779 m · Wainwright — Far Eastern Fells · Birketts to bag nearby, parking, buses, my hikes and live summit weather.
Wainwright — Far Eastern FellsAlso a Birkett
Harter Fell (Mardale)
Harter Fell (Mardale) at 778m (2,552ft) stands above the south-eastern shore of Haweswater, its summit giving outstanding views of the reservoir and the high Lakeland fells beyond.
779 mWainwright — Far Eastern Fells✓ summit is also a Birkett+5 bonus Birketts within 3 km🌫️ Care needed in cloud
Is it worth going? — Today’s conditions & 7-day summit forecast
Modelled guidance for the 779 m summit. Always check the Met Office mountain forecast and MWIS before you set off.
On the summit today (Fri 11 Sep): 10° to 8°C, gusts to 25 mph, 1.9 mm of rain forecast.
Fri 11 Sep
🌦️
10° / 8°
💨 25 mph
🌧 1.9 mm (98%)
Sat 12 Sep
🌧️
13° / 7°
💨 49 mph
🌧 28.1 mm (100%)
Sun 13 Sep
🌦️
12° / 7°
💨 21 mph
🌧 0.7 mm (26%)
Mon 14 Sep
🌧️
13° / 6°
💨 34 mph
🌧 9.7 mm (94%)
Tue 15 Sep
🌦️
13° / 7°
💨 34 mph
🌧 2.0 mm (77%)
Wed 16 Sep
🌦️
10° / 7°
💨 32 mph
🌧 1.3 mm (59%)
Thu 17 Sep
🌦️
10° / 7°
💨 36 mph
🌧 1.4 mm (76%)
Forecast snapshot from 11 Sep 2026, 08:30 UTC — refreshed nightly and updated live in your browser. Temperatures and gusts adjusted to the 779 m summit altitude via Open-Meteo. Summit conditions are always harsher than the valley — check the professional mountain forecasts before you go.
Harter Fell (Mardale) at 778m (2,552ft) stands above the south-eastern shore of Haweswater, its summit giving outstanding views of the reservoir and the high Lakeland fells beyond. Wainwright described the ascent from Mardale Head as one of the most satisfying in the Far Eastern Fells — the views back across Haweswater improve with every step. The summit ridge is rocky and interesting, with good views south-east across the Shap Fells to the Pennines. Often combined with Branstree and Selside Pike for a fine Haweswater circuit.
Routes up Harter Fell (Mardale)
Hand-mapped, with GPX to download — full maps further down.
Interactive route maps and photos load here for visitors with JavaScript. Data from Strava.
Parking & buses for Harter Fell (Mardale)
Best parking to hike Harter Fell (Mardale)
Where we have the data, each parking spot also shows the nearest public toilets and facilities (cafés, pubs, shops).
Mardale Head, Haweswater (free) — 1.7 km from summit (straight line)
Free but small and fills very early — High Street, Harter Fell, Kidsty Pike, Branstree. Fees: Free parking; donation cairn with suggested £2 contribution (cash only - no mobile signal) plus a Mountain Rescue donation cairn (wildhaweswater.co.uk) (United Utilities, checked Aug 2026). Open at all times, but a Public Space Protection Order prohibits overnight parking (wildhaweswater.co.uk, checked Aug 2026). Open 24/7 (United Utilities, checked Aug 2026).
Branstree (layby) — 1.8 km from summit (straight line)
Walking base for Rough Crag (Riggindale), High Street, Mardale Ill Bell and Harter Fell (Mardale) — the 'Mardale circuit' route starts 166 m away. Also serves 'Mardale Ill Bell, High Street, The Knott, Rampsgill Head, High Raise and Kidsty Pike'. Free (OSM-tagged). Unpaved surface (OSM-tagged).
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.
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 Harter Fell (Mardale) by bus
The nearest bus stop we hold is the 508 at Troutbeck, opposite Limefitt Park, 5.4 km of walking from the start — not realistically reachable without a car.
