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581 m · Wainwright — North Western Fells · Birketts to bag nearby, parking, buses, my hikes and live summit weather.

Wainwright — North Western FellsAlso a Birkett

Ard Crags

Ard Crags at 581m (1,906ft) is a craggy ridge summit above the head of the Newlands valley, its rocky west face giving the fell its name.

581 m
Height
~2.5–3 h
Typical time
+10
Bonus Birketts
See routes & download GPX →

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581 mWainwright — North Western Fells✓ summit is also a Birkett+10 bonus Birketts within 3 km Straightforward in cloud

Is it worth going? — Today’s conditions & 7-day summit forecast

Modelled guidance for the 581 m summit. Always check the Met Office mountain forecast and MWIS before you set off.

On the summit today (Tue 28 Jul): 15° to 14°C, gusts to 37 mph, 4.8 mm of rain forecast.

Tue 28 Jul
🌧️
15° / 14°
💨 37 mph
🌧 4.8 mm (99%)
Wed 29 Jul
🌧️
15° / 11°
💨 30 mph
🌧 11.9 mm (100%)
Thu 30 Jul
🌦️
13° / 5°
💨 29 mph
🌧 3.0 mm (87%)
Fri 31 Jul
🌤️
14° / 2°
💨 22 mph
🌧 0.0 mm (86%)
Sat 1 Aug
🌦️
14° / 5°
💨 15 mph
🌧 2.7 mm (82%)
Sun 2 Aug
☁️
16° / 5°
💨 17 mph
🌧 0.0 mm (35%)
Mon 3 Aug
🌦️
15° / 5°
💨 16 mph
🌧 0.4 mm (23%)

Forecast snapshot from 28 Jul 2026, 04:58 UTC — refreshed nightly and updated live in your browser. Temperatures and gusts adjusted to the 581 m summit altitude via Open-Meteo. Summit conditions are always harsher than the valley — check the professional mountain forecasts before you go.

Pro mountain forecasts: MWIS · Met Office mountain forecast

About the walk

Key information

Ard Crags

Ard Crags, a Lake District fell
Photo: Mick Knapton at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Ard Crags at 581m (1,906ft) is a craggy ridge summit above the head of the Newlands valley, its rocky west face giving the fell its name. Wainwright described it as giving excellent views of the Grasmoor group and down the Newlands valley. The ascent from Newlands Pass is short and rewarding. Combined naturally with Knott Rigg for a short Newlands Pass circuit. The views of the Grasmoor massif from the summit are fine.

Routes up Ard Crags

Hand-mapped, with GPX to download — full maps further down.

Ard Crags & Knott Rigg
19.7 km · ~5.1 hr
Honister to Keswick: over the Newlands fells
19.6 km · ~5.6 hr · Hard
A big Newlands horseshoe walked one–way from the top of Honister Pass to Keswick. You climb straight onto Dale Head, trace the broad grassy tops over Hindscarth and Robinson, drop to Newlands Hause and pick up the quieter Knott Rigg–Ard Crags ridge, then walk out down the Newlands valley into town — six summits and a proper day out, with no car to collect.
Classifications & hill data
Wainwright
North Western
Birkett
Fellranger
Synge
HuMP
581 m
Height
1,906 ft
In feet
NY 2069 1977
Grid ref

Map & nearby Birketts

Free mapping: OpenTopoMap / OpenStreetMap (switch layers top-right). Parking positions are approximate.

Nearest parking: Little Town, Newlands (paid, small), about 2.7 km from the summit (straight line). Full parking, toilets and bus details are below.

Birketts near Ard Crags (within 3 km)

These Birkett tops are not Wainwright summits — detour to them on this walk and they are pure profit. Distances are straight-line; allow extra for terrain.

0.9 km SWIll Crag (Newlands) (Knott Rigg North Top)546 m · North Western
1.9 km WNWEel Crag (Birkett)807 m · North Western
2.2 km SEScope End412 m · Western
2.3 km SERed Knott452 m · Western
2.3 km WThirdgill Head Man734 m · North Western
2.4 km ENERowling End433 m · North Western
2.5 km SSEHigh Crags (Newlands)529 m · Western
2.5 km NNEStile End447 m · North Western
2.6 km NNWHobcarton Crag (Hobcarton Head)738 m · North Western
2.9 km NWSand Hill756 m · North Western

Routes over Ard Crags

Ard Crags & Knott RiggPlanned
19.74 km · ~687 m ascent · linear · ~5–7 h
Summits: Ard CragsIll Crag (Newlands) (Knott Rigg North Top)Knott Rigg

⬇️ Download GPX

Full route guide ↗

✎️ Planned route — drawn but not personally walked or checked yet.

A planned line is a suggestion, not a guarantee — conditions change. Navigate independently and carry a map & compass.

Honister to Keswick: over the Newlands fellsPlanned
19.62 km · ~1035 m ascent · linear · ~5.5–7.5 h · Hard
Summits: Dale HeadHindscarthRobinsonKnott RiggIll Crag (Newlands) (Knott Rigg North Top)Ard Crags

✎️ Because it finishes in a different valley from where it starts, this one suits a car–free day: the seasonal Honister Rambler (the 77 / 77A) sets you down at Honister Hause and you walk back into Keswick for the bus home. From Penrith it’s the X4 / X5 to Keswick, then the Rambler up to Honister. Check the last bus before you set off — the walk’s long tail down the Newlands valley eats time when legs are tired.

