Walks from Patterdale
The walks you can reach from Patterdale — the routes that start within about 5 km, and the Wainwright and Outlying fells within the same radius, ranked nearest first. Each fell carries today’s conditions and the bus where there is one. Planning the trip? See the full Patterdale guide for parking, buses and where to stay.
Walking routes near Patterdale
- St Sunday Crag 0.5 km away10 km~782 m~3.3 hThree tops and an outlier on the long Patterdale ridge — Arnison Crag, Birks and St Sunday Crag, with Gavel Pike a short detour off the summit. Steep in places, but the walking line stays well clear of the crags throughout.
- Place Fell and The Knight 0.5 km away7.1 km~514 m~2.3 hStraight up from Ullswater to Place Fell and The Knight — 7.1 km and 514 m, with a stage averaging 16%. Easy for length but severe for steepness and hard for exposure. About 2.3 hours.
- Glenridding Dodd, Sheffield Pike, Catstye Cam, Birkhouse Moor 1.5 km away15.6 km~1209 m~5.1 hA hard round above Glenridding by every measure the site records — 1,209 m of ascent in 15.6 km. A steep pull straight out of the valley leads over Glenridding Dodd and Sheffield Pike, then the notoriously wet ground at Nick Head, the fine cone of Catstye Cam, and a long 554 m descent that tells on tired knees.
- Helvellyn via Striding Edge & Swirral Edge 1.5 km away12.7 km~924 m~4.1 hDifficultThe most famous — and most serious — way up England's third-highest mountain, over the knife-edge arêtes of Striding Edge and Swirral Edge, taking in shapely Catstye Cam. I haven't personally walked this exact line, and it's a genuinely dangerous route that demands a head for heights, sure footing and settled conditions; it sees accidents every year. If the edges aren't for you, the far safer walkers' option is to climb via White Side from Thirlmere. In winter the edges become full mountaineering terrain needing an ice axe, crampons and the experience to use them.
- Middle Dodd Little Hart Crag and High Hartsop Dodd 2.9 km away10.4 km~795 m~3.4 hA short round with a very long climb inside it — 521 m up to Middle Dodd in the first 4.3 km, including a sustained 56% pull, after which the ridge over Little Hart Crag and High Hartsop Dodd is easy going all the way down.
- Hartsop Fells and Hart Crag 2.9 km away11.9 km~765 m~3.6 hSix tops from Gale Crag over Hartsop Above How to Hart Crag — 11.9 km and 765 m, with one stage averaging 20%. Severe for steepness, moderate everywhere else; about 3.6 hours.
- Finishing of the Far Eastern Fells 3.1 km away22.5 km~1279 m~6.6 hRest Dodd, The Nab, Brock Crags and the Angletarn Pikes — six tops in 22.5 km with 1,279 m of climbing. Severe for both length and steepness and hard for navigation and exposure: about 6.6 hours and a full day out.
- Caudale Moor & St Raven's Edge 3.4 km away13 km~724 m~3.8 hHartsop Dodd, Stony Cove Pike and the Caudale Moor tops — four summits in 13 km with 724 m of climbing, and one stage averaging 35%, which ties the steepest on the site. Hard for navigation and exposure; about 3.8 hours.
- Brock Crags, Angletarn Pikes, Beda Fell & Place Fell 3.5 km away19.7 km~1070 m~5.7 hHard🏞️ Easy & familyA big, varied Far Eastern round above Patterdale and the quiet Boredale and Bannerdale valleys — over Brock Crags to lovely Angle Tarn (one of the prettiest sheets of water in the Lakes), along the grassy whaleback of Beda Fell, and up characterful Place Fell for its superb view down Ullswater. Nearly 20 km and a proper day out, but rarely hard underfoot.
- Angletarn Pikes and the Martindale round 3.5 km away22.2 km~1349 m~6.7 hHard🏞️ Easy & familyA long, quiet circuit of the Far Eastern fells above Patterdale — over Rest Dodd and out to the remote peak of The Nab, then back across Brock Crags to the twin tops of Angletarn Pikes, and home over Beda Fell and Place Fell. Twenty-two kilometres and six summits in some of the emptiest country in the National Park.
