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

Dale Head, a Lake District fell
Wainwright — North Western FellsAlso a Birkett

Dale Head

Dale Head at 753m (2,470ft) is the highest summit of the Newlands Horseshoe, a broad, rocky top above the head of the Newlands valley giving outstanding views of the full horseshoe circuit and south to the Borrowdale fells.

754 m
Height
~3.5–4.5 h
Typical time
+4
Bonus Birketts
See routes & download GPX → Parking & buses →

Home › Fells › Dale Head

Written and walked by Lee McCoy

754 mWainwright — North Western Fells✓ summit is also a Birkett+4 bonus Birketts within 3 km Straightforward in cloud

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

Modelled guidance for the 754 m summit. Always check the Met Office mountain forecast and MWIS before you set off.

On the summit today (Fri 11 Sep): 11° to 7°C, gusts to 28 mph, 0.7 mm of rain forecast.

Fri 11 Sep
🌦️
11° / 7°
💨 28 mph
🌧 0.7 mm (100%)
Sat 12 Sep
🌧️
14° / 8°
💨 48 mph
🌧 25.7 mm (100%)
Sun 13 Sep
🌦️
11° / 6°
💨 18 mph
🌧 0.1 mm (74%)
Mon 14 Sep
🌧️
13° / 6°
💨 33 mph
🌧 12.7 mm (96%)
Tue 15 Sep
🌦️
12° / 7°
💨 32 mph
🌧 13.2 mm (100%)
Wed 16 Sep
🌦️
9° / 7°
💨 33 mph
🌧 5.4 mm (96%)
Thu 17 Sep
🌦️
9° / 7°
💨 37 mph
🌧 8.8 mm (98%)

Forecast snapshot from 11 Sep 2026, 08:30 UTC — refreshed nightly and updated live in your browser. Temperatures and gusts adjusted to the 754 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

Dale Head at a glance

Dale Head

Dale Head, a Lake District fell
© Lee McCoy

Dale Head at 753m (2,470ft) is the highest summit of the Newlands Horseshoe, a broad, rocky top above the head of the Newlands valley giving outstanding views of the full horseshoe circuit and south to the Borrowdale fells. Wainwright described the view back along the horseshoe ridge from Dale Head's summit as among the most satisfying in the North Western Fells. The ascent from Honister via the ridge is excellent, as is the longer approach from Newlands via the direct ridge. Combined with High Spy and Maiden Moor for the upper section of the horseshoe.

Field notes

I did this one from Honister on an exceptionally hot July 2026 day during the various heatwaves, and it wasn't too challenging that way. It was mostly benign, and the path up is easy to follow. There is a dominant cairn and a series of fine views - to High Spy and down the Newlands valley, or across to Hindscarth. It may be too early for a major rest if you're coming from the south, but it's a good spot. If you're doing the Newlands Round this is probably the place to rest up in good weather, seeing as it's a bit of a pull up from High Spy.

Routes up Dale Head

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

Dale Head Hindscarth and Robinson
17.5 km · ~4.8 hr
Three big Newlands tops — Dale Head, Hindscarth and Robinson — linked by a fast, airy ridge, reached by a lung-bursting pull straight off Honister Pass with no warm-up at all. A linear day rather than a round: 17.5 km and 808 m of climbing, of which the last 11.7 km is the valley walk-out to Keswick after the final summit.
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.
Scope End, Hindscarth & Dale Head from Little Town
12.1 km · ~3.6 hr · Moderate
A proper Newlands mountain day that most walkers drive straight past. The shapely Scope End ridge lifts you out of Little Town onto Hindscarth, then an airy walk along Hindscarth Edge carries you over to Dale Head above the head of the valley before a long descent back to the start. It's about 12 km with 730 m of ascent, with no scrambling — but the pulls are steep and the tops are big and open. Walk it on a day the Catbells car parks are overflowing and you'll have the ridge largely to yourself.

Classifications & hill data

Wainwright
North Western
Birkett
Fellranger
Synge
Nuttall
Marilyn
754 m
Height
2,474 ft
In feet
NY 2228 1532
Grid ref

The short answers

Is Dale Head a Wainwright?

Dale Head is a Wainwright. It is also on the Birkett list, the Synge list, the Nuttall list, the Fellranger list and the Marilyn list.

Where do you park for Dale Head?

The nearest car park we hold is Honister Crag (layby), about 1.4 km from the summit in a straight line. The next is Honister Pass (paid, slate mine), 1.8 km out. We only look within 2.5 km, measured straight-line: over longer distances a road may cross a pass and the drive bears no relation to the line.

