Seatoller
Ready for your day: the walks from Seatoller, the tops above it, and the bus to the start.
Daylight on 27 October: sunrise 07:04, sunset 16:48
The tops Decent on Castle Crag and Great Crag (Stonethwaite), the best of the 6 fells nearest Seatoller verdicts for 27 October
Choose from all 15 walksExplore the map
A walk can have more than one way to its start. Verdicts: the site’s scorer reading the weather on each top, not whether a walk suits you. Daylight: worked out for the centre of Seatoller; a latest start assumes a steady pace and an hour in hand before dusk, a computed time, not a guarantee. How we check →
First light
The sun reaches the Seatoller, south-east field car park start about 10:53 in October · sunrise 07:42
From the terrain around the start (Copernicus GLO-30), mid-month · how we work it outThe last bus
From Seatoller, at National Trust car park:
Towards Keswick (78): Tuesday to Sunday 20:00.
As timetabled from 27 October to 1 November · checked against the operator’s timetable, 12 September · the bus mapA day from Seatoller
On the fells
Verdicts for 27 October, lowest fell first:
- Castle Crag 290 m Decent
- Great Crag (Stonethwaite) 449 m Decent
- Rosthwaite Fell - Bessyboot 551 m Save it
- High Spy 653 m Save it
- Grey Knotts 697 m Save it
- Dale Head 754 m Save it
Mountain forecast
Met Office mountain forecast for the Lake District (opens in new tab)
The forecasters’ own words for the tops.Explore Seatoller
The walks from Seatoller on one map, with the fells above them, the buses that reach their starts, and where to park. Choose a walk to see how you reach its start; everything on the map is in the lists below it.
An overview, not a navigation map: carry a map and compass on the fell. Lines are simplified from our GPX; distances to a stop or landing are on foot, the others in a straight line. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, SRTM; map style © OpenTopoMap (CC-BY-SA).
The walks on the map
15 walks that start within 5 km of Seatoller, as Walks from Seatoller lists them, the ones you reach on foot first, then by bus, then by car; shortest first within each:
All 15 walks
Each filter reads the walk’s own card: how you reach the start is its lines below; effort is its band, the size of the day from the distance and the climb; length is its distance in the route pages’ length grades. One answer to each question; the map shows the same walks.
Glaramara, Allen Crags via Stockley Bridge
9.74 km · ~826 m up · ~3¼–4½ h
Moderate effort Severe: steepness
Measured from the GPX track: the steepest sustained climb, about 50%.
Starts at Seathwaite Farm · One-way: finishes 0.8 km from the start in a straight line
- On foot from the village 2.1 km to the start, from the bus stop at National Trust car park
- By bus 78, 2.1 km walk from Seatoller, at National Trust car park
- By car start at Seathwaite Farm, Borrowdale (free verge)
Allen Crags & Glaramara
10.94 km · ~853 m up · ~3½–5 h
Moderate effort Severe: steepness
Measured from the GPX track: the steepest sustained descent, about 49%.
Starts at Seathwaite Farm
- On foot from the village 2.2 km to the start, from the bus stop at National Trust car park
- By bus 78, 2.2 km walk from Seatoller, at National Trust car park
- By car park at Seathwaite Farm, Borrowdale (free verge)
Scafell Pike via the Corridor Route
15.84 km · ~949 m up · ~4¾–6½ h
Hard effort Severe: exposure
Exposure: our judgement from the map and the route’s record; not walked yet.
Starts at Seathwaite (Borrowdale)
- On foot from the village 2.2 km to the start, from the bus stop at National Trust car park
- By bus 78, 2.2 km walk from Seatoller, at National Trust car park
- By car park at Seathwaite Farm, Borrowdale (farm field, paid)
Seathwaite, Green Gable, Base Brown
15.85 km · ~960 m up · ~4¾–6½ h
Hard effort Severe: steepness
Measured from the GPX track: the steepest sustained climb, about 42%.