- Hartsop Dodd, Stony Cove Pike, Thornthwaite Crag and Gray Crag 3.5 km away10 km~832 m~3.4 hFour tops above Hartsop in 10 km with 832 m of climbing, including a stage averaging 35% — as steep as anything on the site. Severe for steepness but only moderate for navigation and exposure. About 3.4 hours.
- Swineside Knott & Gowbarrow 3.7 km away13.3 km~649 m~3.7 hModerateA satisfying loop over the heather tops of Gowbarrow above Ullswater, starting from the busy Aira Force car park — but climbing quickly away from the waterfall crowds onto quiet, rolling moorland that most of them never reach. The round takes in Brown Hills, Swineside Knott and Common Fell before the open summit of Gowbarrow Fell, a Wainwright with one of the finest views over Ullswater, which stays with you for much of the way. Moderate, with one steep early pull — save it for a clear day and let the lake do the rest.
- Aira Force & Gowbarrow Fell 3.7 km away6.9 km~341 m~1.9 h🏞️ Easy & familyAira Force's dramatic 65-foot waterfall, climbed on to the open top of Gowbarrow Fell for one of the finest aerial views over Ullswater. Easy-moderate — a steady pull on good National Trust paths above the falls.
- Birketts by Gowbarrow 3.8 km away12 km~550 m~3.3 hFive tops around Gowbarrow Park above Ullswater, including the Wainwright summit of Gowbarrow Fell — 12 km and 550 m, with one stage averaging 16%. Rated hard to navigate despite the modest scale. Around 3.3 hours.
- Gowbarrow Fell and Little Mell Fell 4 km away15.1 km~705 m~4.2 hA linear crossing above Ullswater from Gowbarrow Fell to Little Mell Fell — two quite different tops, the first a rocky shoulder over the lake, the second a bare grassy dome. Not a loop, and about a fifth of it is pathless.
- Fusedale Circuit 4.6 km away14.7 km~856 m~4.4 hA quiet ~15 km circuit of the Far Eastern fells from Howtown on Ullswater — Hallin Fell, Steel Knotts, Wether Hill, Loadpot Hill, Arthur's Pike and Bonscale Pike — broad grassy tops with grandstand views over the lake. A fine Steamer-and-walk outing.
- Birketts to the South of Ullswater 4.6 km away11.5 km~663 m~3.4 hSleet Fell, Low Birk Fell and the Birk Fell tops on the quiet southern shore — five summits in 11.5 km with 663 m of climbing. Severe for steepness and hard for both navigation and exposure; about 3.4 hours.
- Hallin Fell 4.6 km away2 km~156 m~0.7 h🏞️ Easy & familyA short, steep little climb from the Howtown steamer pier to a superb all-round viewpoint over Ullswater — maximum reward for minimum effort, and a fine car-free outing using the lake steamer.
- Swarth Fell and Loadpot Hill 4.7 km away9.7 km~568 m~2.9 hFour far-eastern tops above Ullswater — Swarth Fell, Loadpot Hill, Brownthwaite Crag and Steel Knotts — in 9.7 km with 568 m of climbing. Severe for steepness, hard for navigation and exposure; under three hours.
- Birketts above Ullswater 4.8 km away16.5 km~694 m~4.4 hTen Birkett tops strung along the Dodds above Ullswater, from Low How and Randerside over Great Dodd and Stybarrow Dodd — 16.4 km and 694 m across eleven stages. Rated hard to navigate and easy for exposure; about 4.4 hours.
Fells within about 5 km
- Place Fell 0.9 km away657 m~3 h🚌 BusSave it · 20Too windy for the topsPlace Fell at 657m (2,156ft) is the great ridge fell on the eastern shore of Ullswater, its long summit ridge giving one of the finest views of the lake in all Lakeland.
- Arnison Crag 1.4 km away433 m~2 h🚌 BusSave it · 20Too windy for the topsArnison Crag at 433m (1,421ft) is the small, craggy summit directly above Patterdale village, its rocky top giving an excellent bird's-eye view of the village and Goldrill Beck below.
- Angletarn Pikes (Angletarn Pikes North Top) 2 km away566 m~2.5 h🚌 BusSave it · 20Too windy for the topsAngletarn Pikes at 567m (1,860ft) are twin rocky summits above Angle Tarn — the perfect mountain tarn, cupped in a dramatic hollow above Patterdale.