My hikes over Dale Head (Strava)

1 logged hike pass over this summit:

Interactive route maps and photos load here for visitors with JavaScript. Data from Strava.

Parking & buses for Dale Head

Best parking to hike Dale Head

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

Honister Crag (layby) — 1.4 km from summit (straight line)
Nearest fells: Honister Crag (Black Star) (0.7 km), Fleetwith Pike (0.8 km), Dale Head (1.4 km). Free (OSM-tagged). Unpaved surface (OSM-tagged).
Directions Something changed here?
Honister Pass (paid, slate mine) — 1.8 km from summit (straight line)
Pay & display at the top of the pass — Dale Head, Fleetwith Pike, Grey Knotts with minimal ascent. This is the slate mine's own car park, the WESTERN one; the National Trust car park 170 m east is a separate one. Fees: Day parking GBP 5 per day for visitors; free for all Honister activity guests (honister.com/your-visit/). Overnight parking GBP 15 a night in the large bottom car park, open to campervans, motorhomes and vans, no tent camping, no facilities, no electric hook-ups; book online or pay by QR code on arrival and display confirmation on the dashboard (honister.com/your-visit/overnight-parking) (operator, checked Aug 2026). You pay by card, inside the building, not at a machine in the car park. The posted opening is 9am but it is often later; the mine is content for you to arrive before it and pay on the way out, and the car park is covered by cameras (Lee McCoy, local observation, recorded 12 Aug 2026). Pay and display (LDNPA, checked Aug 2026).
🕑 Typically full before 10:00 on fine weekends, Apr-Oct — Lee McCoy, local observation, 2026-08-09.
Directions Something changed here?
If it is full: Seatoller (NT, paid) (2.3 km)
🚺 Public toilets (~136 m straight line) — Free🚺 Public toilets (~1825 m straight line) — Free☕ Sky Hi Cafe
Honister (NT, paid) — 1.8 km from summit (straight line)
Walking base for Great Gable, Green Gable, Brandreth and Grey Knotts — the 'Great Gable from Honister Slate Mine' route starts 61 m away. Also serves 'Haystacks'. Paid National Trust car park - the prices we used to show here came from an aggregator rather than the Trust, so we no longer publish a figure; check the machine on arrival, and members should bring their card (National Trust car-park list, checked Aug 2026). The machine takes cards, and National Trust members park free on production of their membership card (Lee McCoy, local observation, recorded 12 Aug 2026).
Directions Something changed here?
Grey Knotts car park — 1.9 km from summit (straight line)
Nearest fells: Grey Knotts (1.7 km), Dale Head (1.9 km), Honister Crag (Black Star) (1.9 km). Fee not verified — check signage on arrival.
Directions Something changed here?
Fleetwith Pike (layby) — 2.3 km from summit (straight line)
Nearest fells: Fleetwith Pike (0.9 km), Honister Crag (Black Star) (1.4 km), Haystacks (Buttermere) (1.9 km). Free (OSM-tagged). Unpaved surface (OSM-tagged).
Directions Something changed here?

Positions are approximate — zoom the map to confirm.

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

Vehicles are left entirely at their owner’s risk. We list places people park; we cannot vouch for any of them. Judge it on the day: take valuables with you, leave nothing on show, and if a spot feels wrong when you get there, park somewhere else.

Getting to Dale Head by bus

The 77 stops at Honister Youth Hostel (near), 90 m from the start of Dale Head Hindscarth and Robinson. Seasonal: the 77 does not run all year. 1 November 2026 is its last day, and it is not daily before then — a bus on 31 of the 56 days from 7 September. We don’t know when it returns. Confirmed with the operator, 29 August 2026. The last bus is 18:33 towards Keswick (77), every day. Checked against the operator’s timetable, 7 September 2026. Times here are a guide, not a promise — leave yourself more than the minute.

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.

Hazards on Dale Head

Hazard & Incident Information for Dale Head

Hazard: Moderate

A fell of two faces above Honister: gentle, fence-guided grass on its southern side, but a northern front that ends abruptly in the steep cliffs of Dalehead Crags, plunging into the head of the Newlands valley. The famous summit cairn stands close to that sudden edge — superb in clear weather, dangerous to wander toward in cloud or wind. Keswick Mountain Rescue Team covers this ground.

