Arthur's Pike

Written and walked by Lee McCoy · Summited September 2024

Home › Fells › Arthur's Pike

533 mWainwright — Far Eastern Fells+1 bonus Birkett within 3 km Severe in cloud

Arthur's Pike at 533m (1,749ft) is a grassy summit above Ullswater's eastern shore, giving fine views of the lake from its open top. Wainwright included it in his Far Eastern Fells guide. Most naturally combined with Bonscale Pike as a short circuit above Ullswater.

Summit conditions on Arthur's Pike

On the summit on Tuesday 27 October: 12° to 6°C, gusts to 53 mph, 12.8 mm of rain forecast over the whole day, midnight to midnight.

Against our lines, Tuesday 27 October: wind, cold and cloud from the Met Office UKV 2 km model (daylight hours, as in the verdict above); rain from the summit line’s forecast (the whole day). A tile is large when this top is past its line.

Wind on the top

Past the line

52 mph, our estimate for the open top in the worst daylight hour

The Met Office 2 km model’s gust of 46 mph times our exposure factor of 1.12. The summit line above gives Open-Meteo’s highest gust for the whole day, 53 mph, before any exposure factor.

The line Our line: 25 mph, where our wind Scale begins its 25–35 band: “balance affected; buffeting on exposed ground”. MWIS (opens in new tab) describes what wind does to a walker across a range rather than at a line: from about 20–25 mph it starts to affect your balance.

Estimated: it is not calibrated against summit readings, and the two forecasts can disagree by more than a band.

Rain, and the becks

Past the line

12.8 mm of rain over the whole day, midnight to midnight

The same figure as the summit line above and the 7-day forecast.

The line Our line: 6 mm in the day, where our scorer counts a day as soaking. We read rainfall, never river levels: becks in spate.

Open-Meteo’s forecast. It says nothing about rain already in the ground.

Also checked cold: feels like 3 °C, no ice or snow forecast; cloud: a clear-top reading of 41 out of 100, over our in-cloud line of 20. Under a line is not the same as fine: it means only that these figures are under the lines we use.

Not in these tiles Lightning, river levels, snow or ice already lying, and the ground under your feet. A tile cannot see them, so an empty space here never means they are absent.

Snow figures with a second opinion: Powered by Met Office data

Full 7-day summit forecast ↓

Wainwrights are scored for walking conditions each morning from the Met Office’s UK forecast model, read for each summit through Open-Meteo; the forecast figures are Open-Meteo’s, worked out for the summit’s height. How we check →

Weather data by Open-Meteo.com (opens in new tab)

Routes up Arthur's Pike

Choose the way up before the car park: these two routes start from two places, and the last two rows give the parking and bus at each route’s own start. Full maps further down.

Compared	Heughscar Hill & Arthur's Pike	Fusedale Circuit
Starts from	Pooley Bridge	St Peter's Church, Howtown (The Hause)
Distance and climb	11.68 km, 437 m of climb	14.68 km, 888 m of climb
Time, fast to steady	~3–4¼ h	~4¼–6 h
Scrambling	Not mentioned in the route’s notes	Hands for a few steps: between Bonscale Pike and Arthur's Pike (km 4.2–5.5).
Exposure	Not assessed	Not assessed
Navigation	Moderate	Hard
Steepest stretch	Climb of about 19% at 1.8 km (Moderate)	Climb of about 39% at 3.4 km (Severe)
After the summit	No further tops	Over Loadpot Hill, Wether Hill, Brownthwaite Crag and Steel Knotts (Pikeawassa - Steel Knotts)
Walked or planned	Planned: drawn, not yet walked	Walked by Lee, September 2024
Car park at the start	Pooley Bridge, Finkle Street car park (free)	unnamed car park south-east of Hallin Fell (free)
Bus to the start	508 at the start. The UB1 and UB2 run until 1 November 2026, the last day of their season.	UB1, 540 m walk from Martindale Cattle Grid (near). Seasonal: the UB1 does not run all year. 1 November 2026 is its last day.