Hazard & Incident Information for Harter Fell (Mardale)
Hazard: Moderate
A craggy fell above Mardale Head and Haweswater, ringed by crags that block a direct ascent so it's normally climbed by the Nan Bield or Gatescarth passes. Its catch is the narrow arête between Nan Bield Pass and the summit — airy, with dizzyingly steep drops on each side where it hugs the lip of Black John Hole. The summit overlooks crags falling to Small Water and Haweswater. Patterdale Mountain Rescue Team covers this ground.
The Nan Bield arête to the summit: The ridge from Nan Bield Pass to the top is narrow, with steep drops on both sides, particularly along the lip of Black John Hole — 'not for the faint-hearted'. Take it steadily, keep to the path, and it is best avoided in strong wind or when iced.
Summit crags above Small Water / Haweswater: Crags ring the fell and overlook Small Water and Mardale; they block any direct ascent for good reason. Keep back from the edges near the summit, especially in cloud or wind where the broad top hides the drop.
Nan Bield & Gatescarth passes; summit navigation: The passes are steep and rough, and the broad top (with old iron fence posts as a guide) needs a compass bearing in mist to leave on the right line. Navigate deliberately between the two passes and the summit.
Who should attempt this fell: Harter Fell is a fine, easily-reached top, but the arête from Nan Bield Pass is genuinely airy with steep drops by Black John Hole — take it carefully and avoid it in fierce wind or ice. Keep back from the summit crags above Mardale, use the iron fence posts and a compass to navigate the broad top in cloud, and treat the arête and passes as full winter terrain when there is snow or ice.
Most common causes: Slips or loss of nerve on the narrow Nan Bield arête by Black John Hole · Walkers straying onto the summit crags above Small Water / Haweswater · Navigation errors off the broad top between the two passes in cloud · Exposure on the arête and passes in wind or winter
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.
A broad, gently-sloping top with little to steer by — easy to lose your bearings and hard to relocate in mist. Take care in poor visibility — carry map and compass, and know how to use them.
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 Harter Fell (Mardale) compares with all 214 — the Clag Index: navigating in cloud. A relative, deliberately cautious guide; the site can’t navigate for you.
Nearest parking: Mardale Head, Haweswater (free), about 1.7 km from the summit (straight line). Full parking, toilets and bus details are below.
Birketts near Harter Fell (Mardale) (within 3 km)
These Birkett tops are notWainwright summits — detour to them on this walk and they are pure profit. Distances are straight-line; allow extra for terrain.
✎️ Walked and described first-hand by Lee — a big mountain day (≈13 miles / ~3,700 ft, 6–8 hours). Start early, carry OS Explorer OL7 and a compass (the eastern ridge walls and fences are vital handrails in mist), and know the escape options.
⚠️ Warnings: The left-hand ladder stile between Kentmere Pike and Shipman Knotts has a big, almost-vertical drop on the far side — take care, and lift or handle dogs, which often refuse it. Wray Crag on the final descent has a grooved sloping slab: an easy step in the dry, slippery when wet. The initial drop off Ill Bell toward Froswick is steep and rough — you may need hands; it eases quickly. Keep clear of Ill Bell's craggy eastern edge above Kentmere Reservoir — stay on the broad ridge by the cairns. Parking at Kentmere (village hall / St Cuthbert's church) is very limited — only a handful of spaces — so arrive early.
⚠️ Warnings: Boggy ground: the Sleddale moors (Tarn Crag, Grey Crag and the Mosedale–Longsleddale pass) are peat-hagged and frequently very wet — expect bog and use the wall/fence lines as handrails. Faint paths + serious navigation: trods are indistinct across Cocklaw Fell and the Sleddale plateau. Best saved for good visibility — avoid the Tarn Crag/Grey Crag moors in thick hill fog. A long, quiet day: roughly 10–12 miles and over 3,000 ft of ascent, with far fewer people than the Kentmere side — be self-reliant.
🥾 Walked in part — Lee walked this ground in July 2025; km 9.0–12.2 of this line is from the map.
A planned line is a suggestion, not a guarantee — conditions change. Navigate independently and carry a map & compass. How to use this guide.
