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

Wainwright — North Western FellsAlso a Birkett

Maiden Moor

Maiden Moor at 576m (1,890ft) is the broad ridge south of Catbells on the Newlands Horseshoe, giving outstanding views of Derwent Water from its open summit plateau.

575 m
Height
~2.5–3 h
Typical time
+6
Bonus Birketts
See routes & download GPX →

Home › Fells › Maiden Moor

Written and walked by Lee McCoy · Last reviewed

575 mWainwright — North Western Fells✓ summit is also a Birkett+6 bonus Birketts within 3 km Care needed in cloud

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

Modelled guidance for the 575 m summit. Always check the Met Office mountain forecast and MWIS before you set off.

On the summit today (Tue 28 Jul): 15° to 14°C, gusts to 37 mph, 4.3 mm of rain forecast.

Tue 28 Jul
🌧️
15° / 14°
💨 37 mph
🌧 4.3 mm (99%)
Wed 29 Jul
🌧️
15° / 11°
💨 29 mph
🌧 10.5 mm (100%)
Thu 30 Jul
🌦️
13° / 5°
💨 29 mph
🌧 3.0 mm (87%)
Fri 31 Jul
🌤️
14° / 2°
💨 22 mph
🌧 0.0 mm (86%)
Sat 1 Aug
🌦️
14° / 5°
💨 15 mph
🌧 2.7 mm (82%)
Sun 2 Aug
☁️
16° / 5°
💨 17 mph
🌧 0.0 mm (35%)
Mon 3 Aug
🌦️
15° / 5°
💨 16 mph
🌧 0.4 mm (23%)

Forecast snapshot from 28 Jul 2026, 04:58 UTC — refreshed nightly and updated live in your browser. Temperatures and gusts adjusted to the 575 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

Maiden Moor

Maiden Moor, a Lake District fell
Photo: Mick Knapton at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Maiden Moor at 576m (1,890ft) is the broad ridge south of Catbells on the Newlands Horseshoe, giving outstanding views of Derwent Water from its open summit plateau. Wainwright described the walk south from Catbells along the Maiden Moor ridge as one of the finest low-level ridge walks above Derwent Water — the lake views are consistently excellent throughout. Most naturally part of the classic Newlands Horseshoe or as an extension of the Catbells ridge walk from Hawes End.

Routes up Maiden Moor

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

Catbells, Maiden Moor & High Spy
13.8 km · ~4.1 hr · Easy
A lovely, accessible ridge walk above the western shore of Derwentwater, and a great introduction to the fells. From Hawes End it climbs the shapely little peak of Catbells, then follows the airy but easy ridge south over Maiden Moor to High Spy, with Derwentwater and the Newlands valley spread out below. There are a few easy scrambly steps on Catbells that some guides don't mention, but nothing most people can't manage. A modest, rewarding day with some of the best views in the northern Lakes for the effort.
Classifications & hill data
Wainwright
North Western
Birkett
Fellranger
Synge
575 m
Height
1,886 ft
In feet
NY 2367 1819
Grid ref

Map & nearby Birketts

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

Nearest parking: Little Town, Newlands (paid, small), about 1.3 km from the summit (straight line). Full parking, toilets and bus details are below.

Birketts near Maiden Moor (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.

1.3 km WScope End412 m · Western
1.6 km WRed Knott452 m · Western
2.0 km WSWHigh Crags (Newlands)529 m · Western
2.5 km NNESkelgill Bank338 m · Central
2.6 km NNWRowling End433 m · North Western
2.6 km SEKing's How - Grange Fell392 m · Central

Routes over Maiden Moor

Catbells, Maiden Moor & High SpyRevised
13.79 km · ~824 m ascent · loop · ~4–5.5 h · Loop · Easy
Summits: Skelgill BankCat Bells (Catbells)Maiden MoorHigh Spy

⬇️ Download GPX

Best season: A good year-round walk; the steep little steps on Catbells are slippery when wet, and the ridge is exposed to wind.

⚠️ Warnings: A few easy scrambly steps on Catbells — take care, especially when wet.; The ridge is narrow in places with steep ground either side; fine for most, but keep children close.

