Steel Knotts (Pikeawassa)

The summit is a knife-edged tor of rock called Pikeawassa, and getting properly on top of it takes a short scramble and some balance. The rest of the fell is a straightforward two-mile ridge between Fusedale and Martindale on the quiet side of Ullswater.

Park opposite St Peter's Church on Martindale Hause, where spaces are few and fill early. The road there is a narrow lane from Pooley Bridge, and there's very little room in Howtown itself, so the Ullswater steamer to Howtown pier is a good alternative. The standard short round from the church follows a wall, then a gently rising path along the side of the valley towards the Old Church of St Martin, which dates from the late sixteenth century and stands beside a dark yew. From there it turns uphill on steep turf to gain the ridge just south of the summit. The walk is about 4 km with 350 m of climbing. You can also climb the north end steeply and directly from Howtown, or walk up Fusedale to Gowk Hill at the south end of the ridge.

Underfoot it is mostly grass, with rock breaking through near the top and on Brownthwaite Crag further south. Coming off the north end past Birkie Knott means a bit of easy scrambling down steep, mostly grassy ground.

From the top you look across Martindale to the Helvellyn range and down on Hallin Fell and Ullswater.

Martindale's deer

The upper valley to the south, around The Nab, is a private deer reserve run by the Dalemain estate, with no public rights of way. Its red deer are said to be the oldest native herd in England. In October you can sometimes hear the stags roaring from the ridge during the rut.