⬇️ Download GPX

Best season: Late spring to autumn, in clear conditions. The steep descent off Robinson to Newlands Hause is rough and slippery when wet, and the broad grassy tops need a compass in mist; in full winter it’s a serious outing.

⚠️ Warnings: The descent off Robinson to Newlands Hause is the crux — steep, eroded and grassy (around a 40–45% pull), and slippery when wet. Take the walkers’ line and keep away from the crags; cross the Buttermere road with care at the bottom.; A long day — nearly 20 km and about 1,035 m of ascent over six tops, with a further long walk–out down the valley at the end. Carry map, compass, food and water, and start early.; The high ridge from Dale Head over Hindscarth and Robinson is broad and grassy — easy to drift off line in cloud, so navigate on a bearing between the tops.; It’s a linear route: fix your return transport (and the last bus time) before you leave, as there’s no loop back to the start.

Full route guide ↗

✎️ Planned route — drawn but not personally walked or checked yet.

A planned line is a suggestion, not a guarantee — conditions change. Navigate independently and carry a map & compass.

The View from Ard Crags

A computed 360° skyline — every visible named top labelled by distance and bearing, from the terrain model in perfect clarity, not photographed. Drag to pan; reveal the far four-nations horizon.

drag to pan · arrow keys
Computed 360-degree skyline from Ard Crags32 labelled tops shown (0 distant behind the far-horizon toggle). Theoretical visibility in perfect clarity; computed from terrain, not photographed.eye levelNNEESESSWWNWScafell Pike · 13 kmHelvellyn · 14 kmSkiddaw · 11 kmPillar · 8 kmRaise · 14 kmFairfield · 17 kmBlencathra · 14 kmSkiddaw Little Man · 10 kmGreat Dodd · 14 kmStybarrow Dodd · 14 kmCrag Hill · 2 kmHigh Stile · 6 kmSail · 1 kmHigh Raise · 13 kmRed Pike · 6 kmDale Head · 5 kmRobinson · 3 kmCombe Head · 10 kmClough Head · 13 kmUllscarf · 11 kmBowscale Fell · 17 kmStarling Dodd · 8 kmGreat Borne · 9 kmStanding Crag · 11 kmSteeple · 10 kmGrisedale Pike · 3 kmWandope · 2 kmScar Crags · 1 kmWhiteless Pike · 3 kmSeat · 7 kmRowling End · 2 kmEycott Hill · 20 kmIll Crag · 12 kmNethermost Pike · 15 kmCatstye Cam · 15 kmWatson's Dodd · 13 kmGreat Rigg · 18 kmHarrison Stickle · 14 kmHindscarth · 3 kmCalfhow Pike · 12 kmLow Saddle · 10 kmCross Fell · 50 km · clear daysCrag Fell · 12 kmPike of Stickle · 14 kmIll Crag · 1 kmHigh Rigg · 10 km
What you can see from Ard Crags, by direction
  • North-east: Skiddaw Little Man (10 km), Skiddaw Lesser Man (10 km), Skiddaw South Top (10 km), Skiddaw Middle Top (10 km), Skiddaw (11 km), Knowe Crags (13 km), Gategill Fell Top (13 km), Blencathra (14 km), Atkinson Pike (14 km)
  • East: Watson's Dodd (13 km), White Side (14 km), Great Dodd (14 km), Stybarrow Dodd (14 km), Helvellyn Lower Man (14 km), Raise (14 km), Helvellyn (14 km), Catstye Cam (15 km), Nethermost Pike (15 km)
  • South-east: High Raise (13 km), Harrison Stickle (14 km), High Crag (15 km), Dollywaggon Pike (16 km), Seat Sandal (16 km), Cofa Pike (17 km), Fairfield (17 km), Great Rigg (18 km)
  • South: Robinson (3 km), Dale Head (5 km), Green Gable (9 km), Great Gable (10 km), Broad Crag (12 km), Ill Crag (12 km), Scafell Pike (13 km)
  • South-west: High Stile (6 km), Red Pike (6 km), High Stile (6 km), Pillar (8 km), Scoat Fell (10 km)
  • West: Crag Hill (2 km)
  • North-west: Sail (1 km)

Computed from terrain in perfect clarity, not photographed · distances are straight-line.

Computed from Copernicus GLO-30 terrain; distant tops from the Database of British and Irish Hills (CC BY 4.0). See how we compute the view · and the summit intervisibility report below.

