This is a pretty ordinary hill, without a definite summit, just a peat groughed plateau with two or maybe three small cairns, so why climb it? Because it is a “summit” over 2000ft with more than 50 ft ascent from any neighbour, ie a “Nuttall”, and it was our last one. The Nuttalls in their excellent guide book do it on a rather large round from Weardale, and warn that the out and back to do this outlier is pretty awful, if not with peat groughs, then with bog, which will be worse outside this hot dry year.
I recommend doing it on its own, there and back the same way, rather than having to cross the badlands of just over one and a quarter miles twice (the the Nuttall’s route), or once, if combined with Great Stony Hill as we did. Thus I suggest either crossing a fence on the B6277 at MR823342 and following the ascending fence on its south side to where the slope levels out a bit and some greenery presents itself towards the summit platform, a bit more than halway to the Boundary Stone (BS) on the map; or, starting up the bridleway just beyond the hush up the road from there. The bridleway looks to disappear into the hush, which is why we didnt take it (taking the shooting track 3/4 mile further up the road), but it actually climbs the end of the north bank of the hush easily. Up the bridleway, towards the end of the hush(es), take what appears to ,be the easiest option rightwards to get to the fence. We came down this way and crossed the fence at a gate, but it could be done anywhere. So, at the levelling out of the slope, go along the green passage, aiming for the summit platform more than halfway along, then climb it where you think best, there is a green passage just north of the cairn at spot height 651 on the map, where you should see a small cairn. Another cairn or two may have to satisfy your conscience.
If you must climb Great Stony Hill as well, which is an actual summit and better view, take the bridleway to Coldberry End, where a reasonable path by the fence going east at the track summit exists. This does mean traversing the pathless, tiresome badlands though. Good luck.
The first map shows the suggested route for the two Nuttalls, with the bridleway staret. The second one shows alternate start climbing a fence from the road.
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