The Howgills
Distance: 6 miles (9km)
Start/finish: Low Haygarth, LA10 5NE
Terrain: Track, trail, fell
Toughness: Challenging
Ascent: 526 metres
Navigation: Moderate
Good for: Really Wild, ascents
Lat Long / Grid Ref of Start: 54.3649, -2.4672 / SD6974196697
A wonderful run through the little-visited and much-underrated Howgill fells which, despite being in the county of Cumbria, are actually part of the Yorkshire Dales National Park. The run starts with a climb up onto the fells past the Cautley Spout waterfall, a spectacular sight as you approach the spout from the starting point at Low Haygarth. Taking the path on the side of Cautley Spout Tongue, the route follows Swere Gill to the Calf, the highest point in the Howgills at 676 metres. A brilliant section of running over the rolling fells follows before you drop down to Bowderdale. Despite being a wonderful place with many miles of fantastic walking and running trails, it’s unusual to see anyone else on this part of the fells, making for some deliciously solitary adventures.
Miles Km Directions
0.0 0.0 From car park cross River Rawthey and turn left, following river south west
0.3 0.5 At path junction turn right and follow stream north west up Cautley Spout
1.2 1.9 At Cautley Spout Tongue fork left to follow Swere Gill south west
1.9 3.0 Turn right away from the stream and head west up hill to The Calf trig point
2.2 3.6 From trig point head north east on the Dales Highway
3.4 5.4 Turn right off the Dales Highway and descend east to Bowderdale
3.7 6.0 Turn right following Bowderdale Beck downstream, heading south east
4.5 7.3 Join outward path at Cautley Spout Tongue
Download and print route directions (right click to download)
Download .GPX file (right click to download)
OS Map
To see this map cookies and javascript must be enabled. If you are still having trouble after having checked both of these please contact us using the link at the top of the page
Open Street Map and interactive elevation profile
[map style=”width: auto; height:400px; margin:20px 0px 20px 0px; border: 1px solid black;” lat=”54.3649″ lon=”-2.4672″ maptype=”OSM” z=”11″ gpx=”http://wildrunning.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/The-Howgills.gpx”]