  • The northern edge / Dalehead Crags (by the summit): The easy southern slope ends suddenly right at the top, where the ground drops away in crags to Newlands. The cairn sits near this brink. In mist or strong wind it is dangerously easy to step toward the edge — keep well back and don't approach the rim for the view in poor visibility.
  • The steep eastern path past Dalehead Crags: The well-built path from Dalehead Tarn climbs steeply and skirts beneath/around Dalehead Crags. Steep and rough in places; take care, especially on descent and when wet.
  • Navigation toward the edge in cloud: Coming up the gentle southern fence line you arrive near the top of the crags almost without warning. In cloud, slow down on the final approach and keep a bearing so you stop short of the northern edge.
Who should attempt this fell: Dale Head is one of the easiest big-fell ascents from Honister in good weather, but its danger is the suddenness of the northern edge: the gentle grass gives way to the Dalehead Crags right at the cairn. Keep well back from the rim, and in cloud slow down and navigate by compass on the final approach so you don't overshoot. Treat the corniced edge as serious in winter.

Most common causes: Falls over the abrupt northern edge / Dalehead Crags near the summit · Slips on the steep eastern path by Dalehead Crags · Walking toward the crag edge in mist or wind · Cornices and ice on the northern edge in winter

Local Mountain Rescue: Keswick Mountain Rescue Team · Reviewed 14 Jun 2026

Safety: Hazard guidance compiled from published Mountain Rescue reports and well-documented accident history - editorial background, not a live feed of callouts. 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

A note on Newlands Beck

Newlands Beck runs below the old Goldscope mine and carries mine-derived zinc — enough to matter for river life, though the lead and cadmium that would harm a person stay below the drinking limit here. Treat any hill water before drinking (a filter won’t remove dissolved metals); don’t single this beck out as a clean fill-up.

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

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

Navigating Dale Head in cloud

Straightforward

Walkable ground sits close to a lethal drop — in cloud it’s easy to walk straight onto steep ground. 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 Dale Head compares with all 214 — the Clag Index: navigating in cloud. A relative, deliberately cautious guide; the site can’t navigate for you.

Map & nearby Birketts

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

Nearest parking: Honister Crag (layby), about 1.4 km from the summit (straight line). Full parking, toilets and bus details are below.

Birketts near Dale Head (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.

1.6 km SWHonister Crag (Black Star)634 m · Western
2.2 km NNWHigh Crags (Newlands)529 m · North Western
2.6 km NRed Knott452 m · North Western
3.0 km NScope End412 m · North Western

Routes over Dale Head

Dale Head Hindscarth and RobinsonPlanned
17.46 km · ~808 m ascent · linear · ~4.5–6.5 h
Summits: Dale HeadHindscarthRobinson

⬇️ Download GPX

Full route guide ↗

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

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. How to use this guide.

Scope End, Hindscarth & Dale Head from Little TownPlanned
12.08 km · ~729 m ascent · loop · ~3.5–5 h · Anticlockwise — up Scope End, over Hindscarth to Dale Head, then down into Newlands. · Moderate
Summits: Scope EndRed KnottHigh Crags (Newlands)HindscarthDale Head

✎️ Little Town sits right under Catbells, so Newlands catches the overspill from the honeypot next door — but almost everyone stops at Catbells. Start up Scope End instead and the crowds thin out within ten minutes. Roadside parking in Newlands is very limited, so arrive early or you'll end up driving back out.

⬇️ Download GPX

Best season: All year for confident hillwalkers. The steep grass of Scope End and the descent off Dale Head turn greasy after rain and are genuinely treacherous under frost or snow — in winter conditions treat this as a route needing an ice axe, crampons and the skill to use them.

⚠️ Warnings: The climb onto Dale Head is sustained and steep (around 43% at its worst) — pace it, and expect hard, slow going in the wet. Scope End's nose and the long descent off Dale Head are steep grass and scree: slippery after rain and hazardous in frost or snow. Hindscarth and Dale Head are broad, grassy, near-featureless tops — in cloud, take a compass bearing off each summit before setting off. Dale Head drops away in crags on its Newlands (north) face; in poor visibility be sure you've picked up the correct descent line and don't drift onto the steep ground.

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. How to use this guide.

