From June 21 to June 26 I will be in Wylam, Northumberland, without a car. I was thinking of trying Cold Fell G/NP-020: take the train from Wylam to Brampton and then walk southwest for about 5.5 miles (not sure about the best route) I read the terrain is quite boggy, but another thing I will not be able to pack is proper boots or sticks (plane luggage). I’d greatly appreciate any local help — maybe someone around there would like to hike up with me? I could also consider other options. Thanks!
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Tosson Hill (G/SB-007) seems to be another option (with shorter travel times). It appears to involve catching a train to Newcastle then a bus to the village of Rothbury and then about a 5-km walk to the summit.
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Hi Mikel,
If you had time, you could catch a train from Wylam to Metrocentre. Opposite the Metrocentre station is a Go Outdoors (Google Maps), where you could pick up some hiking boots and poles. They are open every day: GO Outdoors Express Metrocentre store | GO Express Near Me | GO Outdoor
The last time we climbed the summit from the West through the Forest Head quarries it was quite wet, but it was early in the year (February). We used sticks and proper boots, but generally we always do now following my fall in Madeira the other year 
. In June you may be lucky and find it dry, in which case trail shoes may be OK if you can’t get boots.
Hopefully someone who has activated it more recently (or in June) can comment on what the ground conditions are likely to be.
Good luck!
73, Simon
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It was quite boggy when I went, but that was in March.
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What size boots do you normally wear (I know, you should never ask a gentleman that HI).
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There isn’t that much left of the railway network in the NE despite being it the birthplace of the railway… but there are some possibilities. Most involve long, slow but quite scenic train journeys but you will have to make sure you are not late as there are few trains…(and the buses usually manage to be even slower….)
Great Knoutberry Hill (G/NP-015) from Dent Station. (Train about 3hrs each way…) Fairly easy walk from Englands possibly best scenic rail line and one of the highest stations in the UK although it can be boggy it as at least short. Don’t expect too much at Dent Station the buffet closed about 50 years ago but the views are quite good…
The hills in G/TW are fairly easy walking and providing you can afford the train tickets and “enjoy” slow rail travel both Round Hill G/TW-001 (From Battersby Junction - which will take about 2 hrs but there isn’t a frequent service so you will need to get your timings right) and Guisborough Moor from Commondale are possible … but granted not easy due to poor rail connections. This would be much easier walking on well defined paths.
Finally it is possible that I might be free on the 23rd (and more importantly have a vehicle too) but I won’t know until the week before. If I can I’ll be able to give you a lift to the bottom of Cold Fell and we could walk up together. PM me if you are still stuck nearer the time. 73. Paul
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I’ve done this 3 times although getting the train from the opposite direction. Definitely recommended.
You can also do Aye Gill Pike G/NP-023 from Dent station. Baugh Fell G/NP-012 can be done from Garsdale station. Wild Boar Fell G/NP-007 can be done from either Garsdale or Kirby Stephen stations.
It is the highest mainline station in England.
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(Off topic sorry )Corrour (On the West Highland Line) would be even higher, but getting there and back in a day from Wylam would be problematic…… (and I’d argue that the West Highland Line has long distance trains and unfortunately the Settle Carlisle lost its express services….).
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Yes, the highest in England.
I should have asked AI first…
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I did…
( But should the planets ever allign I would like to don Beinn na Lap (GM/WS-091) so knew where the station was and I looked at the map first….…)
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Wear your walking boots onto the plane and pack your normal shoes in your luggage ?
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Thanks a million, folks! Great tips!
@G8CPZ Tosson Hill looks interesting, I’ll explore that possibility too!
@G7WKX Thanks for the advice and the information about the ways to the summit.
@M0VAZ I didn’t think of travelling with boots — I’d have to take them out at the security check, of course.
@MW0PJE I’ll see what the weather has been before.
@M9OMS Thanks for the offer, Omar! Size 10, btw.
@G4IPB I checked a roundtrip travel to Dent from Wylam, and there are options, but they come with a price (Trainline asks me for more than £80, I assume I could find cheaper options). I could not find Battersby Junctio, but I will research). Thanks a million for the possible offer on the 23th. I see you’re about 1 h away by car from Wylam and then it takes about 1 h to go to Forest Head near Cold Fell, a long ride which I could shorten by taking a train. I’ll DM you nearer the date.
@G4TGJ Thanks a million for the train + summit alternatives. I will study them.
Thanks again, dear colleagues.
Mikel
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The only time when flying I have an issue with boots is when wearing a pair of steel toe capped boots - tends to set the alarms off (Liverpool/Spain/Singapore/Sydney….)
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An Anytime return from Wylam to Dent is £45.10. It’s only valid for travel through Carlisle but that’s the obvious route anyway. There are some other routes via Newcastle and Leeds which cost twice as much and take almost twice as long!
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The road walk from Brampton will be fairly quiet, so its not a bad option, but you do have some alternatives
There is a twice daily bus from Brampton through Talkin, on Tuesdays and Thursdays
There is also a bus that heads to Alston from Haltwhiste, which would allow you to make a linear Walk (eg 680 to Talkin then walk to Burnstones via Cold Fell, and catch the 681 back to Haltwistle).
Another option is get the train to Carlisle and then the X95 to Mosspaul, where you will find the cluster of GM/SS-136, GM/SS-118 and GM/SS-146
https://www.bordersbuses.co.uk/services/BORD/X95
Cheers
Matthew
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Just back from a nice activation of G/NP-020 Cold Fell with Paul @G4IPB who was so kind to pick me up at Hexham station so that we could activate together. Paul activated on 40 metres and 60 metres phone and I activated on 20 metres CW: we both bagged the summit. We hiked with the company of Jet and Woody, Paul’s Spaniels. The weather was not too hot, fortunately. Thanks a million Paul!
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… and just back at home about to enter the log, with the trusty sotabeams tactical mast which I tactically left behind. Fortunately Cold Fell is one of those rare trig points with the hole in the middle allowing a walking pole to be inserted as a alternative mast so given the antenna was only a couple of meters off the ground the fact a signal radiated at all is probably a bonus.
On the way back we were circled by a bird which I think was a Snipe trying to lead us away from its young,
If you are still wanting another walk consider Whernside from Ribblehead (Station) 6.7Km each way from the station. A longer walk, a stunning railway viaduct and a pub near the station if you need to waste a couple of hours, but although I would be absolutely fine to do this in the heat tomorrow Woody has vetoed another hot walk without a good stream…
The Office at Cold Fell with the walking pole mast.
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