The Nuttall’s walk for the Cross Fell hills is rather long at 20 miles or so, and as it includes Cross Fell and the two Dun Fells which have been walked anway if you’ve done the Pennine Way(PW), it seems a good idea to just do a simple 10 mile circular walk of Round Hill, Bullman Hills and Long Man Hill from south of Garrigill. This we did on May day, with a cold SW wind blowing, but good visibility overall: the hills are not tops, except perhaps the two Bullman Hills, therefore not recommended in bad visibility. You can park just beyond the cattle grid by Over Lee House south of Garrigill, and walk south on road then track, till due east of Round Hill, where a mine track leads up onto the moor and to a tiny summit cairn. Go west to the wall and follow it down, crossing to the far side when it becomes a fence, and head for a line of grouse butts, which in theory will give a path to follow: aim then for the green track on the other side of Cross Gill, the green being laid plastic for vehicles, and this leads easily upto the wall again and a bridleway at the top. Turn right for the PW, and a short distance down this turn left below the stones, heading for the first of three limestone “humps”. Various tracks and paths help. The first one is the 658m point on the map, the second, NW of it, the higher of the Bullman Hills, and the third of these odd excrescences is the actual Nuttall. From the top stake out the lower Cashwell mine and luncheon hut ESE, and head as best you can for it: this helps as a track from it leads to the Pennine Way. The main Cashwell mine was to the left when you joined the PW. We were surprised to see several trucks at the luncheon hut, which had obviously been improved, and was further advancing itself with the building of a front patio, where doubtless G and Ts could be had with the cucumber sandwiches to enjoy the gales, or a midgy cloud, at half-time in the massacre. The builders told us that the hut was an old stable for the destroyed old mine house, which housed 60 or more hardy souls. I cannot tell you who owns the hut and estate, as it is almost impossible to find out; they don’t want us to know.
Joining the PW, turn left and first right up a track, then through a gate head left for the summit of Long Man Hill, the going now easier than before. From the top, where we could now see the Radome on Great Dunn Fell (which we couldn’t when we did the PW from 50 metres away in dense mist in 2014), head NE till you can see a Currick, then head for this. The FB on the maps down from this does not exist; either go further north where there is one, or cross the Gill here easily, go through a gate and diagonally left up the hill for the far wall. At the top there’s one more wall to cross and then descend by the wall on the left to your car. Ten lonely but worthwhile miles, 1771ft of ascent, 5-6 hours.
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