Times run from fast to steady pace (Naismith’s rule). Scrambling quotes each route’s own notes; “not mentioned” means they do not say, not that the ground has none. Each route’s page has its map, stages and GPX.

Distance, climb and the steepest stretch are measured from each route’s GPX track; the other grades are set on the ground, judged from the map or estimated from OpenStreetMap, and each route page says which. How we check →

Is Arthur’s Pike a hard walk?

It depends entirely on which way you go, and the difference is large. From Pooley Bridge over Heughscar Hill it is an easy day on open moorland: 11.7 km with 437 m of ascent, graded easy for exposure and moderate for steepness.

Straight up from Howtown is a different walk — steep, very rough, with some scrambling over loose ground and no single clear path. And the flat grassy summit is set back above tiers of crag falling to Ullswater, with the ground dropping steeply to Swarthbeck Gill on the western side. Enjoy the view from back off the lip, not from the edge of it. The Fusedale round takes it in over 14.7 km and 888 m.

How we check →

Conditions and 7-day summit forecast

Modelled for the 533 m summit (Open-Meteo). Check the Met Office mountain forecast and MWIS before you set off.

Full 7-day forecast

Tue 27 Oct

12° / 6°

53 mph

12.8 mm (100%)

Wed 28 Oct

10° / 6°

34 mph

8.3 mm (100%)

Thu 29 Oct

10° / 7°

21 mph

0.6 mm (41%)

Fri 30 Oct

9° / 4°

21 mph

0.0 mm (3%)

Sat 31 Oct

8° / 1°

5 mph

1.2 mm (6%)

Sun 1 Nov

8° / 3°

10 mph

0.3 mm (6%)

Mon 2 Nov

6° / -1°

10 mph

0.0 mm (0%)

Taken 27 October 2026, 20:59 UTC; the live forecast replaces it when it loads. Weather data by Open-Meteo.com (opens in new tab)

Pro mountain forecasts: MWIS · Met Office mountain forecast

Parking & buses for Arthur's Pike

Parking

Route starts first, then the car parks nearest the summit, which are not always a way up.

Pooley Bridge, Finkle Street car park (free) — at the start of Heughscar Hill & Arthur's Pike

In the village centre at the foot of Finkle Street, by the bridge and the public toilets. The 'Heughscar Hill & Arthur's Pike' route starts here.

Directions Something changed here?

Pooley Bridge (~64 m straight line) — Accessible · RADAR key Public toilets (~1561 m straight line) — Free Secret Garden Pooley Bridge Pier House Granny Dowbekins Tea Rooms The Sun Inn Pooley Bridge Inn Crown Inn The Barn

Hallin Fell, south-east car park (free) — at the start of Fusedale Circuit

Walking base for Hallin Fell, Sleet Fell, Low Birk Fell and Birk Fell (Bleaberry Knott - Birk Fell) — the 'Hallin Fell' route starts 8 m away. Also serves 'Birketts to the South of Ullswater'. Free (OSM-tagged). Unpaved surface (OSM-tagged).

Directions Something changed here?

Hallin Fell (layby) — 2.5 km from summit (straight line)

Walking base for Swarth Fell (Ullswater), Loadpot Hill, Brownthwaite Crag and Steel Knotts (Pikeawassa - Steel Knotts) — the 'Swarth Fell and Loadpot Hill' route starts 421 m away. Also serves 'Hallin Fell'. Free (OSM-tagged). Unpaved surface (OSM-tagged).

Directions Something changed here?

3 more places to park near Arthur's Pike

Hallin Fell car park (free) — 2.9 km from summit (straight line)

Walking base for Swarth Fell (Ullswater), Loadpot Hill, Brownthwaite Crag and Steel Knotts (Pikeawassa - Steel Knotts) — the 'Swarth Fell and Loadpot Hill' route starts 6 m away. Also serves 'Hallin Fell'. Free (OSM-tagged). Unpaved surface (OSM-tagged).

Directions Something changed here?

Martindale, St Peter's church (free, limited) — 2.9 km from summit (straight line)

Quiet side of Ullswater — Hallin Fell, Steel Knotts, Beda Fell, Pikeawassa.