The view from Harter Fell (Mardale)
The 360° skyline from Harter Fell (Mardale)
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
What you can see from Harter Fell (Mardale), by direction
North: High Raise (4 km)
South-west: Swirl How (21 km), Brim Fell (22 km), The Old Man of Coniston (22 km)
West: Dove Crag (9 km), Hart Crag (9 km), Fairfield (10 km), Cofa Pike (10 km), Dollywaggon Pike (12 km), High Crag (12 km), Crinkle Crags (21 km), Crinkle Crags (21 km), Crinkle Crags (21 km), Shelter Crags (21 km), Crinkle Crags South Top (22 km), Crinkle Crags (22 km), Bowfell (22 km), Esk Pike (22 km), Great End (23 km), Ill Crag (24 km), Broad Crag (24 km), Scafell Pike (24 km), Green Gable (24 km), Great Gable (25 km), Scafell (25 km), Kirk Fell East Top (26 km), Pillar (29 km), Black Crag (30 km), Scoat Fell (30 km), Steeple (30 km)
North-west: High Street (3 km), Rampsgill Head (4 km), St Sunday Crag (10 km), Nethermost Pike (13 km), Catstye Cam (13 km), Helvellyn (13 km), Helvellyn Lower Man (14 km), Blencathra (23 km), Gategill Fell Top (23 km), Atkinson Pike (23 km)
On the clearest days the far horizon adds: Snowdon (177 km, Wales), Carnedd Llewelyn (164 km, Wales), Aran Fawddwy (196 km, Wales), Moel Siabod (172 km, Wales), The Cheviot (120 km, England), Arenig Fawr (184 km, Wales), Yr Eifl (198 km, Wales), Craig Cwm Silyn (184 km, Wales).
Computed from terrain in perfect clarity, not photographed · distances are straight-line.
Harter Fell (Mardale) catches the sun before the valley does. On not one of the sixteen dates modelled does this summit wait for first light — the eastern horizon falls away rather than standing over you, and at midsummer the light reaches it 2 minutes before almanac sunrise.
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
04:34 BST ±5.0 min
04:36
-2 min
Equinox
06:10 GMT ±5.0 min
06:14
-4 min
Midwinter
08:28 GMT ±5.0 min
08:32
-4 min
A low, open northern horizon — the ground falls away northwards (mean -0.21°).
Last light — when the sun leaves Harter Fell (Mardale)
The evening here runs close to the flat-horizon case. Even on its earliest evening of the modelled year (at midsummer) last light is only 11 minutes before almanac sunset, so the published sunset time is a fair guide on Harter Fell (Mardale).
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
21:40 BST ±5.0 min
21:51
-11 min
Equinox
18:26 GMT ±5.0 min
18:25
+1 min
Midwinter
15:56 GMT ±5.0 min
15:48
+8 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 Harter Fell (Mardale). 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 Harter Fell (Mardale)
On a clear day — computed sightlines, curvature- and refraction-corrected.
29Wainwrights in view+31 marginal
177 kmFurthest sightlineSnowdon (Yr Wyddfa) · possible under favourable refraction
2Sea in viewIrish Sea, Morecambe Bay
🌐 On the clearest days the view reaches across to Wales.
How Harter Fell (Mardale)’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.
At 8.15 km SW this is outside our usual radius. It is the most useful independent option found in any direction: it is the only property in the whole search that pairs a boot room AND a drying area with a travel cot, a high chair and dog beds, and it is the nearest evidenced bed with a direct owner email. Right for a group or two families walking the Longsleddale Round together and self-catering.
It is a whole-house hostel of six bed-pod rooms sleeping up to 19 at No 1 High Street in Windermere, kitted for groups - travel cot, high chair, dog beds and bowls, boot room - and taken over entirely by one party rather than sold bed by bed to strangers.
Drying room“a boot room for muddy shoes, and a drying area for your jackets after a day of exploring in the fells”
Dogs“Bring your dog along! We offer dog beds, food bowls, and towels - just arrange ahead of time.”
