⛰️ Harter Fell (Mardale)

779 m · Wainwright — Far Eastern Fells · Birketts to bag nearby, parking, buses, my hikes and live summit weather.

779 mWainwright — Far Eastern Fells✓ summit is also a Birkett+5 bonus Birketts within 3 km

📖 Key Information

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.

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

🎯 Bonus Birketts 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 ELittle Harter Fell681 m · Far Eastern
1.2 km ESEAdam Seat666 m · Far Eastern
2.0 km NNWRough Crag (Riggindale)628 m · Far Eastern
2.8 km SSEGoat Scar626 m · Far Eastern

⚠️ Hazard & Incident Information

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🦶 My hikes over Harter Fell (Mardale) (Strava)

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🅿️ Potential parking

Mardale Head, Haweswater (free) — 1.6 km from summit (straight line)
Free but small and fills very early — High Street, Harter Fell, Kidsty Pike, Branstree.
Directions ↗
Kentmere Institute (donation, very limited) — 5.1 km from summit (straight line)
Tiny — arrive by 8am or use the verges lower down. Kentmere Horseshoe: Yoke, Ill Bell, Froswick, Kentmere Pike.
Directions ↗

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

🚌 Buses from Penrith / Ambleside / Windermere

No regular bus serves the start points for this fell — this is one for the car (or a long approach from the nearest served valley). The nearest hubs are Penrith (X4/X5 & 508), Ambleside and Windermere (555, 505, 516).

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

🌦️ 7-day summit forecast

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Open Harter Fell (Mardale) in the interactive explorer ↗