Hampsfell Hospice
This circular walk climbs to the Hampsfell Hospice in Grange over Sands in Cumbria. The fell is an excellent local viewpoint with the added bonus of an interesting old tower on its summit.
You can start the walk on the sea front in Grange where there is a public car park. The train station is also near here if you are coming by public transport. From here you can pick up the Cistercian Way and follow it north through Eggerslack Wood before turning west to climb to the viewpoint atop Hampsfell Hill. Here you will find a limestone tower built in 1846 by the vicar of Cartmel. There are also excellent views towards the Lake District Mountains and the coast. The handy view indicator at the summit shows you the various landmarks you can see. You can also go inside the tower and read the interesting inscription and poem on the walls.
After admiring the views the route then descends via the woodland and limestone crags at Eden Mount before returning to the town.
Hampsfell Hospice Ordnance Survey Map 
- view and print off detailed OS map
Hampsfell Hospice Open Street Map 
- view and print off detailed map
Hampsfell Hospice OS Map 
- Mobile GPS OS Map with Location tracking
Hampsfell Hospice Open Street Map 
- Mobile GPS Map with Location tracking
Further Information and Other Local Ideas
To extend the walk you could pick up the Grange-over-Sands and Cartmel Circular Walk and visit the 12th century Cartmel Priory.
Head north and you could visit Witherslack and enjoy some splendid limestone scenery at the Whitbarrow National Nature Reserve. Just to the east of Witherslack there's also the Foulshaw Moss Nature Reserve. The reserve has some nice boardwalks to follow over the peat bog. It's also excellent for wildlife with ospreys, hobby, sparrowhawk, buzzard and peregrine to look out for from the bird hides.
For more walking ideas in the area see the Lake District Walks page.
Cycle Routes and Walking Routes Nearby
Photos
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The Hospice on Hampsfell
The view indicator on top of Hampsfell Hospice
The Greek inscription above the entrance translates 'rosy-fingered dawn'. Inside the stone building there are also four panels inscribed in English
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Interior of the hospice. Verse on the Western wall -
"This Hospice as an open door, A like to welcome rich and poor
A roomy seat for young and old,
Where they may screen them from the cold.
Three windows that command a view,
To North, to West and Southward too;
A flight of steps requireth care,
The roof will show a prospect rare:
Mountain and vale you thence survey,
The winding streams and noble bay;
The sun at noon the shadow hides,
Along the East and Western sides:
A lengthened chain holds guard around,
To keep the cattle from the ground;
Kind reader freely take your pleasure,
But do no mischief to my treasure."
Looking NNW. A typical limestone fell top, looking NNW from the roof of the Hospice. The Coniston Fells are in the background, dominated by the Old Man of Coniston
Low limestone crags on Hampsfell, south east of the northern summit topped by the Hospice. The grassy slope below the crags has occasional stunted trees. View on a sunny afternoon in early March
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On the top of the hospice is a rotatable pointer (not in the photo). This notice gives the magnetic bearings of various landmarks, which enables them to be identified by lining up the pointer. Interestingly, Snaefell (SC3988), 621m high and 100km away, is included. I believe the summit will be obscured by Black Combe (SD1385), 600m high and 27km away. However, it is probably possible to see the southern parts of the Isle of Man on a clear day.
Roe deer on the edge of Eden Mount