Route: from Staveley station, descend the steps and turn left to walk along Station Road into the village centre. Cross to Silver St and turn left onto School Lane. Turn left at the end and then right onto a footpath heading uphill. Continue on the track (across a path crossroads) accessing right to roam land at a gate. Here it is possible to ascend (briefly steeply) onto a sort-of ridge on the left with good views south. Either way, continue to the summit of Reston Scar (255m). The route continues through another gate and newly planted trees to reach the summit of Hugill Fell, and then through a gate and across marshy land (logs help cross this) to Black Crag. Descend steeply to the (quiet) road and turn right to Staveley. A left turn (or rather, keeping straight when the road bends right) on a narrow road leads more directly to the Millyard.
Pubs: two options in Staveley are the Hawkshead Brewery in the Millyard, though no food is served. (The bakery - More - next door sells sandwiches which can be eaten in the brewery). Or, more cosy on a cold day a little further south, is the cosy and reasonably priced Eagle and Child pub. From it, there's an obvious road route back to the station.
Variants: sadly there is no right of access on the higher ground beyond the route described. However, there are paths to the south of Staveley along the river on the Dales Way (possibly back via Cowan Head or crossing the bridge at Hagg Foot) and areas of woodland - such as Craggy Plantation and/or Dorothy Farrer's Wood - which would make for a post-lunch saunter or an alternative to climbing Reston Scar in the first place.