Family rooms“Our spacious accommodation for up to 19 guests features modern amenities and shared spaces”
Children“We offer a travel cot and high chair for families traveling with little ones.”
At 9.06 km it is outside our usual radius, and the only evidenced bed due north - the Haweswater side of the same fells the Longsleddale Round climbs, reached over the Gatescarth pass on foot. It is an independent hotel with a rosetted restaurant and a written-down dog policy naming twelve rooms, several of them named after the very ground the route covers (Swindale, Mardale, Artle Crag). Recommended for a couple or a pair of walkers, not on the family evidence - there is none.
It was built in 1937 by the Haweswater Dam scheme to replace the Dun Bull Inn at Mardale, which the reservoir drowned - an art deco hotel whose gardens reuse coping stones from the submerged Mardale walls, and whose first managers had run the old inn.
Dogs“Dogs are allowed in the following rooms: Wainwright, Mardale, Lonsdale, Westmorland, Artle Crag, Lakeside, Measand, Whelter Crag, Swindale, Cawdale, Rosgil, Wet Sleddle.”
Evening meal“Our restaurant was awarded Two Rosettes in 2024”
At 8.98 km ENE it is outside our usual radius, and the only evidenced bed on the eastern, A6 side of the fells. Exclusive use of the whole building for up to eight with dogs welcome and lay-by parking 70 yards away suits a walking group doing the round and wanting one base - provided they read the caveats: no running water, no drying room, no meals, bring bedding.
It is a converted telephone repeater station at 1,390 ft on Shap Fell beside the A6, completely off-grid - lighting from wind and solar, drinking water delivered in canisters, a chemical toilet in the side yard, and a roof-window put in for stargazing because the horizon is unusually low and wide.
Dogs“The accommodation sleeps max eight people, with the starting price based on four sharing. Dogs are welcome.”
Family rooms“The accommodation sleeps max eight people, with the starting price based on four sharing. Dogs are welcome.”
Parking“Two very large lay-bys for ample parking within 70 yards.”
The lodges stand on High Borrans Farm - 1,000 acres, over 1,200 Swaledale ewes and about 25 beef sucklers, on heather ground around 1,300 feet up that was once shot for grouse. The family took it on in 2007, and if you want to see the lambs in spring you only have to ask.
Drying room“A laundry room located in a small stone building at the entrance to the park, containing free to use, washing machines, a dryer and an iron and ironing board”
Dogs“High Borrans in Cumbria offers seven bespoke lodges, three being dog friendly and one unique shepherd's hut all designed with couples in mind.”
Family rooms“A couples only lodge park, located just 10 minutes away from Windermere in the Lake District.”
Children“A couples only lodge park, located just 10 minutes away from Windermere in the Lake District.”
This is the only property inside the radius whose cached page is actually about itself, and it is emphatically not a bed for a family - it is the roof a Harrop Pike walker should know about before committing to a 20.03 km day whose middle third is a bearing across the Bannisdale watershed. It sits on the Mosedale/Swindale side of that watershed rather than on the Longsleddale road, so it is a bail-out and a shelter, not a base: 3.95 km straight-line from Sadgill, which is a number for a map and not a walk-in - the ground between is over the tops and unmeasured by us. What its page does give is usable: a grid reference to put on the map (NY 495 095 on LR90), a stove with the explicit warning that no fuel is available locally, and the MBA's standing party-size restriction with no number attached, which is the one thing a group of four or more should resolve before relying on it. Ranked 1 only because it is the sole row here with evidence; on family usefulness it ranks nowhere.
Its whole facilities list is two lines that contradict each other for anyone planning a night: there is a working stove, and no fuel anywhere near it. Warmth here is something you carry in on your back along with the sleeping bag.
At 6.95 km WSW it is outside our usual 4.83 km radius, and it is here because nothing closer publishes anything at all. It is the best-evidenced bed of any kind near this start: a cot, ground-floor rooms, a shared drying room, breakfast from 07:30, evening meals and packed lunches are each stated on its own page, and the child policy is written down rather than inferred. A party doing the Longsleddale Round can dry kit and be fed without cooking.
