I parked in Keld opposite the Countryside and Heritage Centre or, to give it its much classier older name, the Literary Institute. At the bottom of the hill past the church where there is a car park on the left there is a track off to the right that leads to left run down to a bridge over the river. From here quite a steep climb up leads to East Stonesdale Farm. After passing the farm the way forks. Right is the Pennine Way and my outward route, left the way I would return. On uphill to pass Frith Lodge then gently downhill to cross Lad Gill, then uphill again over Stonesdale Moor to the Tan Hill Inn with great views west along the way to Nine Standards Rigg and South to Great Shunner Fell.
From Tan Hill I followed the tarred road back towards Keld for about 300m to where a footpath set off to the right signposted to Ravenseat. This makes for extremely pleasant walking up to and over Stonesdale Beck then along the side of the dramatic gash of Thomas Gill, left at a signpost along Thomas Gill Ridge and over Robert’s Seat (visiting the top of this was a short detour from the path). The path now crosses the fence and heads swiftly down to Ravenseat Farm. Just before the river crossing, there is a permissive path off over a field to the left that bypasses the farm policies. I took it and was soon past the farm making my way down Whitsun Dale. The path became a track and led to a bridge joining the B6270 but, just before the bridge a footpath heads off left that keeps one’s feet off tarmac. It leads to the road heading north to Tan Hill which I crossed and then continued along the access track to East Stonesdale Farm to rejoin my outward route.
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