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

Wainwright — Far Eastern FellsAlso a Birkett

Kentmere Pike

Kentmere Pike at 730m (2,395ft) is the eastern anchor of the Kentmere Horseshoe, a broad, grassy summit giving outstanding views east across the Shap Fells and south down the Kentmere valley.

730 m
Height
~3–4 h
Typical time
+4
Bonus Birketts
See routes & download GPX →

Home › Fells › Kentmere Pike

Written and walked by Lee McCoy · Last reviewed

730 mWainwright — Far Eastern Fells✓ summit is also a Birkett+4 bonus Birketts within 3 km Care needed in cloud

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

Modelled guidance for the 730 m summit. Always check the Met Office mountain forecast and MWIS before you set off.

On the summit today (Tue 28 Jul): 14° to 13°C, gusts to 39 mph, 18.2 mm of rain forecast.

Tue 28 Jul
🌧️
14° / 13°
💨 39 mph
🌧 18.2 mm (98%)
Wed 29 Jul
🌦️
14° / 11°
💨 31 mph
🌧 2.1 mm (98%)
Thu 30 Jul
🌦️
13° / 4°
💨 28 mph
🌧 0.6 mm (63%)
Fri 31 Jul
🌤️
14° / 1°
💨 26 mph
🌧 0.0 mm (82%)
Sat 1 Aug
🌦️
14° / 2°
💨 15 mph
🌧 3.3 mm (31%)
Sun 2 Aug
☁️
15° / 4°
💨 18 mph
🌧 0.0 mm (25%)
Mon 3 Aug
🌦️
16° / 5°
💨 17 mph
🌧 0.2 mm (24%)

Forecast snapshot from 28 Jul 2026, 04:58 UTC — refreshed nightly and updated live in your browser. Temperatures and gusts adjusted to the 730 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

Kentmere Pike

Kentmere Pike, a Lake District fell
Photo: Mick Melvin, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Kentmere Pike at 730m (2,395ft) is the eastern anchor of the Kentmere Horseshoe, a broad, grassy summit giving outstanding views east across the Shap Fells and south down the Kentmere valley. Wainwright described the approach up the eastern ridge from Kentmere reservoir as a fine route through quiet, sheep-grazed fell country. Combined naturally with Shipman Knotts and the Ill Bell ridge for the full Kentmere circuit — one of the best full-day walks in the Far Eastern Fells, returning via Nan Bield Pass.

Routes up Kentmere Pike

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

Birketts by Kentmere Horseshoe
17.6 km · ~4.8 hr
Kentmere Horseshoe
20.1 km · ~5.7 hr
The classic round of the Kentmere valley — a 20 km, ~1,030 m horseshoe over eight Wainwrights: up over Yoke and the shapely Ill Bell ridge to Thornthwaite Crag, then back over Mardale Ill Bell, Harter Fell, Kentmere Pike and Shipman Knotts. A long, high, broad-ridged day in the Far Eastern fells.
Longsleddale Round (Kentmere Pike, Tarn Crag, Grey Crag & Shipman Knotts)
17.7 km · ~5.3 hr
A long ~18 km round from Sadgill in quiet Longsleddale over five Wainwrights — Grey Crag, Tarn Crag, Kentmere Pike, Harter Fell and Shipman Knotts — across some of the loneliest, broadest grass tops in the Far Eastern fells. Real navigation in cloud.
Classifications & hill data
Wainwright
Far Eastern
Birkett
Fellranger
Synge
Nuttall
730 m
Height
2,395 ft
In feet
NY 4655 0779
Grid ref

Map & nearby Birketts

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

Nearest parking: Mardale Head, Haweswater (free), about 2.8 km from the summit (straight line). Full parking, toilets and bus details are below.

Birketts near Kentmere Pike (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.

