Great Calva
690m (2264ft)
The Northern Fells, The Lake District, Cumbria, England
You can find Great Calva & all the walks that climb it on these unique free-to-access Interactive Walk Planning Maps: (click/TAP to select)
1:25,000 scale OS Explorer Map (the ones with orange/yellow covers):
1:50,000 scale OS Landranger Maps (the ones with pink/magenta covers):
See Great Calva and the surrounding tops on our free-to-access 'Google Style' Peak Bagging Maps:
See Great Calva and the surrounding tops on our downloadable PDF Peak Bagging Maps:
*Walk & bag all 24 Wainwrights in The Northern Fells area of The Lake District in just 7 easy-to-follow circular walks.
*This version is marked with the walk routes you need to follow to Walk all 214 Wainwrights in just 59 walks. Click here for more information.
NB: Whether you print off a copy on to paper or download it to your phone, these PDF Peak Baggers Maps will prove incredibly useful when your are up there on the tops and you cannot get a phone signal!
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Vital Statistics:
| Length: | 7ml (11km) |
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| Ascent: | 1,860ft (567m) |
| Time: | 4½ hrs |
| Grade: |  (Moderate) |
Route Summary:
Grainsgill Bridge - Swineside - Grainsgill Beck - Knott (Uldale Fells) - Great Calva - The Cumbria Way - River Caldew - Grainsgill Bridge - Swineside.
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Vital Statistics:
| Length: | 10.5ml (17km) |
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| Ascent: | 2,903ft (885m) |
| Time: | 6.75hrs |
| Grade: |  (Hard) |
Route Summary:
Over Water Reservoir - Orthwaite - Uldale Fells - Great Cockup - Meal Fell - Great Sca Fell - Knott (Uldale Fells) - Great Calva - Brockle Crags - Orthwaite - Over Water
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Vital Statistics:
| Length: | 14ml (22.5km) |
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| Ascent: | 2,978ft (908m) |
| Time: | 8.25hrs |
| Grade: |  (Hard) |
Route Summary:
Mosedale (Mungrisdale) - Carrock Fell - Round Knott - Miton Hill - Hare Stones - High Pike (Caldbeck) - Hare Stones - Great Lingy Hill - Miller Moss - Lingy Hut - Little Lingy Hill - Knott (Uldale Fells) - Great Calva - The Cumbria Way - Grainsgill Beck - River Caldew - Swineside - Mosedale (Mungrisdale)
Fellow go4awalkers who have already walked, climbed, summited & bagged Great Calva
James Hughes walked up Great Calva on May 15th, 2025 [from/via/route] c200 High Pike, Knott & Great Calva [weather] Cold start in morning. Cool on tops with strong breeze on Great Calva. Warm on descent in afternoon. - Parked near Home Farm so needed to walk to Mosedale Bridge. Plenty of parking Quakers Meeting House. Also good parking for direct route up eastern side of Carrock Fell. Walked up from Swineside approach. Good climb then onto flat plateau. Impressive top with cairn. Easy enjoyable walk to High Pike. Return to join Cumbria Way to Linghy Hut & then up to Knott. Fairly easy descent & ascent up to Great Calva. Impressive views & prominence of Fell. Descent not overly enjoyable, steep through heather. Enjoyable lunch stop at Wiley Beck. Feet revived by water dip. Pleasant return via Cumbria Way alongside River Caldew. Stayed at Hudscales Farm & few pints at Old Crown Hesket Newmarket.
David Higginbottom climbed Great Calva on February 5th, 2025 [from/via/route] Own loop 13k left half of c200 knott & great Calva walk up the beck in the middle [with] Carolyn [weather] Clear but cold & windy , very boggy going up to Knott - Nice walk easy steady loop , a little steep in places
Simon Myerscough bagged Great Calva on December 4th, 2024 [from/via/route] C188 - From Grainsgill Bridge - meal at The Crown Inn afterwards [with] Joanne [weather] Bright start, misty on tops - Wind blew straight into shelter for our dinner spot, freezing so rushed it down
Martin Hartshorne hiked Great Calva on May 24th, 2024 [from/via/route] From mosedale [with] finley [weather] Low cloud on the tops,no views.
Geoff Hand summited Great Calva on May 21st, 2024 [from/via/route] Walk C200 Carrock Fell, Round Knott, Milton, Hill,High Pike, Hare Stones, Gt Lingy, Knott, Littel & Great Calva from Mosedale. Return by River Caldew. [with] Solo [weather] Sunny Intervals, warm in the sun. Breezy from the north east. - Long hard walk with tough climb from the onset. Mose dale valley on the way back beautiful. Chap lost his dog on Round Knott & Milton, but found him. I lost my map & waterbottle!
Tim Winn conquered Great Calva on March 23rd, 2024 [with] Barry, Roger, Andy and Paul [weather] Overcast & strong gusty wind.
Paul Macey scaled Great Calva on July 17th, 2023 [from/via/route] Using walk c200 in reverse as couldn't find start! [weather] A dry day more sun than cloud about 16 degrees
Ian Ashton walked up Great Calva on June 17th, 2023 [from/via/route] I [with] JPH
Christine Shepherd climbed Great Calva on July 23rd, 2008 [from/via/route] Walked from Mosedale using walk c200. Climbed again using walk c188 from Grainsgill Bridge 16.08.2021 [with] On my own [weather] Bright & sunny on the tops but quite humid when I set off. - Climbed for a third time using walk c200 on a lovely sunny day on 31.5.23
Angeline Grieveson bagged Great Calva on September 19th, 2022 [with] Dotty
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More Photographs & Pictures of views from, on or of Great Calva
*Great Calva, Burnt Horse, Blencathra (Saddleback) and Lonscale Crags from (North of) Lonscale Fell
Great Calva and Whitewater Dash from The Cumbria Way at Melbecks, Back o' Skiddaw
Great Calva, Burnt Horse, Blencathra and Lonscale Crags from (North of) Lonscale Fell
*Bakestall, Great Calva, Skiddaw House, Blencathra (Saddleback) and Lonscale Fell from Skiddaw
Carl Side, Skiddaw and Lonscale Fell (centre left), Great Calva (centre) and Belncathra or Saddleback, Bannerdale Crags and Souther Fell (centre right) from the summit of High Rigg
The North Western Fells (far left distance), Carl Side, Skiddaw and Lonscale Fell (centre left), Great Calva (centre) and Belncathra or Saddleback, Bannerdale Crags and Souther Fell (centre right) and the shoulder of Clough Head (far right) from the summit of High Rigg
Send us your photographs and pictures on, of, or from Great Calva
If you would like to add your walk photographs and pictures featuring views from, on or of Great Calva to this page, please send them as email attachments (configured for any computer) along with your name to:
and we shall do our best to publish them.
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