On the hill: terrain and water on Dale Head

Water & shelter on the way up

On the Dale Head Hindscarth and Robinson route:

🚌 Keswick Bus Stn Stand 1 (19 m)🚌 Keswick Bus Stn Stand 2 (33 m)🚌 Keswick Bus Stn Stand 3 (38 m)🚌 Keswick Bus Stn Stand 4 (45 m)⛺ Honister Pass YHA (16 m)⛺ Keswick YHA (411 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 the Scope End, Hindscarth & Dale Head from Little Town route:

🛖 map (6 m)

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

The view from Dale Head

The 360° skyline from Dale Head

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 Dale Head36 labelled tops shown (12 distant behind the far-horizon toggle). Theoretical visibility in perfect clarity; computed from terrain, not photographed.eye levelNNEESESSWWNWScafell Pike · 8 kmHelvellyn · 12 kmIll Crag · 8 kmSkiddaw · 14 kmBowfell · 9 kmGreat Gable · 5 kmPillar · 6 kmHigh Crag · 12 kmRaise · 12 kmFairfield · 14 kmBlencathra · 16 kmGreat Dodd · 13 kmGrasmoor · 7 kmStybarrow Dodd · 12 kmCrag Hill · 6 kmRed Pike · 7 kmSkiddaw Lesser Man · 13 kmHigh Stile · 6 kmKirk Fell · 6 kmGrisedale Pike · 8 kmGlaramara · 5 kmRed Screes · 19 kmHigh Raise · 8 kmRed Pike · 6 kmRobinson · 3 kmHarrison Stickle · 10 kmCombe Head · 5 kmClough Head · 13 kmLonscale Fell · 13 kmCaw Fell · 10 kmUllock Pike · 14 kmIron Crag · 10 kmMiddle Fell · 11 kmWandope · 6 kmRed Beck Top · 6 kmHigh Spy · 1 kmScafell · 9 kmGreat End · 7 kmNethermost Pike · 12 kmCatstye Cam · 12 kmEsk Pike · 8 kmWhite Side · 12 kmDollywaggon Pike · 12 kmDove Crag · 16 kmWatson's Dodd · 12 kmKirk Fell East Top · 5 kmSail · 6 kmHobcarton Crag · 7 kmLow White Stones · 8 kmUllscarf · 8 kmPavey Ark · 10 kmCarrock Fell · 22 kmGreat Borne · 10 kmStainton Pike · 22 kmScar Crags · 6 kmCalfhow Pike · 12 kmIngleborough · 66 km · clear daysCausey Pike · 6 kmLooking Stead · 5 kmYewbarrow North Top · 8 kmWhernside · 62 km · clear daysBrown Crag · 11 kmSeathwaite Fell · 5 kmHaystacks · 4 kmBlake Fell · 12 kmLord's Seat · 11 kmCarling Knott · 12 kmGavel Fell · 11 kmThrelkeld Knotts · 13 kmSour Howes · 24 kmBarrow · 6 kmBanna Fell · 11 kmBinsey · 20 kmWalla Crag · 8 kmBengairn · 60 km · clear daysLittle Eycott Hill · 22 kmThe Knott · 22 kmSnowdon · 172 km · a handful of days a yearMerrick · 106 km · a rare clear daySnaefell · 87 km · a rare clear dayCairnsmore of Fleet · 89 km · a rare clear dayTinto · 122 km · a handful of days a yearDivis · 182 km · a handful of days a yearWhite Coomb · 100 km · a rare clear daySighty Crag · 76 km · a rare clear dayGreat Whernside · 88 km · a rare clear dayAgnew's Hill · 180 km · a handful of days a yearDun Rig · 116 km · a rare clear dayFair Snape Fell · 78 km · a rare clear day
What you can see from Dale Head, by direction
  • North: Grisedale Pike (8 km), Skiddaw Lesser Man (13 km), Skiddaw Little Man (13 km), Skiddaw South Top (14 km), Skiddaw Middle Top (14 km), Skiddaw (14 km)
  • North-east: Great Dodd (13 km), Knowe Crags (15 km), Gategill Fell Top (15 km), Blencathra (16 km)
  • East: Helvellyn Lower Man (12 km), White Side (12 km), Helvellyn (12 km), Watson's Dodd (12 km), Nethermost Pike (12 km), High Crag (12 km), Raise (12 km), Catstye Cam (12 km), Dollywaggon Pike (12 km), Stybarrow Dodd (12 km), Green Side (13 km), Fairfield (14 km), Cofa Pike (14 km), Dove Crag (16 km)
  • South: Great Gable (5 km), Great End (7 km), Broad Crag (8 km), Esk Pike (8 km), Ill Crag (8 km), Scafell Pike (8 km), Scafell (9 km), Bowfell (9 km), Swirl How (16 km)
  • South-west: Kirk Fell (6 km), Pillar (6 km), Red Pike (7 km)
  • West: High Stile (5 km), High Stile (6 km)
  • North-west: Crag Hill (6 km), Grasmoor (7 km)

On the clearest days the far horizon adds: Snowdon (172 km, Wales), Carnedd Llewelyn (160 km, Wales), Merrick (106 km, Scotland), Snaefell (87 km, Isle of Man), Moel Siabod (169 km, Wales), Cairnsmore of Fleet (89 km, Scotland), Mynydd Mawr (175 km, Wales), Lamachan Hill (100 km, Scotland).