Directions Something changed here?

Dunmallet, south car park — 3.3 km from summit (straight line)

Nearest fells: Dunmallet (Dunmallard Hill) (0.7 km). Fee not verified — check signage on arrival.

Directions Something changed here?

Positions are approximate.

Vehicles are left at their owner’s risk: we list places people park and cannot vouch for any of them. Take valuables with you and leave nothing on show.

Buses

The 508, 509, UB1 and UB2 stop at Pooley Bridge Inn, an 80 m walk from the start of Heughscar Hill & Arthur's Pike — a route we rate Moderate overall (hardest: distance, steepness and navigation). The UB1 and UB2 run until 1 November 2026, the last day of their season. The last bus is 19:20 towards Windermere (508) and 18:36 towards Troutbeck (UB1) and 16:32 towards Aira Force (UB2), every day. Checked against the operator’s timetable, 7 September 2026; that timetable runs to 1 November 2026. Times here are a guide, not a promise — leave yourself more than the minute.

Stagecoach 508 “Ullswater Bus”

Penrith – Pooley Bridge – Aira Force – Glenridding – Patterdale (summer services continue over Kirkstone Pass to Troutbeck and Windermere)

Catch it from: Penrith · Windermere (summer only)

The key route from Penrith for the Eastern and Far Eastern fells: Helvellyn from Glenridding, Place Fell, the Hartsop fells. The summer Kirkstone extension drops you at the pass for Red Screes and Caudale Moor.

Rural routes change seasonally — confirm on stagecoachbus.com (opens in new tab) or Traveline before relying on a last bus.

Getting there across the Lake District: Buses · Parking map · By train · By boat

Hazards on Arthur's Pike

Hazard & Incident Information for Arthur's Pike

Checked by Lee McCoy, 14 June 2026. Draws on published material from Patterdale Mountain Rescue Team. Editorial background, not a live callout feed.

Hazard: Moderate

A fell on the eastern shore of Ullswater above Howtown, whose grassy, flat-topped summit hides an extensive craggy face dropping in tiers to the lower lake. To the west the ground falls steeply to Swarthbeck Gill, and the direct approach from Howtown is steep and rough with some scrambling over loose ground. Patterdale Mountain Rescue Team covers this ground.

The craggy north-west face above Ullswater: Below the flat summit, tiers of crag drop steeply toward the lake. The grassy top is set back, so keep well clear of the edge — don't approach the lip for the view, especially in wind or cloud.
Steep Swarthbeck Gill flank & rough approach: The west side falls steeply to Swarthbeck Gill, and the direct approach from Howtown is steep and very rough, with some scrambling over loose ground and no single clear path. Take care with footing; avoid the steepest, looser lines if unsure.
Boggy ground & navigation: Paths can be boggy and indistinct on the broad moorland top (toward Loadpot Hill), easy to misjudge in mist. Wear proper footwear and navigate by compass in cloud, keeping back from the western crags.

Who should attempt this fell: Arthur's Pike looks gentle on top but is undercut by crags above Ullswater — keep well back from the north-west edge, and take the steep, rough, loose approach from Howtown carefully. Navigate the broad boggy top by compass in cloud, wear sturdy footwear, and treat the edges as serious in winter.

What to watch for: Walkers straying over the craggy north-west face above the lake · Slips on the steep, loose, rough approach from Howtown · Navigation errors on the boggy moorland top in cloud · Winter ice on the crag edges and steep flank

Local Mountain Rescue: Patterdale Mountain Rescue Team (opens in new tab)

Safety: Always check current conditions, carry proper navigation equipment, and seek qualified instruction before heading onto the fells. In an emergency, call 999, ask for Police, then Mountain Rescue.

Report incorrect information (opens in new tab)

Navigating in cloud

Severe

Of the three things our terrain model measures, the highest reading here is the amount of near-level ground around the summit. A serious place to be caught in cloud: carry map and compass (or GPS) and know how to use them, or save it for a clear day.

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 Arthur's Pike compares with all 214: the Clag Index (experimental).