What you can see from Ard Crags

On a clear day — computed sightlines, curvature- and refraction-corrected.
54Wainwrights in view+7 marginal
50 kmFurthest sightlineCross Fell
—Sea in viewnone from here
Far horizons
  • Cross Fell North PenninesENE · 50 km clear
All 54 Wainwrights in clear view (nearest first)

Scar Crags, Sail, Knott Rigg, Crag Hill (Eel Crag), Causey Pike, Wandope, Whiteless Pike, Robinson, Hindscarth, Maiden Moor, Cat Bells (Catbells), High Spy, Dale Head, Red Pike (Buttermere), High Stile, High Crag (Buttermere), Walla Crag, Starling Dodd, Brandreth, Bleaberry Fell, High Seat, Pillar, Latrigg, Great Borne, Green Gable, Great Gable, Steeple, Scoat Fell (Little Scoat Fell), Skiddaw Little Man, High Rigg (Naddle Fell), Skiddaw, Crag Fell, Scafell Pike, High Raise (High White Stones), Watson's Dodd, Clough Head, White Side, Great Dodd, Stybarrow Dodd, Raise, Thunacar Knott, Blencathra - Hallsfell Top, Pike of Stickle, Pavey Ark, Helvellyn, Harrison Stickle, Loft Crag, Catstye Cam, Nethermost Pike, Dollywaggon Pike, Seat Sandal, Fairfield, Great Rigg, Great Mell Fell

How Ard Crags’s view compares with all 214 — the View Report: every Wainwright ranked by what you can see from the top.

Sightlines from a bare-earth terrain model (forests and buildings not included), corrected for the Earth’s curvature and average atmospheric refraction. “Distant” sightlines and any over 100 km depend on exceptionally clear air. Modelled from Copernicus GLO-30 open elevation data — a guide to the view, not a guarantee of any single one.

Best parking to hike Ard Crags

Where we have the data, each parking spot also shows the nearest public toilets and facilities (cafés, pubs, shops).

Little Town, Newlands (paid, small) — 2.7 km from summit (straight line)
Newlands valley — Catbells, Maiden Moor, Hindscarth, Robinson.
Directions
Buttermere village (NT, paid) — 4.2 km from summit (straight line)
For Red Pike, High Stile, Robinson, Rannerdale Knotts.
Directions
🚺 Buttermere village (132m) — Accessible☕ Syke Farm Tea Room☕ Croft House Farm Café🍺 The Buttermere Court Hotel

Positions are approximate — zoom the map to confirm. Lakeland car parks fill before 9am on fine weekends.

Tip: pan and zoom the interactive map at the top of this page to spot other potential parking near your route.

Water & shelter on the way up

On the Ard Crags & Knott Rigg route:

🛖 map (6 m)🚌 Police Station (W bound) (13 m)🚌 Police Station (E bound) (24 m)🚌 Keswick Bus Stn Stand 1 (61 m)🚌 Keswick Bus Stn Stand 2 (75 m)⛺ Keswick YHA (373 m)⛺ Hope Memorial Camp (459 m)

On the Honister to Keswick: over the Newlands fells route:

🚌 Keswick Bus Stn Stand 1 (16 m)🚌 Keswick Bus Stn Stand 2 (25 m)🚌 Keswick Bus Stn Stand 3 (29 m)🚌 Keswick Bus Stn Stand 4 (35 m)⛺ Honister Pass YHA (89 m)⛺ Keswick YHA (422 m)

On-route facilities © OpenStreetMap contributors, per route — an absent marker doesn’t mean none.

Buses to Ard Crags from Penrith / Ambleside / Windermere

Stagecoach 77 / 77A “Honister Rambler”
Keswick – Portinscale – Hawse End (Catbells) – Grange – Seatoller – Honister Pass – Buttermere – Lorton – Whinlatter – Keswick (circular)
Catch it from: Keswick (connect via 555 from Windermere/Ambleside or X4/X5 from Penrith)
Seasonal (roughly Easter–October). Brilliant for the North Western fells: Catbells, Dale Head from Honister, the Buttermere fells and Whinlatter.

Rural routes change seasonally — confirm on stagecoachbus.com or Traveline before relying on a last bus.

Don’t drink from Yewthwaite Gill

On the way up you cross Yewthwaite Gill, which runs below the old Yewthwaite lead mine. The Environment Agency records it carrying dissolved lead above the level that is safe to drink. This is not the usual hill-water risk: a squeeze or hollow-fibre filter (LifeStraw, Sawyer and the like) removes none of these dissolved metals, and boiling only concentrates them. Carry your own water for this walk and don’t refill from the beck. Coledale Beck and Newlands Beck on the same round is mine-polluted too, though below the level that would harm a person.

What’s actually in this beck — we mapped every mine-fed one →

Metal-mine water data © Environment Agency (Open Government Licence v3.0).

Navigating Ard Crags in cloud

Straightforward

A rough, rocky summit ringed by crags, with no single obvious way off in poor visibility. Navigation here is relatively straightforward even in cloud — but carry map and compass and know how to use them; a low score never means “safe”.

In winter — snow, whiteout, cornices, buried features — every top demands full winter navigation skills whatever its band, and a broad, gentle summit can be the worst place of all. See walking in bad weather and the navigation guide.

How Ard Crags compares with all 214 — the Clag Index: navigating in cloud. A relative, deliberately cautious guide; the site can’t navigate for you.

Other fells near Ard Crags

Maps & guidebooks for Ard Crags

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