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.

Sunrise and sunset on Dale Head

Dale Head sits close to the flat-horizon case. Even on its longest wait of the modelled year (at the March equinox) first light is only 7 minutes after almanac sunrise, so the published sunrise time is a fair guide here.

0°30°40°50°60°04:33
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 lightAlmanac sunriseDifference
Midsummer04:33 BST ±5.0 min04:37-4 min
Equinox06:23 GMT ±5.0 min06:16+7 min
Midwinter08:30 GMT ±5.0 min08:33-3 min

A low, open northern horizon — the ground falls away northwards (mean -0.13°).

Last light — when the sun leaves Dale Head

The evening here runs close to the flat-horizon case. Even on its earliest evening of the modelled year (on 1 February) last light is only 9 minutes before almanac sunset, so the published sunset time is a fair guide on Dale Head.

The evening of the same three days. A negative difference means a ridge takes the sun before the valley loses it.
Last lightAlmanac sunsetDifference
Midsummer21:51 BST ±5.0 min21:53-2 min
Equinox18:33 GMT ±5.0 min18:27+6 min
Midwinter15:47 GMT ±5.0 min15:49-2 min

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 Dale Head. 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. 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 Dale Head

On a clear day — computed sightlines, curvature- and refraction-corrected.
91Wainwrights in view+5 marginal
172 kmFurthest sightlineSnowdon (Yr Wyddfa) · possible under favourable refraction
2Sea in viewIrish Sea, Solway Firth

On the clearest days the view reaches across to Wales, Scotland and the Isle of Man.

Far horizons
  • Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa) WalesSSW · 172 km clear
  • Carnedd Llewelyn WalesSSW · 157 km clear
  • Merrick ScotlandNW · 107 km clear
  • Snaefell Isle of ManWSW · 87 km clear
  • Ingleborough Yorkshire DalesSE · 67 km clear
  • Irish Sea open waterSW · 64 km in view
  • Whernside Yorkshire DalesESE · 61 km clear
  • Solway Firth bay/estuaryN · 49 km in view
All 91 Wainwrights in clear view (nearest first)

Hindscarth, High Spy, Fleetwith Pike, Robinson, Grey Knotts, Maiden Moor, Haystacks (Buttermere), Base Brown, Grange Fell (Brund Fell), High Crag (Buttermere), Rosthwaite Fell - Bessyboot, Green Gable, Ard Crags, Great Crag (Stonethwaite), Great Gable, Seathwaite Fell (Wainwright summit), Glaramara, Sail, Scar Crags, Causey Pike, High Stile, Kirk Fell, Wandope, Crag Hill (Eel Crag), Pillar, Red Pike (Buttermere), Eagle Crag, Sergeant's Crag, Barrow, High Tove, Allen Crags, Great End, Grasmoor, High Seat, Armboth Fell (Armboth Fell South Top), Red Pike (Wasdale), Grisedale Pike, Ullscarf, Bleaberry Fell, Hopegill Head, Esk Pike, Walla Crag, Scafell Pike, Starling Dodd, Mellbreak (Mellbreak South Top), High Raise (High White Stones), Scafell, Bowfell, Thunacar Knott, Pike of Stickle, Hen Comb, Pavey Ark, Loft Crag, Harrison Stickle, Great Borne, Caw Fell, Middle Fell, Latrigg, Gavel Fell, Lord's Seat, White Side, Helvellyn, Watson's Dodd, Nethermost Pike, Blake Fell, Raise, Dodd (Skiddaw), Cold Pike, Catstye Cam, Dollywaggon Pike, Stybarrow Dodd, Seat Sandal, Great Dodd, Skiddaw Little Man, Carl Side, Clough Head, Long Side, Lonscale Fell, Ullock Pike, Fairfield, Great Rigg, Skiddaw, Great Carrs, Swirl How, Dove Crag, Blencathra - Hallsfell Top, Red Screes, Binsey, Carrock Fell, High Pike (Caldbeck), Sour Howes

How Dale Head’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.