If you need Mountain Rescue

Dial 999 or 112 and ask for the Police, then Mountain Rescue.

Before you call, have ready: where you are (a grid reference if you can – the OS Locate app shows yours on your phone), what has happened, how many of you there are, and your mobile number.

Then stay where you are until the rescue team contacts you.

If you cannot make a voice call because of a hearing or speech impairment, emergency SMS works only if you have registered first: text “register” to 999.

From Mountain Rescue England and Wales’s guidance on calling them out (opens in new tab) (read 26 October 2026).

Map, GPX and nearby Birketts

Free mapping: OpenTopoMap / OpenStreetMap, with SRTM elevation data (switch layers top-right).

Parking, toilets and buses: Parking & buses ↑.

Birketts within 3 km of Arthur's Pike

These Birkett tops are not Wainwright summits. Distances are straight lines: check the ground and access on a map before adding one.

1.3 km SSWSwarth Fell (Ullswater)545 m · Far Eastern

Routes over Arthur's Pike

Fusedale Circuit

Summits: Hallin Fell Bonscale PikeArthur's PikeLoadpot Hill Wether Hill Brownthwaite Crag Steel Knotts (Pikeawassa - Steel Knotts)

Come by boat if you can. Howtown has almost nowhere to park and the eastern-shore lane is long and narrow, but the Ullswater Steamer pier is about 1 km from this start as the crow flies — sail in, walk the round, sail back, and the car never comes down the lane at all. If you are going back by boat, pick your return sailing before you set off, and allow for the whole walk, the walk to and from the pier and a margin; have a plan if you miss it. Sailings are seasonal, so check the timetable before you build a day around it. (Checked 4 Aug 2026; we don’t publish times here because a stale one would be worse than none.)

Download GPX Walked by Lee, September 2024

Picked for its light in: May, August

Warnings: Steep crag edges above Ullswater: Bonscale Tower and the western drops off Arthur's Pike and Bonscale Pike are serious — keep well back, especially in cloud or wind. Boggy, featureless plateau: the Loadpot Hill saddle is peat-hagged and wet, and the broad grassy tops give little to aim for in mist — a compass day if the cloud is down. Summer bracken + a washed-out descent: the Brock Crag short-cut and the steep climb from Mellguards up Bonscale Pike can be thick, navigation-sapping bracken, with one eroded section underfoot — walking poles help. Easy-to-miss summits: Wether Hill and Loadpot Hill both have their true top just off the obvious path — step the few metres across to be sure you've actually bagged them.

Route guide: Fusedale Circuit →

Heughscar Hill & Arthur's Pike

Summits: Heughscar HillArthur's Pike

Download GPX Planned route · not yet walked

Route guide: Heughscar Hill & Arthur's Pike →

Every line here is a guide, not a guarantee — conditions change. Navigate for yourself and carry a map and compass. How to use this guide.

On the hill: terrain and water on Arthur's Pike

Water & shelter on the way up

On the Fusedale Circuit route:

possible water source (99 m off the line) bus shelter (89 m off the line) toilets (95 m off the line) toilets (99 m off the line) Hause Farm (166 m from the start, straight line)

On the Heughscar Hill & Arthur's Pike route:

possible water source (60 m off the line) possible water source (60 m off the line) possible water source (88 m off the line) possible water source (102 m off the line) toilets (94 m off the line) toilets (94 m off the line) The Crown Hotel (24 m from the start, straight line) Ullswater Guest House (68 m from the start, straight line) Steamer Pier (350 m from the start, straight line)

Treat water from the fell before you drink it. A mapped point is not proof the water is drinkable, so carry your own or use a supply you know is safe. Never drink untreated from a beck, stream or tarn — even clear-looking hill water can carry giardia or cryptosporidium from livestock upstream and leave you seriously ill. Use a treatment method suited to what might be in the water, and follow the device’s own instructions. Boiling and ordinary filters do not make water with dissolved metals or chemicals safe: where that is possible, choose another source.

About Arthur's Pike

The views west across the lake, and east to the distant Pennines, are a distinctive bonus from this northern end of the Far Eastern Fells.

