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Name: | Ponsonby Fell |
Hill number: | 2509 |
Height: | 315m / 1033ft |
Parent (Ma): | 2368 Pillar |
RHB Section: | 34B: Lake District - Central & Western Fells |
Nuttall/Wainwright area: | Lake District - Western Fells |
County/UA: | Cumberland |
Catchment: | Calder & Ehen, Catchment Boundaries, Irt |
Class: | Tump (300-399m), Wainwright Outlying Fell, Birkett, Synge (Tu,3,WO,B,Sy) |
Grid ref: | NY 08198 07030 |
Summit feature: | cairn |
Drop: | 37m |
Col: | 278m NY080074 |
OS map sheet(s): | (1:50k) 89 (1:25k) OL6N 303 |
Observations: | ground to 6m NNE is as high |
Survey: | Abney level |
GPS data: | show GPS entries for this hill |
N.B. Some hill summits are on private property or on land where there is no public right of way. Permission should be sought from the landowner where access to a hill summit is through private land.
Please report via the contact page any logs you see below which describe or encourage acts of trespass. Please quote the hill number and hill name.
Logged Descriptions (logged by 250 users, only the latest 50 shown - Show all) | By | Date of Ascent |
Swainson Knott, Stone Pike, Ponsonby Fell, In Fell, Cold Fell | keithouk | 14/02/2024 |
From small parking area at Stakes Bridge. Ponsonby Fell and In Fell. With ARC and his dad. | PGCE | 05/07/2023 |
In Fell and Ponsonby Fell from NY 0561 0678. (Too hot for Swainson Knott) | summitsup | 10/06/2023 |
yorkielad | 23/05/2023 | |
Parked at Stakes Bridge: up In Fell first then followed BW to access land, across rough terrain to small cairn hidden in grass at top. then onto Stone Pike and Swainson Knott . Great views on a clear day. | PeterD | 20/04/2023 |
We followed AWs advice and went via Blengdale Forest. Parked at the carpark at the car park on the forest road just before the forest boundary NY085052 A 10km round trip through the forest then round and up onto the boggy wet fell. Back through the forest on the eastern picking up geocaches. | RowanP | 14/04/2023 |
From Gosforth. 
15 km, 500 m asc. 
Up by Blennerhazel, Hurlbarrow and Laverock How to the summit of Ponsonby Fell. 
N direct to Stone Pike sheepfold and onto Swainson Knot. 
Down NE to Scalderskew Wood and S to Scalderskew Farm and along the River Bleng. 
Easy paths and bridleways either side of rough, boggy grass on the tops. 
Dry, cold. 
https://www.flickr.com/photos/samandjo/albums/72177720307185243 | SalmonJoe | 01/04/2023 |
From stakes bridge took various RoW to Ponsonby Fell via In Fell. The HP is allegedly on the RoW which is just as well as there is absolutely nothing to suggest one grassy tussock is higher than the other several hundred. An otherwise completely pointless summit. RoW are fairly well waymarked but in desperate need of some TLC. The yomp over the fell began with a gate climb to avoid the 12-18 inches of water accumulated around it. After that it was a straightforward if squelchy climb to the summit with its half hidden little cairn in the middle of some rushes. With boris | ytfckent | 06/02/2023 |
Circular walk on paths from small parking area at Stakes Bridge. Out via Farmery, back via Laverock How. | Winterfloodian | 18/07/2022 |
Ennerdale Bridge to Seascale cross country route, after Stone Pike. Good viewpoint marred only by the power station | trimarc2 | 29/06/2022 |
Parked at the bridge over the River Calder. Up the track to the interesting ruined Farmery, through a little gate beyond the stream, over some boggy ground and up to the summit. On to Stone Pike and Swainson Knott. | LizH | 26/02/2022 |
A circular exploration of the hills above the Calder valley. Staring from the tiny car park at Stakes Bridge, and visiting In Fell, Ponsonby Fell, Stone Pike (and its circular enclosure), then Swainson Knott with its cairn of Bovine bones. 10km with 380m ascent in just under 3 hours. (S) | silveracorn_alan | 15/02/2022 |
With Carol. Park at “Stakes Bridge” (over the River Calder near Calder Bridge). Climb the hill along the road and then turn east along an old lane to “Farmery” (a ruined farmhouse). Cross the stream (“Birrel Sike”) and head east on the poorly defined (and wet) track towards “Scalderskew”. Before this, at the col, turn south to the summit. In mist. Return by reversing the route. 4.50 miles. 2.5 hrs. 693 ft gained. | DABT | 18/08/2021 |
With Cold Fell, from Calder Bridge | NumptyDumpty | 03/07/2021 |
From Stakes Bridge. | Slash3 | 30/05/2021 |
From Stakes Bridge: Inn Fell, Ponsonby Fell, Stone Pike, Swainson Knott and Cold fell. Great views to Isle of man and Scotland, clear day. Staying at Ravenglass | Lazylizzie | 01/05/2021 |
From the layby on the main road near Ponsonby | tomd4 | 21/04/2021 |
From Gosforth With Jules and Jill via the Blengdale forestry track to Scalderskew farm on a clear hot day before bagging Stone Pike and Swainson Knott and back via Wormgill and Scalderskew Wood | Grey Hare | 09/08/2020 |
Parked at Blengdale, up through the forest and round by Skalderskew onto the top of Ponsonby Fell, back via the long way around Blengdale Forest. | Chipstertrain | 08/07/2020 |
Part of a solo circuit taking in Inn Fell, Ponsonby Fell, Stone Pike and Swainson Knott (Cairn made of Bones). 