Places to stay near this fell

Other places nearby

Seatoller House guest house

about 2.0 km from the start, in a straight line

The nearest serviced bed to the top of Honister with a kitchen behind it. It is the only property inside 3 km whose own page answers evening meal, breakfast time, parking, dogs and a family room together - and two of its ten rooms are downstairs, which matters to a walker who has just come off Haystacks on wrecked knees.

Worth knowing: “Well behaved dogs are allowed, they are not allowed in the dining room at any time,Please clean and dry all dogs on entering Seatoller via the back door.”

The house is 400 years old, has taken guests for more than a century, and is the biggest building in the hamlet of Seatoller.

  • Dogs “Well behaved dogs are allowed, they are not allowed in the dining room at any time,Please clean and dry all dogs on entering Seatoller via the back door.”
  • Family rooms “Rabbit Large Family room, Private bathroom directly opposite, great views of garden & Fells”
  • Evening meal “The dining room has two large traditional oak tables creating a friendly atmosphere where guests are served a set meal at 7 pm (excluding Wednesdays).”
  • Parking “There are 10 bedrooms all with private bathrooms, a large award winning garden surrounding the house and ample private car parking.”

From the Chapel Bridge Car Park start

Braeside self-catering

about 4.5 km from the start, in a straight line

The best-evidenced dog record in the radius - not just "dog friendly" but the number allowed, the exact charge, and dog towels provided - paired with the tumble dryer that decides whether a wet walking party is comfortable that evening. Bike storage and a tearoom downstairs run by the same owners make it a self-contained base for a group of six. Its silence on children is recorded as silence, not as a no.

There is a set of Wainwright's guides on the stairs for guests to borrow, dog towels in the utility room for the end of a walk, and a tearoom directly downstairs run by the owners.

  • Dogs “2 dogs allowed. Dogs are charged at £20 each per full or part week”
  • Parking “Parking for one car in front of cottage, further free parking available on roadside subject to availbility”

YHA Borrowdale hostel

about 3.1 km from the start, in a straight line

The only bed in the cluster whose own page states a cot, a highchair, ground-floor rooms, wheelchair access, a drying room, a self-catering kitchen and a 07:30 breakfast. For a family where one adult walks Great Gable and the rest do not, nothing else in the radius answers as many of their questions - which is why it earns a row despite not being independent.

Worth knowing: “Dogs: Pets are not permitted at YHA Borrowdale, except in our Camping & Cabins accommodation. Assistance dogs are welcome - please notify us at the time of booking.”

There has been a youth hostel in this valley since before the war - the present one opened at Longthwaite at Easter 1939, after an earlier hostel at Grange-in-Borrowdale closed in 1937.

  • Drying room “Self-catering kitchen Shared drying room Shared lounge Sole use available Unlimited breakfast Water refill station Wheelchair accessible WiFi”
  • Family rooms “YHA Borrowdale offers a variety of accommodation options including rooms of varying sizes, camping pods and camping pitches.”
  • Evening meal “With tasty breakfasts, packed lunches and evening meals, groups are sure to find something delicious to eat at YHA Borrowdale (see sample menu ).”
  • Packed lunch “With tasty breakfasts, packed lunches and evening meals, groups are sure to find something delicious to eat at YHA Borrowdale (see sample menu ).”
  • Parking “Parking: This hostel has on-site parking (subject to availability). Charges apply though overnight guests benefit from a discounted rate of £5 per vehicle for 24 hours.”
  • Children “Accessible rooms available Bed linen Central heating Cot available Ground floor rooms available Heating Hot water Lock on doors Smoke alarm”

What each place says about itself, quoted from their own site. We have not stayed at any of them, and there are no prices, no booking and no affiliate links. Distances are straight lines from each route start, never walking times. Properties found via OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions about Dale Head

Is Dale Head hard to climb?

It is a fell of two faces. The southern side is gentle grass with a fence to follow all the way from Honister, which makes it one of the easier 750 m fells to get up. The northern front ends abruptly in the steep cliffs of Dalehead Crags above Newlands, and there is no gradual warning as you approach that edge.

Our round from Little Town over Scope End and Hindscarth is 12.1 km with 729 m of ascent, rated Moderate; with Robinson as well it is 17.5 km and 808 m. The summit cairn sits close to the drop — enjoy the view from it, and keep the fence side in cloud.

Questions drawn from real Google “People also ask” searches; answers written and fact-checked by us. · Reviewed 2026-08-30 · Suggest a question or correction

Other fells near Dale Head