The hostel building is an early concrete house of the late 1920s, opened as a hostel in 1935 and known until recently as High Cross Castle - the previous timber house on the site burned down in 1915, which is why its replacement was built in solid concrete.
Drying room“Shared drying room”
Family rooms“A cot is available.”
Evening meal“With tasty breakfasts, packed lunches and evening meals, groups are sure to find something delicious to eat at YHA Windermere”
Packed lunch“With tasty breakfasts, packed lunches and evening meals, groups are sure to find something delicious to eat at YHA Windermere”
Parking“Free parking on premises”
Children“Under 12s are not permitted in dorm rooms. Children under 3 can stay with us for free.”
At 8.77 km it is outside our usual radius, and the only evidenced bed in the southern half of the compass - the Kendal/Staveley side that the Longsleddale valley road actually runs down. It is the nearest place found that states a drying room, a children's play area and a dog policy in its own words, and the minimum stay is written down rather than discovered at checkout.
It takes walk-in campers arriving on foot rather than by car - it advertises a backpacking facility - and it has its own bar, the Whistling Pig, with Staveley village and its railway station a field's walk away.
Drying room“Drying room”
Dogs“Windermere is a dog-friendly site and our campers are permitted to bring their pets with them for their stay.”
Evening meal“On-site bar at the Whistling Pig”
Parking“You are permitted to park one car on your pitch.”
Children“There is an outdoor play area for children.”
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 (opens in new tab).
Frequently asked questions about Harter Fell (Mardale)
Is Harter Fell (Mardale) hard to climb?
No — by its usual route it's one of the more straightforward of the Far Eastern fells. Harter Fell (778 m / 2,552 ft) above Haweswater is normally climbed by walking up the well-graded Gatescarth Pass bridleway and turning up easier slopes to the top, avoiding the crags that block a direct ascent.
It's a steady climb on good paths rather than a steep or technical one, which makes it a popular Mardale outing.
What is the best route up Harter Fell from Mardale Head?
The classic round starts at the Mardale Head car park at the end of the Haweswater road. Go up Gatescarth Pass, climb to the summit, then descend over Nan Bield Pass and back along Small Water — a fine circuit of about 7.75 miles with roughly 700 m of ascent.
You can also take in Harter Fell as part of the longer Kentmere or Mardale horseshoe.
How long does the Harter Fell (Mardale) walk take?
Allow around 4–5 hours for the Gatescarth–Nan Bield round from Mardale Head (about 7.75 miles, 700 m of ascent). It makes a good half-day on the fells, longer if you extend it over Mardale Ill Bell or Branstree.
No — confusingly there are two Wainwright fells called Harter Fell. This one is in the Far Eastern Fells above Mardale and Haweswater (778 m); the other is the craggy Harter Fell in Eskdale/Dunnerdale in the south-west (653 m).
They're different hills with different routes, so make sure you're reading guidance for the Mardale one when planning this walk.
It's a reasonable choice for a fit beginner on a clear day — the Gatescarth Pass route follows good, graded paths with no scrambling. The things to respect are the steep crags on the Mardale face (keep away from the edges near the top) and navigation off the summit in cloud.
Go in settled weather, carry a map and compass, and the Nan Bield return past Small Water makes a lovely, manageable circuit.
Park at the Mardale Head car park at the very end of the Haweswater road, beyond the reservoir. It's the start point for Harter Fell, Harter's neighbours and the Mardale horseshoe.
It's a small, popular car park down a long dead-end road and fills quickly on fine days, so arrive early.
What should I wear and take up Harter Fell (Mardale)?
Wear walking boots for the rough, sometimes boggy ground, and carry warm and waterproof layers — the summit and the passes are exposed and breezy. Bring a map and compass for navigating off the top in cloud, plus water, food and a charged phone.
Check the mountain forecast, and take care on the steep ground near Nan Bield and the Mardale crags, especially in wind or winter conditions.
