Troutbeck
Ready for your day: the walks from Troutbeck, the tops above it, and the bus to the start.
Daylight on 27 October: sunrise 07:03, sunset 16:47
The tops Marginal on all 3 fells nearest Troutbeck: summit likely clagged in verdicts for 27 October
Choose from all 16 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 Troutbeck; 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 Corfoot Beck start about 10:14 in October · sunrise 07:41
From the terrain around the start (Copernicus GLO-30), mid-month · how we work it outThe bus
The 508 stops at Troutbeck, at Town End Path
Times on bustimes.org, which is better than ours for live boards · the bus mapA day from Troutbeck
On the fells
Verdicts for 27 October, lowest fell first:
- Sour Howes 483 m Marginal
- Baystones (Wansfell) 487 m Marginal
- Sallows 516 m Marginal
Mountain forecast
Met Office mountain forecast for the Lake District (opens in new tab)
The forecasters’ own words for the tops.Explore Troutbeck
The walks from Troutbeck 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
16 walks that start within 5 km of Troutbeck, as Walks from Troutbeck lists them, the ones you reach on foot first, then by bus, then by car; shortest first within each:
All 16 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.
Capple Howe & Sallows
8.68 km · ~490 m up · ~2½–3½ h
Moderate effort Hard: steepness and navigation
Measured from the GPX track: the steepest sustained climb, about 26%. Navigation: estimated from the map, not checked on the ground.
Starts at Corfoot Beck
- On foot from the village starts by the bus stop near Troutbeck Jesus Church
- By bus 508 at the start
- By car park at Church Bridge, Troutbeck (limited) (free)
Troutbeck Tongue from Troutbeck
10.52 km · ~519 m up · ~2¾–4 h
Moderate effort Hard: steepness
Measured from the GPX track: the steepest sustained descent, about 29%.
Starts at Town Head, Troutbeck
- On foot from the village starts by the bus stop at Town Head by spring
- By bus 508 at the start
- By car park at unnamed layby north-west of Sour Howes
Orrest Head
4.16 km · ~173 m up · ~1–1½ h
Easy effort Moderate: navigation
Navigation: estimated from the map, not checked on the ground.
Starts at Windermere village (by the railway station)
- By bus 508 at the start
- By car park at Windermere Station car park (Northern, paid)
Windermere Station to Brockhole and Back
9.12 km · ~153 m up · ~2–3 h
Moderate effort Moderate: distance
Measured from the GPX track: the distance.
Starts at Windermere station · Out and back
- By bus 508 at the start
- By car park at Windermere Station car park (Northern, paid)
Stock Ghyll Force
1.92 km · ~89 m up · ~½–¾ h
Easy effort Moderate: navigation
Navigation: estimated from the map, not checked on the ground.
Starts at Ambleside (Stock Ghyll Lane, behind the Salutation)
- By bus, not from Troutbeck 555, 810 m walk from Ambleside, at Hayes Garden Centre
- By car park at Ambleside, King Street (paid)
Ambleside over Miller Bridge
3.16 km · ~162 m up · ~¾–1¼ h
Easy effort Easy: distance, steepness and navigation
Measured from the GPX track: the distance; the steepest sustained climb, about 13%. Navigation: graded by Lee on the ground.
One-way: finishes at Pine Rigg
- By bus, not from Troutbeck 555, 350 m walk from Ambleside, at Hayes Garden Centre
- By car start at Ambleside, Low Fold (paid)
The Royal Oak Pub Walk (Ambleside)
5.94 km · ~68 m up · ~1¼–1¾ h
Easy effort Easy: distance, steepness, terrain, navigation and exposure
Measured from the GPX track: the distance; the steepest sustained climb, about 5%. Exposure and navigation: our judgement from the map and the route’s record; not walked yet. Terrain: estimated from the map, not checked on the ground.
Starts at Ambleside
- By bus, not from Troutbeck 555 at the start
- By car park at Ambleside, Rydal Road (paid)
Ambleside to Rydal, with Refreshments and Stepping Stones
6.21 km · ~78 m up · ~1¼–2 h
Easy effort Easy: distance, steepness, terrain and navigation
Measured from the GPX track: the distance; the steepest sustained descent, about 5%. Terrain and navigation: graded by Lee on the ground, on the stretches he walked.
Starts at Ambleside · Out and back
- By bus, not from Troutbeck 555 at the start
- By car park at Ambleside, Market Place (4 on-street bays)
Ambleside to Wray Castle
6.54 km · ~189 m up · ~1½–2¼ h
Easy effort Easy: distance, steepness and navigation
Measured from the GPX track: the distance; the steepest sustained climb, about 4%. Navigation: graded by Lee on the ground.
One-way: finishes at Wray Castle
- By bus, not from Troutbeck 555, 360 m walk from Ambleside, at Hayes Garden Centre
- By car start at Ambleside, Low Fold (paid)
Wray Castle & the Windermere west shore
9.58 km · ~114 m up · ~2–3 h
Moderate effort Moderate: distance
Measured from the GPX track: the distance.
Starts at Wray Castle National Trust Car Park
- By bus, not from Troutbeck 505, 1.6 km walk from Low Wray, at Wray Castle Road End
- By car park at Wray Castle (NT, paid)
Ambleside to the Old Post Office Tea Room, Troutbeck (over Wansfell)
9.89 km · ~547 m up · ~2¾–4 h
Moderate effort Severe: steepness
Measured from the GPX track: the steepest sustained descent, about 37%.
Starts at Ambleside
- By bus, not from Troutbeck 555 at the start
- By car park at Ambleside, Low Fold (paid)
Ambleside, Todd Crag, Rydal Cave
10.38 km · ~394 m up · ~2½–3¾ h
Moderate effort Hard: steepness
Measured from the GPX track: the steepest sustained descent, about 28%.
Starts at Ambleside
- By bus, not from Troutbeck 555 at the start
- By car park at Ambleside, Market Place (4 on-street bays)
Loughrigg Terrace & Rydal Water
10.71 km · ~288 m up · ~2½–3½ h
Moderate effort Moderate: distance and navigation
Measured from the GPX track: the distance. Navigation: estimated from the map, not checked on the ground.
Starts at Ambleside, Rydal Road car park
- By bus, not from Troutbeck 555, 1.6 km walk from Ambleside, at Scandale Bridge
- By car park at Ambleside, Rydal Road (paid)
Wansfell Pike and Baystones
11.92 km · ~560 m up · ~3¼–4½ h
Moderate effort Hard: steepness
Measured from the GPX track: the steepest sustained climb, about 31%.
Starts at Ambleside
- By bus, not from Troutbeck 555 at the start
- By car park at Ambleside, Low Fold (paid)
Long Hike to Fairfield from Ambleside
22.39 km · ~1425 m up · ~6¾–9¼ h
Severe effort Severe: distance
Measured from the GPX track: the distance.
Starts at Ambleside
- By bus, not from Troutbeck 555, 340 m walk from Ambleside, at Hayes Garden Centre
- By car park at Ambleside, Lake Road (paid)
Sour Howes, Sallows, Yoke, Ill Bell, Froswick and Troutbeck Tongue in the sun!
27.56 km · ~1424 m up · ~7¾–10½ h
Severe effort Severe: distance
Measured from the GPX track: the distance.
- By bus, not from Troutbeck 555 at the start
- By car park at Ambleside, Low Fold (paid)
The fells on the map
Verdicts for 27 October, lowest fell first:
- School Knott 232 m Not scored
- Orrest Head 238 m Not scored
- Latterbarrow 244 m Not scored
- Claife Heights 270 m Not scored
- Troutbeck Tongue 364 m Marginal
- Sour Howes 483 m Marginal
- Baystones (Wansfell) 487 m Marginal
- Sallows 516 m Marginal
Buses and stops
The buses that call in Troutbeck:
Their stops on this map:
- Baddeley Clock, Goodley Dale: the 508 · stop pages: one side of the road, the other side
- Bank Road, Bowness on Windermere: the 508 · stop page
- Barclays Bank, Windermere: the 508 · stop page
- Beech Street, Windermere: the 508 · stop page
- Beresford Road, Bowness on Windermere: the 508 · stop page
- Bowness Pier: the 508 · stop page
- Brook Court, Goodley Dale: the 508 · stop page
- Brook Road, Goodley Dale: the 508 · stop page
- Brotherswater Inn, Hartsop: the 508 · stop pages: one side of the road, the other side
- Browhead Campus Windermere School, Troutbeck: the 508 · stop pages: one side of the road, the other side
- Bus Rail Interchange, Windermere: the 508 · stop page
- car park, Bowness on Windermere: the 508 · stop page
- Fold Head, Bowness on Windermere: the 508 · stop page
- Hartsop Hall camp site: the 508 · stop page
- Hartsop Hall Campsite: the 508 · stop page
- Jesus Church, Troutbeck: the 508 · stop page
- Library, Windermere: the 508 · stop pages: one side of the road, the other side
- Limefitt Park Camp Site, Troutbeck: the 508 · stop page
- