Longsleddale from Staveley
Longsleddale has no honeypot, no big car park and almost no visitors, just a single road to Sadgill and a valley that feels a century behind the rest of the Lakes.
An 18.8km loop through Longsleddale, one of the quietest valleys in the Lake District, from the hamlet of Sadgill along the River Sprint and the old Gatescarth track. Remote, runnable valley and fell ground.
Longsleddale has no honeypot, no big car park and almost no visitors, just a single road to Sadgill and a valley that feels a century behind the rest of the Lakes.
The route
Start from Staveley at the head of the public road and loop through Longsleddale, following the River Sprint up the valley and the old packhorse and quarry tracks that climb its sides. The route runs 18.8km with modest overall climbing, staying mostly in and around the valley rather than tagging the high tops. It is a route about atmosphere and space as much as effort, a long, quiet outing in a corner of the Lakes most people never see.
The valley
Longsleddale runs north from Garnett Bridge on the A6 for five or six miles to Sadgill, where the road ends and the fells take over. It is a narrow, steep-sided valley of the River Sprint, hemmed by Kentmere Pike, Tarn Crag and Grey Crag, and threaded by the old route over Gatescarth Pass towards Mardale. The farms are working ones, the walls old, and the quiet is the point. This loop uses the valley tracks and lower slopes to make its circuit, with the option to climb higher if legs and weather allow.
Why it works
This is a route for a long, peaceful day on good ground. The surface is largely runnable track and path, with rougher, wetter sections on the higher lines, and the sense of solitude is the real reward. Navigation is straightforward in the valley but needs care on the open fell in cloud, where the Gatescarth track and side paths can confuse. Sadgill parking is limited roadside space, so arrive early and park considerately for farm traffic. There is nothing in the valley itself, so carry what you need and save Staveley or Kendal for afterwards. Save the higher options for clear weather to make the most of the fell views. Few valleys this close to Kendal feel so genuinely remote, which is the whole reason to come.
The higher fell sections are exposed and boggy with paths that confuse in cloud, so carry a map. The River Sprint rises fast in spate. Remote valley with limited phone signal and no facilities at Sadgill.
Safety on this route
- No signal? Text 999 — pre-register first: text register to 999
- Tell someone your route and expected return time before you head out
Leave No Trace
- Leave nothing but footprints, take nothing but memories.
- Please respect the countryside and all its inhabitants.
- Dogs on leads near livestock, and around ground-nesting birds from March to July.
- Gates as you find them — open or closed, leave it that way for the farmer and the next runner.
- Take it all home — wrappers, peel, tissue, the lot. It doesn't count as biodegradable if you can still see it.
- Stick to the path where the ground either side is wet, planted, or nesting habitat.
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