My Strava hikes over Arthur's Pike

1 logged hike pass over this summit:

Fusedale Circuit - absolutely stunning weather. Could see for miles. (opens in new tab) — 15.5 km · 999 m ascent · 4h 10m moving · 6 September 2024

Data from Strava.

Classifications & hill data

Is Arthur's Pike a Wainwright?

Arthur's Pike is a Wainwright. It is also on the Birkett list, the Synge list and the Fellranger list.

Selected lists

533 m

Height

1,749 ft

In feet

NY 4607 2068

Grid ref

This is the summit’s grid reference. If you call from anywhere else, give your own position, not this one.

The summit is also a Birkett.

Lists, height and summit position from the Database of British and Irish Hills; the feet are converted from its metres and the grid reference from that position. How we check →

The view from Arthur's Pike

The 360° skyline from Arthur's Pike

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

The skyline as a list, by direction

South: Rest Dodd (8 km)
South-west: Gavel Pike (11 km), Caudale Moor (12 km), St Sunday Crag (12 km), Catstye Cam (12 km), Helvellyn (13 km), Hart Crag (13 km), Helvellyn Lower Man (13 km), Nethermost Pike (13 km), Cofa Pike (13 km), Dove Crag (13 km), Red Screes (14 km), Fairfield (14 km), High Crag (14 km), Dollywaggon Pike (14 km)
West: Birkett Fell (10 km), Hart Side (10 km), Green Side (11 km), Randerside (11 km), Great Dodd (12 km), Stybarrow Dodd (12 km), Raise (12 km), Clough Head (13 km), White Side (13 km), Skiddaw Lesser Man (20 km), Skiddaw Little Man (21 km), Skiddaw South Top (22 km), Skiddaw Middle Top (22 km)
North-west: Bannerdale Crags (15 km), Blencathra (15 km), Atkinson Pike (16 km), Gategill Fell Top (16 km), Tarn Crags Top (16 km), Bowscale Fell (16 km), Knowe Crags (16 km), Carrock Fell (18 km), High Pike (20 km), Knott (20 km), Skiddaw (22 km), Skiddaw North Top (22 km)

On the clearest days the far horizon adds: Broad Law (108 km, Scotland), Tinto (124 km, Scotland), Green Lowther (107 km, Scotland), White Coomb (99 km, Scotland), Queensberry (92 km, Scotland), Ettrick Pen (91 km, Scotland), Cairn Table (127 km, Scotland), Wisp Hill (79 km, Scotland).

Computed from Copernicus GLO-30 terrain; distant tops from the Database of British and Irish Hills v18.4 (opens in new tab) (CC BY 4.0). See how we compute the view · and the summit intervisibility report below.

Sunrise and sunset on Arthur's Pike

Arthur's Pike sits close to the flat-horizon case. Even on its longest wait of the modelled year (on 1 May) first light is only 5 minutes after almanac sunrise, so the published sunrise time is a fair guide here.

Midsummer. The filled shape is the skyline as seen from the summit; the line is the sun’s path. Where they meet is first light — everything left of that point is the wait.

Times for 2026, in Lakeland clock time (GMT in winter, BST in summer) — and model outputs rather than observations.
	First light	Almanac sunrise	Difference
Midsummer	04:37 BST ±5.0 min	04:35	+2 min
Equinox	06:15 GMT ±5.0 min	06:14	+1 min
Midwinter	08:32 GMT ±5.0 min	08:32	—

A low, open northern horizon — the ground falls away northwards (mean -0.22°).

Last light — when the sun leaves Arthur's Pike

The evening here runs close to the flat-horizon case. Even on its earliest evening of the modelled year (on 1 December) last light is only 14 minutes before almanac sunset, so the published sunset time is a fair guide on Arthur's Pike.

The evening of the same three days. A negative difference means a ridge takes the sun before the valley loses it.
	Last light	Almanac sunset	Difference
Midsummer	21:50 BST ±5.0 min	21:52	-2 min
Equinox	18:14 GMT ±5.0 min	18:25	-11 min
Midwinter	15:36 GMT ±5.0 min	15:48	-12 min

These are daylight figures, not a descent plan: the light goes on fading for a good while after the sun leaves, and going down in it is a decision about your own ground and party, not about this table.