1.2 km SEGoat Scar626 m · Far Eastern
1.4 km NNEAdam Seat666 m · Far Eastern
1.7 km NLittle Harter Fell681 m · Far Eastern
2.7 km ESEGreat Howe (Longsleddale)494 m · Far Eastern

Routes over Kentmere Pike

Birketts by Kentmere HorseshoePlanned
17.58 km · ~754 m ascent · loop · ~4.5–6.5 h
Summits: Cocklaw Fellnameless (Green Quarter) (Hollow Moor East Top)Hollow Moor (Green Quarter Fell)Shipman KnottsGoat ScarKentmere PikeHarter Fell (Mardale)Little Harter FellAdam Seat

⬇️ 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.

Kentmere HorseshoeRevised
20.14 km · ~1029 m ascent · loop · ~5.5–7.5 h
Summits: YokeIll BellFroswickThornthwaite CragMardale Ill BellHarter Fell (Mardale)Kentmere PikeShipman Knotts

✎️ 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.

⬇️ Download GPX

⚠️ 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.

Full route guide ↗

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

Longsleddale Round (Kentmere Pike, Tarn Crag, Grey Crag & Shipman Knotts)Revised
17.69 km · ~1043 m ascent · loop · ~5–7 h
Summits: Shipman KnottsKentmere PikeHarter Fell (Mardale)Little Harter FellTarn Crag (Sleddale)Grey Crag (Sleddale Fell)Great Howe (Longsleddale)

⬇️ Download GPX

⚠️ 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.

Full route guide ↗

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

The View from Kentmere 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
Computed 360-degree skyline from Kentmere Pike36 labelled tops shown (9 distant behind the far-horizon toggle). Theoretical visibility in perfect clarity; computed from terrain, not photographed.eye levelNNEESESSWWNWScafell Pike · 25 kmHelvellyn · 14 kmGreat Gable · 26 kmRaise · 16 kmFairfield · 11 kmCrinkle Crags · 22 kmHigh Street · 4 kmThe Old Man of Coniston · 22 kmSwirl How · 21 kmHarter Fell · 2 kmGreat Rigg · 11 kmBranstree · 2 kmCross Fell · 35 km · clear daysBlack Combe · 40 km · clear daysBorder End · 24 kmLittle Harter Fell · 2 kmAdam Seat · 1 kmTarn Crag · 2 kmIngleborough · 43 km · clear daysGrey Crag · 3 kmWhernside · 38 km · clear daysWard's Stone · 51 km · clear daysThe Calf · 23 kmLow Kop · 9 kmGreat Saddle Crag · 6 kmHigh Wether Howe · 6 kmWild Boar Fell · 31 km · clear daysThe Forest · 8 kmSallows · 5 kmUlthwaite Rigg · 5 kmBurney · 30 km · clear daysHollow Moor · 4 kmFour Stones Hill · 9 kmnameless · 8 kmUlgraves · 9 kmGummer's How · 21 kmGreat End · 24 kmNethermost Pike · 14 kmDollywaggon Pike · 13 kmDove Crag · 10 kmThornthwaite Crag · 4 kmPike of Blisco · 20 kmLittle Carrs · 20 kmGreat Yarlside · 6 kmWhite Stones · 21 kmSwinklebank Crag · 4 kmLittle Yarlside · 7 kmSleddale Pike · 7 kmHigh House Bank · 8 kmGlede Howe · 7 kmCapple Howe · 6 kmMickle Fell · 38 km · clear daysCarron Crag · 19 kmHigh Knott · 8 kmHugill Fell · 8 kmGrandsire · 11 kmOrrest Head · 10 kmHampsfell · 29 kmCunswick Scar · 14 kmBrant Fell · 13 kmSnowdon · 176 km · a handful of days a yearAran Fawddwy · 195 km · a handful of days a yearSouth Barrule · 125 km · a handful of days a yearPendle Hill · 74 km · a rare clear dayMoel y Gamelin · 164 km · a handful of days a yearBoulsworth Hill · 86 km · a rare clear daySighty Crag · 74 km · a rare clear dayBlackwood Hill · 89 km · a rare clear dayBillinge Hill · 106 km · a rare clear day
What you can see from Kentmere Pike, by direction
  • North: Harter Fell (2 km)
  • North-east: Branstree (2 km)
  • South-west: Brim Fell (22 km), The Old Man of Coniston (22 km), Dow Crag (23 km)
  • West: Ill Bell (3 km), Red Screes (7 km), Dove Crag (10 km), Hart Crag (10 km), Great Rigg (11 km), Fairfield (11 km), Cofa Pike (12 km), Sergeant Man (18 km), Wetherlam (19 km), Swirl How (21 km), Great Carrs (21 km), Great How (21 km), Crinkle Crags (22 km), Crinkle Crags (22 km), Shelter Crags (22 km), Crinkle Crags South Top (22 km), Crinkle Crags (22 km), Grey Friar (22 km), Crinkle Crags (22 km), Little Stand (22 km), Bowfell (22 km), Great End (24 km), Ill Crag (24 km), Broad Crag (25 km), Scafell Pike (25 km), Great Gable (26 km), Scafell (26 km)
  • North-west: High Street (4 km), Thornthwaite Crag (4 km), Stony Cove Pike (5 km), Dollywaggon Pike (13 km), High Crag (14 km), Nethermost Pike (14 km), Helvellyn (14 km), Raise (16 km)

