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Name:Swainson Knott
Hill number:3801
Height:345m / 1132ft
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:Hump, Tump (300-399m), Birkett, Synge, Clem
(Hu,Tu,3,B,Sy,Cm)
Grid ref:NY 07955 08352
Summit feature:small cairn with bovine bones
Drop:134m
Col:211m  NY089081  
OS map sheet(s):(1:50k) 89
(1:25k) OL6N 303
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 211 users, only the latest 50 shown - Show all)ByDate of Ascent
10th top of 12 on a 29.3km circuit from Greendale Cottages. After Lank Rigg, I headed South to reach Worm Gill that was in full spate. I used the debris fence to get across but looked at the water racing in front and got very dizzy; managed to refocus and look at the side. Followed fp heading South then veered off on a ride still intact mostly although being encroached upon by new growth. On reaching the open fell, it was a steady climb Sw up to the top. Continuation to Stone Pike...Dazingdale17/03/2024
From NY 0679 0866. One of those top locations where everywhere else looks a bit higher. Recovered a displaced bone and returned it to the tiny pile of stones and bones.summitsup15/03/2024
Parked on road to Thornholme, but parking place by Needless Gill looked soft ground, so came 1km back down road, just beyond previous gate, where there is hard standing. Top vague - plateau, but covered it enough.IanHHill13/03/2024
Swainson Knott, Stone Pike, Ponsonby Fell, In Fell, Cold Fellkeithouk14/02/2024
Parked at Stakes Bridge: FP, In Fell, Ponsonby Fell, Stone Pike and Swainson Knott . Great views on a clear day. Back down to track from Farmery ruin which got muddier as descended.PeterD20/04/2023
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 minor road to Thornholme to W. Parked E of road N of wall just N of Needless Gill. Grassy ATV track through two gates most of way to summit.Minto30/12/2022
Ennerdale Bridge to Seascale cross country walk. Descended from Lank Rigg to ford on Worm Gill. River was swollen after 2 days of heavy rain and the crossing was difficult. Just upstream from Ford the river splits into 4 and this where I crossed - with difficulty. Then into forest taking straight line along (at first) very good track, which was later overgrown, to emerge on western boundary and then force my way to top via high bracken. On to Birkett and Ponsonby Felltrimarc229/06/2022
Across from Stone Pike. Bones still on the cairn! Descended west and picked up a track through a gate and down to the road.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
3/3 Parked Stakes Bridge up to In Fell via Bridleway and cut across. Met friendly game keeper up here who showed us round, then down via woodland to road to join the paths up to Stone Pike and Swainson Knott. Descended back South West to join road back to bridge. Pleasant round in 2 hours.nickywood128/08/2021
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
After Ponsonby Fell and Stone Pike on a clear hot day with Jules and JillGrey Hare09/08/2020
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
After slog to Stone Pike this was ok!softsquare20/10/2019
Final Region 34 HumpAlan Caine06/05/2019
From Stakes Bridge for a rounds of Ponsonby Fell, Stone Pike and Swainson Knott.rhalstead20/04/2019
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
Frozen ground provided relief from the swampy ground. There are gates at NY 0756308585, NY 0724308665 and NY 0697808643 which facilitate a route between the open access area and the public road to ThornholmeIsbjorn14/12/2018
Can park by Needless Gill. Open fell can be accessed through field gates on north side of gill.PGCE27/09/2018
Parking for 3/4 cars SE side Stakes Bridge. RoW from NY 0592 0695 to Farmery, then over open fellside to Stone Pike first. On to Ponsonby Fell.jonglew19/09/2018
Circuit from ScargreenAjm031006/11/2017
Up alongside Needless Gill- gates all the way. Gave up trying to descend via Wheel Fell- an appalling mire, slow going, with the risk of even worse. My brother declined to do this walk with me- he'd done it before and once was enough. The entrancing light and sea fog in the distance made the view from the summit appealing.pwheeler25/09/2017
From Stone Pike. With Clare, Eire, Evan, Sail, Danu, Coel & Alfie. The cairn of bones has been here since I first summited and remains undisturbed!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
From Stone Pike. Had to walk on east of ridge back to Stone Pike to avoid being blinded by the lights of Sellafield. Nicely uneventful descent by moonlight. (and nuclear light).Wycombe Wanderer05/12/2016
very boggy in places luckily part frozencolinfielding21/11/2016
Last of 3. A good descent west to the road and then back to Stakes Bridge. 5 miles and 2 hours 40 minutes with GB.bolton07/09/2016
Parking area by Stakes Bridge (3-4 cars) at 056068 - Up road & RoW to Ponsonby Fell - Stone Pike - Summit bone collection - Descended W. to gate in wall corner & then down farm track to road - 2½km walk along road back to car. (PM)gerrybowes07/09/2016
Birkett route from Blengdale. Bovine bones still in situ.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
Cattle bones on cairn and in the ditch by the small peat hag. The fence near Stone Pike has been reinforced with new barbed wire, but someone has cut one section (marked by cattle shoulder blade bone) just north of Stone Pike so you must cross there.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. Forded Worm Gill high up then encountered the two footbridges. Must buy a more recent map than Revision 1980 (or do more prep on the net).Eddie04/07/2015
From Stone Pike. Small cairn and some bones on edge of small peat hag at summit.Aye Jimmy15/06/2015
With Ponsonby FellGeorge Thompson07/04/2015
Walked from Blengdale. This was a good walk on forest tracks before heading out on to open fell to bag 3 Birketts.Neil Haslewood06/02/2015
Parked at the Blengdale Forestry car park (NY 085 053) NO PARKING TODAY FORESTRY WORK… so I turned the sign around > Scalderskew Farm >SWAINSON KNOTT grassy mound with a small ridge marked with a few stones the old bones have been moved into the ditch > Stone Pike > Ponsonby Fell > Scalderskew Farm > CP…. turned the sign back (got away with that one)Tony Hartry II16/09/2014
Thornholme Needless Gill Swainson Knott Stone Pike Ponsonby Fell Wheel Fell Needless Gill ThornholmeAndy Hirst05/09/2014
Climbed from Gosforth using Birketts routerobert15/07/2014
With Eire, Evan, Sail, Danu, Coel & Alfie.Dangerous Dave01/07/2014
Birkett walk from Wellington Bridge(car park closed).Confusing directions at footbridge.Reasonable views at top including Isle of Man,Scotland and Great Gable but disregarding Sellafield.Bones still part of cairn.With Oscar.catman20/09/2013
With Catman.oscarrosie20/09/2013
W Jenx,very pleasant stroll around Ponsonby Fell and Swainson Knott (and Stone Pike), to find the only decent weather in Lakes this weekend. Plus pt Wainwright Outliers and t'HuMP. From woods at Blengdale despite forestry works - always better than Calder Bridge approach.nordicstar19/05/2013
Birketts 2nd roundDave Geere16/03/2013
Ponsonby Fell, Stone Pike, Swainson Knottronaldo33309/03/2013
Circular from Calder Bridge. Easy going over frozen terrain via south side of Birrel Sike.Smudge02/12/2012
From the ford via Stone Pike.Anduril06/08/2012
Easy parking just after gate on corner to NNW. With Stone Pike and Ponsonby Fell.destaylor27/07/2012