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Friday 7 October 2016

Calf Top

Walk Summary
Slight detour to Middleton on the Cumbria/North Yorkshire border on way to North Wales from Suffolk, to reinstate my status as an English Nuttall completer. This is the third time after Catstye Cam (NPR) in April 2013, Pillar Rock in June 2016 and now Calf Top. 
Could not start from planned start point near Mill House due to lack of adequate off road parking, so parked at cross roads near Tossbeck Farm.Ascended up Calf from Calf Foot then on to Calf Top. 
Back on track albeit very faint.Calf Foot ahead, Calf beyond.
The front man for Calf Top-Middleton Fell on left.
From Calf Top summit, followed fence SW to fence corner then followed quad bike track to Castle Knott. Descended via Howgill Head but missed the footpath to Mill House ending up on what turned out to be a private access road crossing Millhouse Beck. As a result of this however  I did find a suitable start point in a large lay-by at SD 62969 85338 east of dis-used rail bridge.
At Calf Top summit I realised, as is often the case, I had not made a note of the precise summit location from hill-bagging so was all eyes as I approached from the NW with a likely candidate about 10m in front of the trig.
The elusive high point of Calf Top 12m SE of trig point
adjacent to small embedded stone
Once at the trig more likely high ground was visible to the SE so over the fence I lumber and stand on the hallowed ground of the country's most recent Nuttall summit.

After many years attaining Nuttall status Calf Top may well have the distinction of being a Nuttall for the shortest period of time as a result of OS changing the height of there datum point based on change in sea level due to impacts of global warming.
Too bad they did not do this before changing GPS data analysis software which resulted in the Nuttall promotion. Having said that Calf Top has long been on my hit list due to it's marginal status and in any event it is one of the few Marilyns left to visit in Area 35: The Northern and Central Pennines, not to mention the chance to visit Castle Knott, the now isolated Dewey. A list which I claim to have no interest but seem to have managed 25.4% of the 426 in England and Wales.

Walk Statistics
Walk Date - 07 October 2016
Walkers - Steve Smith

Accommodation - Charnock Richard Services M6
Start Point - Crossroads opposite road to Tossbeck Farm (SD 62611 85893)
Start Time - 15:58
Finish Point Crossroads opposite road to Tossbeck Farm (SD 62611 85893)
Finish Time- 18:51
Total Duration - 2hrs 53mins 
Overall Average pace - 2.25mph
Total Distance Walked - 6.50 miles
Total Height Ascended - 573.86 metres


Peaks visited
Nuttalls (255E - 444E&W)
Calf Top (255E - 417E&W)
Hewitts (180E - 318E&W)
Calf Top (180E - 293E&W)
Marilyns (175E - 1556E,W&S)
Calf Top (108E - 259E,W&S)
Deweys (180E - 421E&W)
Castle Knott (56E - 108E&W)
HuMPs (444E - 2975EW&S)
Calf Top (164E - 342E,W&S)
Historic County Tops (413E - 93E,W&S)
NONE
W: Wales. 
E,W: England & Wales. 
E,W&S:England,Wales & Scotland

Other walks on this trip
2016
October
07th Calf Top
08th Moel Siabog
09th Yr Aran & Gallt y Wenaullt
11th The Manods & Moel Penamnen from Blaenau Ffestiniog
12th The Cnichts
13th Moel Hebog - The Beddgelert Three
14th Moel-y-Gest
15th Five Nuttalls of the Central Rhinogs
18th Rhobell Fawr & Dduallt
19th Rhinog Fawr from Cwm-bychan Farm
21st Gorllwyn & Drygarn Fawr
22nd Pen y Garn
22nd Bryn y Fan
24th Foel Goch and the four Deweys from Bala C&CC campsite
25th North West Arans
Route
GPX can be downloaded from
More Photographs
Calf from Calf Foot. Calf Top is behind and to the left
Click on photograph to view slide-show