled forays into the hills. The paths are not too steep and are quite grassy, so if kids trip up the ground is generally quite forgiving. Sale Fell in particular has great views out over Bassenthwaite Lake. The best starting point for this is by St Margaret's Chapel which lies just over 1km east of Wythop Mill (NY 189 300), and the best starting point for Ling Fell lies to the southeast of the village (NY 183 290).

3. Knott Rigg and Ard Crags

Although these fells are higher than the others listed here, they can be accessed from the top of Newlands Pass (NY 192 176) which means that the actual height gain is actually only around 250m and a distance of around 3km out to Ard Crags which lies just a little further along the ridge from Knott Rigg. They do have the feel of bigger hills and are exposed to the wind and weather so picking a fine day is essential. This route works well as an out and back and it is worth noting that the path leading north from Newlands pass towards Knott Rigg is quite steep in places.

4. Great Mell Fell

My final suggestion is a lovely conical hill a bit further to the east and accessible from the A66 between Keswick and Penrith. The best starting point is just up the road from Brownrigg Farm (NY 407 246), where there is enough room to park three or four cars. There are no rights of way marked on the Ordnance Survey maps but it is all open access land. Head southwest from the car and a stile soon appears on the right with a well-trodden path heading north upto the top. The journey up takes you through a lovely old Scots Pine wood and upon reaching the top you will be rewarded with panoramic views of the surrounding valley and Blencathra.

A few bits of kit that I always carry with me when I’m out with my daughter include:

• a first aid kit
• small two person shelter as well as extra warm clothing (ski gear is great for this). If she gets wet I can get her inside the shelter to warm up and get her changed out of the weather.
• mobile phone is always a good thing to carry, and it’s a good idea to tell another family member or friend where you are going and let them know when you are back down.
• the best bribes I have found to motivate my daughter to actually walk uphill seems to be hot chocolate!

If this has inspired you to head outdoors and explore the Lake District with your little ones, let us know how you get on by sharing your photos with us on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram by tagging us.