On the clearest days the far horizon adds: Snowdon (176 km, Wales), Carnedd Llewelyn (163 km, Wales), Aran Fawddwy (195 km, Wales), Moel Siabod (171 km, Wales), Arenig Fawr (182 km, Wales), South Barrule (125 km, Isle of Man), Yr Eifl (197 km, Wales), Craig Cwm Silyn (183 km, Wales).

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 Kentmere Pike

On a clear day — computed sightlines, curvature- and refraction-corrected.
37Wainwrights in view+10 marginal
176 kmFurthest sightlineSnowdon (Yr Wyddfa) · possible under favourable refraction
2Sea in viewIrish Sea, Morecambe Bay

On the clearest days the view reaches across to Wales.

Far horizons
  • Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa) WalesSSW · 176 km clear
  • Carnedd Llewelyn WalesSSW · 160 km clear
  • Irish Sea open waterSW · 69 km in view
  • Ingleborough Yorkshire DalesSE · 44 km clear
  • Morecambe Bay bay/estuarySSW · 38 km in view
  • Whernside Yorkshire DalesSE · 37 km clear
  • Great Dun Fell North PenninesNE · 35 km clear
  • Cross Fell North PenninesNE · 34 km clear
All 37 Wainwrights in clear view (nearest first)

Harter Fell (Mardale), Tarn Crag (Sleddale), Branstree, Ill Bell, Yoke, Froswick, Thornthwaite Crag, Sallows, Stony Cove Pike (Caudale Moor), Sour Howes, Red Screes, Dove Crag, Hart Crag, St Sunday Crag, Great Rigg, Fairfield, Dollywaggon Pike, Nethermost Pike, Helvellyn, Raise, Lingmoor Fell (Brown How), Thunacar Knott, Wetherlam, Pike of Blisco, Swirl How, Great Carrs, Cold Pike, Brim Fell, The Old Man of Coniston (Coniston Old Man), Grey Friar, Crinkle Crags - Long Top (Second Crinkle), Bowfell, Dow Crag, Allen Crags, Great End, Great Gable, Scafell

How Kentmere Pike’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 Kentmere Pike

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

Mardale Head, Haweswater (free) — 2.8 km from summit (straight line)
Free but small and fills very early — High Street, Harter Fell, Kidsty Pike, Branstree.
Directions
Sadgill, Longsleddale (free, limited) — 2.9 km from summit (straight line)
Head of Longsleddale — Kentmere Pike, Shipman Knotts, Grey Crag, Tarn Crag.
Directions

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.

Buses to Kentmere Pike 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.

My hikes over Kentmere Pike (Strava)

1 logged hike pass over this summit:

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

Navigating Kentmere Pike in cloud

Care needed

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 Kentmere Pike 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 Kentmere Pike

Maps & guidebooks for Kentmere Pike

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