- Glenridding Dodd 2.3 km away442 m~2 h🚌 BusSave it · 24Summit likely clagged inGlenridding Dodd at 442m (1,450ft) is a small grassy summit above the Glenridding valley, its top giving good views of Ullswater and across to Sheffield Pike.
- Birks 2.7 km away624 m~3 h🚌 BusSave it · 19Too windy for the topsBirks at 622m (2,040ft) is the lower, southern ridge of St Sunday Crag above Grisedale, its summit giving good views up the valley to Fairfield and across to the Helvellyn range.
- Beda Fell (Beda Head) 3.1 km away509 m~2.5 h🚌 BusSave it · 20Too windy for the topsBeda Fell at 509m (1,670ft) is a long, smooth ridge above Martindale, its summit giving outstanding views of Ullswater and the northern Eastern Fells.
- Brock Crags (Wainwright) 3.1 km away561 m~2.5 h🚌 BusSave it · 20Too windy for the topsBrock Crags at 561m (1,841ft) is a craggy little summit above Hayeswater, sitting between Angletarn Pikes and Rest Dodd on the ridge above Patterdale.
- Sheffield Pike 3.6 km away676 m~3 h🚌 BusSave it · 20Too windy for the topsSheffield Pike at 675m (2,215ft) is a craggy, satisfying summit above Glenridding with outstanding views of Ullswater — Wainwright considered it one of the best Ullswater viewpoints in the Eastern Fells.
- Birkhouse Moor 3.6 km away718 m~3 h🚌 BusSave it · 20Too windy for the topsBirkhouse Moor at 718m (2,356ft) is the long, grassy shoulder south of Glenridding that forms the approach ridge to Striding Edge and Helvellyn from Patterdale.
- The Nab 3.7 km away576 m~5 h🚌 BusSave it · 17Too windy for the topsThe Nab at 576m (1,890ft) stands above the head of Martindale, its slopes forming part of the Martindale deer forest — one of the few remaining red deer forests in England.
- St Sunday Crag 4.2 km away841 m~3.5 h🚌 BusSave it · 20Too windy for the topsSt Sunday Crag at 841m (2,759ft) is the great isolated pyramid above Patterdale, separated from the Helvellyn ridge by the deep trench of Grisedale.
- Rest Dodd 4.2 km away696 m~3 h🚌 BusSave it · 18Too windy for the topsRest Dodd at 696m (2,283ft) is an isolated summit above Patterdale, separated from the main High Street range by the hollow of Boardale Hause.
- Steel Knotts (Pikeawassa) 4.5 km away432 m~2 h🚌 BusSave it · 20Too windy for the topsSteel Knotts at 432m (1,417ft) is a small, rocky summit above Martindale with excellent views of Ullswater from its craggy top.
- Hartsop Above How (Gill Crag) 4.6 km away586 m~2.5 h🚌 BusSave it · 19Too windy for the topsHartsop above How at 586m (1,923ft) is a long, grassy ridge above the Hartsop valley, its summit giving good views down Brothers Water and across to Place Fell.
- Hartsop Dodd 4.6 km away619 m~2.5 h🚌 BusSave it · 20Too windy for the topsHartsop Dodd at 618m (2,028ft) is a grassy ridge summit above Hartsop village, its long slope rising to a broad top with fine views of Brothers Water and the Patterdale valley below.
- Hallin Fell 4.9 km away388 m~1.5 h🚌 BusMarginal · 37Summit likely clagged inHallin Fell at 388m (1,273ft) is one of Lakeland's most perfectly formed little summits — a grassy cone projecting into Ullswater above Howtown, its summit giving the finest aerial view of the lake's two bends in all of Lakeland.
0 of the fells here are rated good to climb on 12 September — see live conditions →
A prediction from our daily fell score, not a guarantee — always check the mountain forecast before you go.
Map
● routes · ● fells within ~5 km
An interactive map of the route start points and the fells within about 5 km. Each marker links to its page; the same routes and fells are listed below.
Distances are straight-line from the centre of Patterdale — ‘within ~5 km’ means as the crow flies, not that the walk necessarily starts there. Always plan your own route and check the bus before you travel.