What you can see from Arthur's Pike

On a clear day — computed sightlines, curvature- and refraction-corrected.

39Wainwrights in view+10 marginal

47 kmFurthest sightlineWhernside

—Sea in viewnone from here

Far horizons

Whernside Yorkshire DalesSE · 47 km clear
Great Dun Fell North PenninesENE · 28 km clear
Cross Fell North PenninesENE · 26 km clear

All 39 Wainwrights in clear view (nearest first)

Bonscale Pike, Hallin Fell, Beda Fell (Beda Head), Little Mell Fell, Gowbarrow Fell (Wainwright summit), Place Fell, Great Mell Fell, Glenridding Dodd, Sheffield Pike, Hart Side, Birkhouse Moor, St Sunday Crag, Great Dodd, Stybarrow Dodd, Raise, Catstye Cam, Clough Head, White Side, Helvellyn, Hart Crag, Nethermost Pike, Dove Crag, Fairfield, Souther Fell, Dollywaggon Pike, Bannerdale Crags, Blencathra - Hallsfell Top, Bowscale Fell, Carrock Fell, Lonscale Fell, High Pike (Caldbeck), Knott, Skiddaw Little Man, Skiddaw, Dodd (Skiddaw), Barf, Lord's Seat, Broom Fell, Ling Fell

How the view from Arthur's Pike compares with all 214 — the View Report: every Wainwright ranked by what you can see from the top.

How the skyline, light and sightlines are computed

Computed, not photographed. First light is the first minute the sun’s upper limb clears this summit’s own skyline and last light the last minute it is still clear of it, both solved against the 360° horizon profile behind The View from Arthur's Pike. Almanac sunrise and sunset are the flat-horizon convention. Every time carries a ± band from the 30 m elevation model — it smooths arêtes and cornices, so nothing here claims better than five minutes.

Sightlines from the Copernicus GLO-30 elevation model, which is a surface model: each 30 m cell holds the top of whatever stands there, trees and buildings included, rather than bare ground. 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.

Places to stay near this fell

From the Howtown (Ullswater); St Peter's Church, Howtown (The Hause) start

Low Gale (opens in new tab) self-cateringabout 0.9 km
Howtown Cottages (opens in new tab) self-cateringabout 0.8 km

Other places nearby

Hillcroft Park (opens in new tab)about 0.8 km
Ullswater House (Hillcroft Park) (opens in new tab)about 0.1 km

We have not stayed at any of them. We take no bookings or affiliate fees. Distances are straight lines from each route start, never walking times. Properties found via OpenStreetMap (opens in new tab).

Frequently asked questions about Arthur's Pike

Is Arthur’s Pike a hard walk? Answered above.

Questions from Google’s “People also ask”. · Last updated 2026-08-30 · Suggest a question or correction (opens in new tab)

Arthur's Pike

Summit conditions on Arthur's Pike

Wind on the top

Rain, and the becks

Routes up Arthur's Pike

Is Arthur’s Pike a hard walk?

Conditions and 7-day summit forecast

Parking & buses for Arthur's Pike

Parking

Buses

Hazards on Arthur's Pike

Hazard & Incident Information for Arthur's Pike

Navigating in cloud

If you need Mountain Rescue

Map, GPX and nearby Birketts

Birketts within 3 km of Arthur's Pike

Routes over Arthur's Pike

On the hill: terrain and water on Arthur's Pike

Water & shelter on the way up

About Arthur's Pike

My Strava hikes over Arthur's Pike

Classifications & hill data

Is Arthur's Pike a Wainwright?

Selected lists

The view from Arthur's Pike

The 360° skyline from Arthur's Pike

Sunrise and sunset on Arthur's Pike

Last light — when the sun leaves Arthur's Pike

What you can see from Arthur's Pike

Places to stay near this fell

Frequently asked questions about Arthur's Pike

Other fells near Arthur's Pike