A cold but good visibility day. | Shutterlag | 19/11/2019 |
Ascent from road at Scargreen up road/bridleway towards Laverlock How and over common land to Ponsonby Fell. Return via the same route. | raymooremanx | 16/11/2019 |
Wainwright was right: the walk through Blengdale is by far the best part of this walk. From Blengdale Bridge along paths between autumnal trees, across the footbridge and up through the trees. Once on Ponsonby Fell itself, progress was a slow, marshy bogtrot, albeit with an excellent summit view. | Nick Down1 | 02/11/2019 |
Completed the round. | softsquare | 20/10/2019 |
Found the Buried Block under the cairn. | Dusty | 16/10/2019 |
After In Fell, by vague RoW from Laverock Howe | Colin Crawford | 05/09/2019 |
From good roadside car park at Stakes Bridge. Path south east along stream and through wood is delightful with easy access to In Fell. Track at Scargreen to access land and Ponsonby Fell. Thought alternative routes back would be inferior so retraced steps to enjoy the stream/woodland again. Can't understand other reports of the RoW along the stream through the wood being a poor route. Maybe depends on time of year and map reading skills. Yes it's a narrow and in a few places unclear path which I thought made it nicer. RoW from bend in road near Scargreen is obvious and easy to follow contrary to earlier report - maybe improved since then. | ijpowell | 25/05/2019 |
From Stakes Bridge for a rounds of Ponsonby Fell, Stone Pike and Swainson Knott. | rhalstead | 20/04/2019 |
Many thanks to Bolton below for the route. 
Parked at Stakes Bridge and took the path which leads to the now disused Farmery. Largely overgrown and little used we then headed directly for the summit. 2 Birketts to the north and then a descent close to Needless Gill.Total clag had to rely on compass.Underfoot not as bad as all the doom merchants make out. | jocks1 | 28/12/2018 |
From Stakes Bridge, via Laverock How, then RoW into designated open access country. Frozen ground made for good going. | Isbjorn | 14/12/2018 |
Direct line from Swainson Knott. On to In Fell. | jonglew | 19/09/2018 |
AW's outlier from parking area at Stakes bridge on the river Calder then went onto Cold fell. | WAYNE ROWLETT | 16/09/2018 |
Circuit from Scargreen | Ajm0310 | 06/11/2017 |
Walked from Gosforth on my own. Glorious walking weather. Great views on the way up from Gosforth and from the summit of Ponsonby Fell, contrary to Wainwright's comments in his Outlying Fells book. | flockwatcher | 13/08/2017 |
With Clare, Eire, Evan, Sail, Danu, Coel & Alfie. | Dangerous Dave | 05/08/2017 |
WOs 48; Bs 46,47 and 48. Moved camp to Gosforth a.m. and weather cloudy with sunny spells so went for Ponsonby Fell from end of small road to the west. Easy walk up on track but rough and steep ascent on to Stone Pike and horrible bog to Swainson's Knott and back to track. Ponsonby not as bad as advertised but Swainson's Knott thoroughly unpleasant. | BURGESS | 28/07/2017 |
A horrible wet trudge | bardolph | 20/07/2017 |
Evening walk from Laverock How, Ponsonby with wife and the 4 and 2 year old. Paths OK but heat still relentless and we discovered 2 yo doesn't like walking in long grass so a hard slog for the last quarter mile above the top wall. | nukeboy1 | 18/07/2017 |
CJ | chrisj1965 | 18/04/2017 |
From Scales bridge. Getting dark but managed to navigate to Farmery OK and cross the beck at the right place and head up to the summit. On to Stone Pike. | Wycombe Wanderer | 05/12/2016 |
last of 3 hills a bit boggy in places | colinfielding | 21/11/2016 |
Done with Richard Turner on a grim very wet day. | falunty | 18/10/2016 |
Done with Richard Turner on a grim very wet day. | nitranrenrut | 18/10/2016 |
Parked at Stakes Bridge and took the path which leads to the now disused Farmery. Largely overgrown and little used we then headed directly for the summit. 2 Birketts to the north and then a descent close to Needless Gill. With GB. | bolton | 07/09/2016 |
Parking area by Stakes Bridge (3-4 cars) at 056068 - Up road for about 300m & then RoW (very overgrown in places) to Farmery - Through gate & up to summit cairn. Continued to Stone Pike & Swainson Knott. (PM) | gerrybowes | 07/09/2016 |
Last of the three Birketts, then on to In Fell. | ngthack | 05/01/2016 |
Birkett route from Blengdale, no problem parking in forest since felling has finished for time being. Up forest tracks to Skalderskew beck then to PONSONBY FELL, Stone Pike & Swainson Knott. Miserably wet underfoot as soon as forest was left - glad I won't have to repeat the experience! | citygent | 02/10/2015 |
Access to/from the NE is wet around the streams, drier slightly north of a direct line. 
Parked at wide entrance lane to High Boonwood Farm NY068047, this allows a modified AW circular route. | Nick Caunt | 17/09/2015 |
Round from No 30 bus terminus in Thornhill, down to Calder Bridge, Ponsonby Fell (what a name), Stone Pike (for what it's worth), Swainson Knott, Cold Fell and down to the bus stop just in Egremont. | Eddie | 04/07/2015 |
From Blengdale Forest carpark, over bridge then crossed back over river just past Blengdale Lodge. Steeply up hillside beside wood then track to gate onto open fell. Then to Stone Pike and Swainson. | Aye Jimmy | 15/06/2015 |
With Katy. Sunny day. | George Thompson | 07/04/2015 |