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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

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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)ByDate of Ascent
Swainson Knott, Stone Pike, Ponsonby Fell, In Fell, Cold Fellkeithouk14/02/2024
From small parking area at Stakes Bridge. Ponsonby Fell and In Fell. With ARC and his dad.PGCE05/07/2023
In Fell and Ponsonby Fell from NY 0561 0678. (Too hot for Swainson Knott)summitsup10/06/2023
 yorkielad23/05/2023
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.PeterD20/04/2023
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.RowanP14/04/2023
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/72177720307185243SalmonJoe01/04/2023
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 borisytfckent06/02/2023
Circular walk on paths from small parking area at Stakes Bridge. Out via Farmery, back via Laverock How.Winterfloodian18/07/2022
Ennerdale Bridge to Seascale cross country route, after Stone Pike. Good viewpoint marred only by the power stationtrimarc229/06/2022
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.LizH26/02/2022
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_alan15/02/2022
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.DABT18/08/2021
With Cold Fell, from Calder BridgeNumptyDumpty03/07/2021
From Stakes Bridge.Slash330/05/2021
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 RavenglassLazylizzie01/05/2021
From the layby on the main road near Ponsonbytomd421/04/2021
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 WoodGrey Hare09/08/2020
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.Chipstertrain08/07/2020
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.Shutterlag19/11/2019
Ascent from road at Scargreen up road/bridleway towards Laverlock How and over common land to Ponsonby Fell. Return via the same route.raymooremanx16/11/2019
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 Down102/11/2019
Completed the round.softsquare20/10/2019
Found the Buried Block under the cairn.Dusty16/10/2019
After In Fell, by vague RoW from Laverock HoweColin Crawford05/09/2019
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.ijpowell25/05/2019
From Stakes Bridge for a rounds of Ponsonby Fell, Stone Pike and Swainson Knott.rhalstead20/04/2019
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.jocks128/12/2018
From Stakes Bridge, via Laverock How, then RoW into designated open access country. Frozen ground made for good going.Isbjorn14/12/2018
Direct line from Swainson Knott. On to In Fell.jonglew19/09/2018
AW's outlier from parking area at Stakes bridge on the river Calder then went onto Cold fell.WAYNE ROWLETT16/09/2018
Circuit from ScargreenAjm031006/11/2017
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.flockwatcher13/08/2017
With Clare, Eire, Evan, Sail, Danu, Coel & Alfie.Dangerous Dave05/08/2017
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.BURGESS28/07/2017
A horrible wet trudgebardolph20/07/2017
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.nukeboy118/07/2017
CJchrisj196518/04/2017
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 Wanderer05/12/2016
last of 3 hills a bit boggy in placescolinfielding21/11/2016
Done with Richard Turner on a grim very wet day.falunty18/10/2016
Done with Richard Turner on a grim very wet day.nitranrenrut18/10/2016
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.bolton07/09/2016
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)gerrybowes07/09/2016
Last of the three Birketts, then on to In Fell.ngthack05/01/2016
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!citygent02/10/2015
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 Caunt17/09/2015
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.Eddie04/07/2015
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 Jimmy15/06/2015
With Katy. Sunny day.George Thompson07/04/2015