Full route guide ↗

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

The View from Maiden Moor

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 Maiden Moor36 labelled tops shown (6 distant behind the far-horizon toggle). Theoretical visibility in perfect clarity; computed from terrain, not photographed.eye levelNNEESESSWWNWScafell Pike · 11 kmHelvellyn · 11 kmSkiddaw · 11 kmBowfell · 12 kmGreat Gable · 8 kmHigh Crag · 12 kmRaise · 11 kmBlencathra · 13 kmGreat Dodd · 11 kmGrasmoor · 7 kmStybarrow Dodd · 11 kmCrag Hill · 5 kmSkiddaw Lesser Man · 10 kmHigh Stile · 8 kmGrisedale Pike · 6 kmHopegill Head · 6 kmGreat Rigg · 14 kmWetherlam · 18 kmHigh Raise · 10 kmDale Head · 3 kmRobinson · 4 kmCombe Head · 7 kmLong Side · 10 kmHindscarth · 3 kmClough Head · 11 kmUllscarf · 8 kmLonscale Fell · 10 kmCarrock Fell · 19 kmWhiteless Pike · 6 kmGreat Borne · 11 kmStanding Crag · 8 kmLord's Seat · 9 kmWhinlatter Top · 8 kmGavel Fell · 12 kmBanna Fell · 12 kmLining Crag · 8 kmScafell · 12 kmNethermost Pike · 11 kmCatstye Cam · 11 kmFairfield · 14 kmWhite Side · 10 kmWatson's Dodd · 10 kmGlaramara · 8 kmHobcarton Crag · 6 kmJenkin Hill · 10 kmHarrison Stickle · 12 kmCodale Head · 10 kmPike of Blisco · 14 kmUllock Pike · 11 kmColdbarrow Fell · 7 kmCalfhow Pike · 10 kmBroom Fell · 10 kmCausey Pike · 3 kmHigh Seat · 5 kmIll Crag · 4 kmThrelkeld Knotts · 10 kmSeat How · 8 kmBarf · 9 kmBinsey · 17 kmWalla Crag · 5 kmSt. John's Hill · 20 kmGrange Fell · 64 km · clear daysTinto · 120 km · a rare clear daySlieve Croob · 183 km · a handful of days a yearGreen Lowther · 100 km · a rare clear dayWhite Coomb · 97 km · a rare clear dayCairn Table · 118 km · a rare clear dayDun Rig · 113 km · a rare clear day
What you can see from Maiden Moor, by direction
  • North: Skiddaw Lesser Man (10 km), Skiddaw Little Man (10 km), Skiddaw South Top (11 km), Skiddaw Middle Top (11 km), Skiddaw (11 km)
  • North-east: Knowe Crags (12 km), Gategill Fell Top (12 km), Blencathra (13 km), Atkinson Pike (13 km)
  • East: Watson's Dodd (10 km), White Side (10 km), Helvellyn Lower Man (10 km), Raise (11 km), Stybarrow Dodd (11 km), Great Dodd (11 km), Helvellyn (11 km), Nethermost Pike (11 km), Catstye Cam (11 km)
  • South-east: High Raise (10 km), High Crag (12 km), Dollywaggon Pike (12 km), Cofa Pike (14 km), Fairfield (14 km), Great Rigg (14 km)
  • South: Green Gable (8 km), Glaramara (8 km), Great Gable (8 km), Scafell Pike (11 km), Bowfell (12 km), Scafell (12 km), Wetherlam (18 km)
  • South-west: High Stile (8 km)
  • West: Wandope (5 km), Grasmoor (7 km)
  • North-west: Sail (4 km), Crag Hill (5 km), Eel Crag (5 km), Grisedale Pike (6 km), Sand Hill (6 km), Hopegill Head (6 km)

On the clearest days the far horizon adds: Tinto (120 km, Scotland), Slieve Croob (183 km, Ireland), Green Lowther (100 km, Scotland), White Coomb (97 km, Scotland), Queensberry (85 km, Scotland), Ettrick Pen (90 km, Scotland), Culter Fell (112 km, Scotland), Cairn Table (118 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.