Starts at Seatoller, south-east field car park
- On foot from the village 820 m to the start, from the bus stop at National Trust car park
- By bus 78, 820 m walk from Seatoller, at National Trust car park
- By car park at Seatoller, south-east field car park (paid)
The Bowder Stone
1.16 km there and back · ~16 m up · ~¼–½ h
Easy effort Moderate: navigation
Navigation: estimated from the map, not checked on the ground.
Starts at Bowder Stone car park, Borrowdale · Out and back
- By bus 78 at the start
- By car park at Quay Foot Quarry, Borrowdale (NT, paid)
Castle Crag from Rosthwaite
6.02 km · ~254 m up · ~1½–2¼ h
Easy effort Moderate: steepness and navigation
Measured from the GPX track: the steepest sustained descent, about 21%. Navigation: our judgement from the map and the route’s record; that stretch not walked.
Starts at Rosthwaite
- By bus 78 at the start
- By car park at Rosthwaite (NT, paid)
Black Star Brandreth and others
9.29 km · ~629 m up · ~2¾–4 h
Moderate effort Hard: steepness and navigation
Measured from the GPX track: the steepest sustained descent, about 33%. Navigation: estimated from the map, not checked on the ground.
Starts at Honister Slate Mine
- By bus 77 at the start
- By car park at Honister Pass (paid, slate mine)
Great Gable from Honister Slate Mine
9.61 km · ~721 m up · ~3–4¼ h
Moderate effort Severe: steepness and navigation
Measured from the GPX track: the steepest sustained climb, about 45%. Navigation: our judgement from the map and the route’s record; not walked yet.
Starts at Honister Slate Mine
- By bus 77 at the start
- By car park at Honister (NT, paid)
The Difficult Route up Eagle Crag
10.71 km · ~611 m up · ~3–4¼ h
Moderate effort Severe: steepness
Measured from the GPX track: the steepest sustained climb, about 46%.
Starts at Stonethwaite
- By bus 78, 710 m walk from Rosthwaite, opposite Longthwaite road end
- By car park at Stonethwaite village (roadside, free)
Haystacks
11.21 km · ~792 m up · ~3½–4¾ h
Moderate effort Hard: steepness and navigation
Measured from the GPX track: the steepest sustained descent, about 31%. Navigation: estimated from the map, not checked on the ground.
- By bus 77 at the start
- By car park at Honister Pass (paid, slate mine)
The Borrowdale Fells (Rosthwaite Fell round)
13.23 km · ~850 m up · ~4–5½ h
Hard effort Severe: steepness
Measured from the GPX track: the steepest sustained climb, about 45%.
Starts at Rosthwaite
- By bus 78 at the start
- By car park at Rosthwaite (NT, paid)
Castle Crag, Brund Fell & Great Crag
14.11 km · ~838 m up · ~4–5¾ h
Hard effort Hard: distance and steepness
Measured from the GPX track: the distance; the steepest sustained climb, about 31%.
Starts at Rosthwaite
- By bus 78 at the start
- By car park at Rosthwaite (NT, paid)
Ullscarf, Eagle Crag & Sergeant's Crag
14.83 km · ~756 m up · ~4–5¾ h
Hard effort Severe: steepness
Measured from the GPX track: the steepest sustained climb, about 45%.
Starts at Stonethwaite
- By bus 78, 430 m walk from Rosthwaite, opposite Longthwaite road end
- By car park at Stonethwaite lane (layby) (free)
Dale Head Hindscarth and Robinson
17.46 km · ~808 m up · ~4¾–6½ h
Hard effort Hard: distance and steepness
Measured from the GPX track: the distance; the steepest sustained descent, about 27%.
One-way: finishes at Keswick
- By bus 77 at the start
- By car start at Honister (NT, paid)
Honister to Keswick: over the Newlands fells
19.62 km · ~1057 m up · ~5½–7¾ h
Hard effort Severe: steepness
Measured from the GPX track: the steepest sustained descent, about 38%.
