Difficulty: Easy-Moderate
Wainwright Guide: Book One: The Eastern Fells
Stone Arthur is one of the smaller of the Eastern Fells, often just passed out of necessity on the way to Great Rigg and Fairfield, or bagged as a pit stop on the Fairfield Horseshoe itself. In isolation it gives fabulous views over Grasmere and makes for a very nice evening or warm up walk. The path is easy to find and follow and the terrain is not too strenuous. Although not necessarily a beginners hike, it is a fairly good fell to gain experience on.
Jonny and I undertook this hike one summer evening with Emi in tow. When we set out there was not a cloud in the sky and it was baking hot. Usually one for organisation I somehow let Jonny convince me to leave the “unnecessary” waterproofs in the car. Unfortunately this did come back to bite me when the heavens opened out of nowhere and made us into drowned rats. Needless to say it was a great reminder to ALWAYS pack for every eventuality, no matter how hot it appears.
Where to Start?
This is one of those walks where you can find free parking to begin your adventure. We parked in our normal spot for all the Grasmere hikes. Between the Swan and the Travellers rest there is a very large lay-by where you can safely leave your vehicle, as long as it is not in front of a gateway!
From your parking spot you need to head towards the Swan. This is where the route begins.
Ascent
Turn left as you pass the Swan and follow the road until you reach a right hand turn up a single track road with a small footpath sign evident at the turning.
This track will take you up towards a gate. Once through the gate you will find yourself on the fell rather than the road.
You will immediately hit a fork in the path. Follow the path on the left. The right takes you towards Alcock Tarn. Another nice walk but not the goal for this hike!
Although a little stony and uneven in places the path is easy to follow. It ascends alongside a stone wall under some tree cover. A welcome relief from the hot sun.
The path does ascend at a fair rate so looking behind you will give great views across to Grasmere pretty quickly.
When you reach a gap in the wall you do not want to go through it.
The path instead turns nearly back on itself to the right and ascends gently through the bracken.
This path slowly traverses the side of the fell, away from the tree line.
It crosses a beck and passes one lone tree.
It then turns towards the left and becomes more of a grassy track on the final push towards the summit.
Summit
The summit of Stone Arthur is not the easiest to identify. There are the odd ruins scattered about and the highest point before the ascent to Great Rigg is not quite clear.
There is a very small cairn on top of a set of rocks, not far from these ruins. This is a close to an obvious mark as you can get!
The view from here is beautiful. You can see Grasmere, both the water and the village, Alcock Tarn, Easedale Tarn as well as the Langdale Pikes and some of the other Central Fells. I would highly recommend taking a drink up to watch the sunset. Just remember to take your litter back down with you!
Descent
Now the descent of Stone Arthur is self-explanatory. Just retrace your steps and follow the path back down.
The benefit of this is getting to see amazing views almost the entire way!
We did unfortunately have to get a move on during our descent as the heavens opened out of nowhere and we got completely soaked. I can say pretty confidently though that the path is one of the safer ones for fell running!
If we had come prepared for the weather we would have stuck around for a pint. The obvious choice is the Swan, however you can wander a little further to the Travellers Rest or head into Grasmere, where I would heartily recommend Tweedies. Any of these options provide a good pint!
Overall I would have to review Stone Arthur highly. It’s a brilliant walk with just the right amount of incline to make it feel like a great achievement and it comes with spectacular views of the surrounding area! Add it to your bucketlist, especially if staying in or around Grasmere.
Have you completed Stone Arthur yet? Let me know below!