What you can see from Maiden Moor

On a clear day — computed sightlines, curvature- and refraction-corrected.
58Wainwrights in view+17 marginal
48 kmFurthest sightlineCross Fell
1Sea in viewSolway Firth
Far horizons
  • Cross Fell North PenninesENE · 48 km distant
  • Solway Firth bay/estuaryNNW · 46 km in view
All 58 Wainwrights in clear view (nearest first)

Cat Bells (Catbells), Hindscarth, Dale Head, Causey Pike, Ard Crags, Grange Fell (Brund Fell), Robinson, Scar Crags, Barrow, Knott Rigg, Sail, Great Crag (Stonethwaite), Crag Hill (Eel Crag), High Seat, Wandope, Bleaberry Fell, Walla Crag, Whiteless Pike, Grisedale Pike, Rosthwaite Fell - Bessyboot, Hopegill Head, Grasmoor, Eagle Crag, Green Gable, Sergeant's Crag, Latrigg, High Rigg (Naddle Fell), Great Gable, Mellbreak (Mellbreak South Top), Barf, Lord's Seat, Dodd (Skiddaw), Broom Fell, Watson's Dodd, Skiddaw Little Man, Carl Side, White Side, Lonscale Fell, Long Side, Hen Comb, Raise, Clough Head, Ullock Pike, Stybarrow Dodd, Great Dodd, Helvellyn, Skiddaw, Scafell Pike, Nethermost Pike, Catstye Cam, Great Borne, Gavel Fell, Scafell, Dollywaggon Pike, Blencathra - Hallsfell Top, Mungrisdale Common, Binsey, Carrock Fell

How Maiden Moor’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 Maiden Moor

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

Little Town, Newlands (paid, small) — 1.3 km from summit (straight line)
Newlands valley — Catbells, Maiden Moor, Hindscarth, Robinson.
Directions
Hawse End / Skelgill Bank, Catbells (roadside, limited) — 3.5 km from summit (straight line)
Very limited roadside parking — better to use the 77 bus or the Keswick launch to Hawse End.
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.

Water & shelter on the way up

On the Catbells, Maiden Moor & High Spy route:

🚌 Hawes (Cattlegrid) (36 m)⛺ YHA Hawse End Cottage (364 m)

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

Buses to Maiden Moor from Penrith / Ambleside / Windermere

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.

My hikes over Maiden Moor (Strava)

1 logged hike pass over this summit:

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

Hazard & Incident Information for Maiden Moor

Hazard: Moderate

A broad grassy moor on the popular Catbells–High Spy ridge above Newlands, with no clearly defined summit — a gently sloping plateau that ends abruptly above the steep crags overlooking the Newlands Valley, chief among them Bull Crag. The ridge walking is easy, so the hazards are the craggy western edge and navigating a featureless top in cloud. Old mine workings lie in the combe below. Keswick Mountain Rescue Team covers this ground.

  • The craggy western edge (Bull Crag): The plateau ends dramatically above steep crags falling to Newlands — Bull Crag and the slopes above Yewthwaite Combe are too steep for walkers. Keep to the ridge and well back from the western edge, especially in cloud or wind where the gentle grass gives no warning.
  • Featureless plateau, no clear summit (navigation): There's no obvious top and few features, so in mist it's easy to drift — toward the western crags or off the ridge. Keep to the crest and take a compass bearing between Catbells, Maiden Moor and High Spy.
  • Old mine workings below (Yewthwaite): Disused mine workings lie in Yewthwaite Combe beneath the fell. If you leave the ridge on that side, keep clear of openings and spoil.
Who should attempt this fell: Maiden Moor is gentle, popular ridge walking, but its western side drops in serious crags above Newlands — keep to the crest and back from the edge, and navigate the featureless top by compass in cloud so you don't drift toward the drops. Keep clear of the old mine workings below, and take care near the western edge in winter.

Most common causes: Walkers drifting toward the steep western crags (Bull Crag) in poor visibility · Navigation errors on the featureless plateau with no defined summit · Mishaps around the old Yewthwaite mine workings · Winter ice on the western edge

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

Navigating Maiden Moor in cloud

Care needed

Walkable ground sits close to a lethal drop — in cloud it’s easy to walk straight onto steep ground. 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 Maiden Moor 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 Maiden Moor

Maps & guidebooks for Maiden Moor

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