Starts at Honister Slate Mine · One-way: finishes at Keswick
- By bus 77 at the start
- By car start at Honister Pass (paid, slate mine)
The fells on the map
Verdicts for 27 October, lowest fell first:
- Castle Crag 290 m Decent
- Grange Fell (Brund Fell) 417 m Save it
- Great Crag (Stonethwaite) 449 m Decent
- Eagle Crag 523 m Save it
- Rosthwaite Fell - Bessyboot 551 m Save it
- Sergeant's Crag 571 m Save it
- Maiden Moor 575 m Save it
- Seathwaite Fell (Wainwright summit) 601 m Save it
- Base Brown 646 m Save it
- Fleetwith Pike 649 m Save it
- High Spy 653 m Save it
- Grey Knotts 697 m Save it
- Brandreth 715 m Save it
- Ullscarf 723 m Save it
- Hindscarth 727 m Save it
- Dale Head 754 m Save it
- Glaramara 783 m Save it
- Green Gable 800 m Save it
- Great Gable 899 m Save it
Buses and stops
The buses that call in Seatoller:
- The 77: seasonal, Saturdays and Sundays from 5 September 2026 to 1 November 2026; and on 15 listed dates, 7 September 2026 to 25 September 2026
- The 78
Their stops on this map:
- Bowder Stone, Grange: the 77 and 78 · stop pages: the 78 stop, the 77 and 78 stop
- Brandelhow Park: the 77 · stop page
- Bridge, Grange: the 77 and 78 · stop pages: the 77 and 78 stop, the 78 stop
- Bus Station (K), Keswick: the 77 and 78 · stop page
- Calfclose Bay, Ashness: the 78 · stop pages: one side of the road, the other side
- Cattle Grid, Hawes End: the 77 · stop page
- Cocklety How, Manesty: the 77 · stop page
- Croft Terrace, Braithwaite: the 77 · stop page
- Dalegarth Guest House, Hassness: the 77 · stop page
- Daleview Hotel, Keswick: the 78 · stop page
- Derwent Bridge, Low Portinscale: the 77 · stop pages: one side of the road, the other side
- Derwentwater Youth Hostel, Ashness: the 78 · stop pages: one side of the road, the other side
- General Store, Rosthwaite: the 77 and 78 · stop pages: the 78 stop, the 77 and 78 stop
- Green Road, Swinside: the 77 · stop page
- High Hill Garage: the 77 · stop pages: one side of the road, the other side
- Hillside, Low Portinscale: the 77 · stop page
- Hotel, Borrowdale: the 78 · stop pages: one side of the road, the other side
- Howe Lane end, Rosthwaite: the 77 and 78 · stop pages: the 77 and 78 stop, the 78 stop
- Lodore Hotel, Borrowdale: the 78 · stop pages: one side of the road, the other side
- Longthwaite road end, Rosthwaite: the 77 and 78 · stop page
- Mountain Rescue Point, Gatesgarth: the 77 · stop page
- National Trust car park, Seatoller: the 77 and 78 · stop pages: the 77 and 78 stop, the 78 stop
- Nichol End: the 77 · stop page
- Portinscale House: the 77 · stop page
- Stonethwaite road end, Rosthwaite: the 78 · stop page
- The Daleview Hotel, Keswick: the 78 · stop page
- Village Caf, Grange: the 77 · stop page
- Visitors Centre, Whinlatter: the 77 · stop page
- Youth Hostel, Honister: the 77 · stop page
Where the buses stop, not when: the stop and route pages have the timetables.
Car parks and toilets
- Seatoller (NT, paid) (pay and display, National Trust) · in Parking near Seatoller
- Seatoller, south-east field car park (paid) · in Parking near Seatoller
- Stonethwaite lane, south-west (layby) (free) · in Parking near Seatoller
- Thornythwaite Fell, north-west (layby) (free) · in Parking near Seatoller
- Grey Knotts car park · in Parking near Seatoller
- Stonethwaite lane (layby) (free) · in Parking near Seatoller
Toilets near those car parks:
- Rosthwaite Village (free, accessible), about 1637 m from Seatoller (NT, paid) in a straight line
- Public toilets (free), about 1904 m from Seatoller (NT, paid) in a straight line
Seatoller at a glance
Seatoller is a tiny National Trust hamlet at the very head of Borrowdale, about eight miles south of Keswick, tucked at the foot of Honister Pass where the B5289 begins its steep climb to the slate mine and Buttermere beyond. It's barely more than a cluster of whitewashed cottages, one pub, a guesthouse and a big walkers' car park — but its position is everything: this is the gateway to the biggest fells in the area, with Great Gable, Glaramara, the Honister tops and (up the side road to Seathwaite) Scafell Pike all within reach.
For walkers it's hard to better. The fells start from the door or a short stroll up the valley, the historic Yew Tree pub waits at the end of the day, and the drama of Honister and the Borrowdale "rainforest" oakwoods is all around. It's small and famously wet, with no shop, so come prepared and use Keswick for supplies.
Quick facts
| Where | Head of Borrowdale, Cumbria — ~8 miles south of Keswick, at the foot of Honister Pass (B5289); civil parish of Borrowdale |
|---|---|
| Famous for | The walkers' gateway to Great Gable, Glaramara & Scafell Pike, and the historic Yew Tree pub (1628) |
| Getting there | The B5289 up Borrowdale; no railway; the 78 Borrowdale bus (Seatoller is near its end) + seasonal 77/77A Honister Rambler |
| Parking | The National Trust pay-&-display car park — the main Borrowdale walkers' car park (NT members free); busy on fine days, daytime only |
| Wettest? | Neighbouring Seathwaite (a mile up the valley) is England's wettest inhabited place (~3,500 mm/yr) — not Seatoller itself, though Borrowdale is among the wettest anywhere |
| Dogs / weather | Dog-friendly walking country; check the live fell conditions before the high fells |
Editor's note (Lee). I've climbed the Gable and Glaramara fells from Seatoller more than once — first-hand notes and my own photos (Honister, the Gable group, the hamlet) to follow.
Why visit Seatoller?
Seatoller is a base camp, plain and simple — the closest you can stay or park to some of Lakeland's big high fells. Great Gable, Glaramara, Base Brown and, via Seathwaite and Styhead, Scafell Pike by the Corridor Route are all on the doorstep, and Honister with its slate mine and the route over to Buttermere is minutes up the pass. Add the historic Yew Tree pub, the ancient Atlantic oakwoods of the Borrowdale "rainforest", and the sheer scenery at the head of the valley, and it earns its place even for a short visit.
What it isn't is a place with shops or much going on — that's the point. Plan around the small car park (it fills early) and the wet weather, and you've got a fine walkers' corner.
Things to do
- The Yew Tree — the one pub, and a destination in itself (see Food & drink); a fine end to a fell day.
- The fells — Seatoller is first and foremost a launchpad; the big walks below start from here or nearby Seathwaite.
- Honister Pass & Slate Mine — drive or walk up the dramatic pass to the working slate mine, with its mine tours and via ferrata, then on toward Buttermere.
- The Borrowdale rainforest — the valley's Atlantic oakwoods are a National Nature Reserve and a stretch of temperate rainforest — lovely, mossy, wet-weather walking.
- The stroll to Seathwaite — a flat mile up the side valley to the famous (wettest) hamlet and the start of the Scafell Pike paths.
Walks & fells from Seatoller
Few places pack in this much big walking:
- Great Gable, Green Gable and Base Brown — the Gable group, climbed from Seathwaite via Styhead or Sourmilk Gill.
- Glaramara — the classic knobbly ridge rising straight from the head of Borrowdale.
- Scafell Pike — England's highest, by the airy Corridor Route Planned from Seathwaite and Styhead Tarn.
- Seathwaite Fell — the modest Wainwright above the wettest hamlet, with a grandstand view of the Gables.
- Over Honister: Dale Head and the Newlands/Buttermere skyline from the top of the pass.
Check the live "Best Fells today" conditions before you set off — these are serious, high fells. Explore Seatoller, above, lists the fells on its map.
The walks from Seatoller are in Explore Seatoller above, on one map and in a list you can filter by how you reach the start.
Places nearby: Borrowdale · Rosthwaite · Stonethwaite · Honister Pass
Where to stay
In the hamlet itself, Seatoller House is a characterful 400-year-old guesthouse (a guest house for over a century), much loved by walkers and dog owners, with home cooking and its own parking. Nearby down the valley at Longthwaite is Borrowdale YHA (the hostel for this end of the valley — note it's not actually in Seatoller), and there are farms, cottages and campsites around Seathwaite and Borrowdale, many dog-friendly. Book ahead — there's very little of it.
Food & drink
The Yew Tree is the heart of the hamlet — one of Cumbria's oldest pubs, dating to 1628, reopened in recent years after a long closure and now thriving (it was named CAMRA Pub of the Season in summer 2025). Expect a cosy Lakeland bar, a beer garden and good food with a modern twist — and check opening days before a special trip, as it's a small operation. Beyond the Yew Tree there's no shop in Seatoller, so stock up in Keswick or self-cater.
Getting there & parking
Without a car: The nearest stations as the crow flies are Windermere (23 km away) and Drigg (23 km away); the 77 and 78 stop at National Trust car park, 0.0 km from here in a straight line. The 77 runs until 1 November 2026, the last day of its season. The bus map has every stop we hold.
Seatoller sits about eight miles south of Keswick on the B5289 up Borrowdale, at the foot of Honister Pass. There's no railway station. Come on the 78 Borrowdale bus from Keswick (Seatoller is near the top of the route), with the seasonal open-top 77/77A Honister Rambler looping over the pass.
Parking, toilets and buses: Parking near Seatoller
It's daytime only, so don't plan to park overnight.
Parking near Seatoller
Toilets, food and shops near these car parks
Toilets: Rosthwaite Village (opens in new tab) (about 1637 m from Seatoller (NT, paid), straight line, free, accessible); Public toilets (opens in new tab) (about 1904 m from Seatoller (NT, paid), straight line, free)
All the car parks around Seatoller on the parking map →
Straight-line distances from the centre of Seatoller. We publish whether a car park charges, and who runs it, but never the price — tariffs change and a stale one is worse than none, so check the sign or the operator’s own site on the day.
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.
Can you stay overnight?
- Seatoller (NT, paid) — run by National Trust, which does not permit overnight parking. “We don't allow overnight parking due to the impact on nature and wildlife, staff resource and visitors.” (checked 2026-08-05)
These are the land managers’ and the council’s own published rules, quoted. Where a car park is not listed here we have found no published rule for it, which is not the same as permission.
Getting there across the Lake District: Buses · Parking map · By train · By boat
Practical & nearby
It's excellent dog-walking country; facilities are minimal (no shop), so use Keswick. Easy outings from Seatoller take in Rosthwaite and Stonethwaite just down the valley, Grange-in-Borrowdale and the Bowder Stone, Honister Slate Mine and the pass over to Buttermere, and back down to Keswick and Derwentwater.
Frequently asked questions about Seatoller
What is Seatoller known for?
Is there parking in Seatoller?
Can you park overnight at Seatoller?
Are dogs allowed in Seatoller?
Is Seatoller good for hiking?
Can you walk to Glaramara from Seatoller?
What mountains are near Seatoller?
Is there a café or pub at Seatoller?
Where is Seatoller House?
Sources: Seatoller House (opens in new tab)
Is Seatoller the wettest place in England?
How do you get to Seatoller?
Sources: Stagecoach Cumbria & North Lancashire (opens in new tab)
Events across the Lake District
Planning a trip around a show or festival? See our Lake District events & festivals guide for what's on near Seatoller — traditional Lakeland sports, agricultural shows and seasonal events, month by month.