A Walking Guide to Hallin Fell

Hallin Fell is a great place for beginners to gain some experience fell walking in the Lake District. It's a short yet rewarding walk up a relatively small (albeit steep) hill, and one of the easiest Wainwrights to bag.

In this guide we'll cover everything you need to know about Hallin Fell, including how to get there, where to park and what to bring for the occasion.

Hallin Fell is one of the Far Eastern Fells in the Lake District National Park. Located on the eastern shore of Ullswater, it's almost surrounded by the lake on three sides. It's right near Martindale and Howtown, which is roughly a 30-minute drive from our Penrith store.

View Hallin Fell on Google Maps

Alfred Wainwright described Hallin Fell as "the motorists' fell" as you can do a decent chunk of the ascent by car. A small, free car park is available at the start of the walk by St Peter's Church in Martindale, though be warned - it's reached via a narrow lane coming from Pooley Bridge and ends with a twisty ascent, but thankfully there's the occasional lay-by to allow passing.

Alternatively, you could consider parking in Pooley Bridge and taking a lake cruise along Ullswater with the Ullswater Steamers, which has journeys available to Howtown and back, though this would be better if you'd prefer to walk around the area of Hallin Fell, as opposed to up it.

The summit of Hallin Fell stands at 388m (1,273ft) and is marked by an obelisk, offering fantastic views across Ullswater with Gowbarrow Fell, the Helvellyn range and Blencathra in the distance, along with views through the valleys of Boredale, Martindale and Bannerdale on the southern side, where you'll see Place Fell and Steel Knotts (Hallin Fell's immediate neighbour across The Hause) and more.

It's a very rewarding hike for relatively little effort compared to other fells. As mentioned earlier, Hallin Fell is a Wainwright, and by height it's 203rd out of the 214 total.

The most popular and direct route to walking Hallin Fell is the 2.1km circular walk starting at St Peter's church, and it takes around an hour to complete. It's a really easy, family friendly route - the paths are grassy though clearly marked, there are just a few slippery bits to be wary of when wet, particularly on the way back down.

Being an easy, family-friendly walk, you won't need a load of equipment to hike up Hallin Fell. However, because of the exposed, lake-edge position and slippery grass, we'd recommend bringing a waterproof jacket or softshell (depending on the weather) to provide some protection from either rain, wind or both. Walking boots are also a good idea just to have some extra traction for steep and slippery portions of the route.

Lastly, we always like to recommend bringing a backpack on your travels, to carry your water bottle, some snacks, a map and compass, and a small first aid kit just in case.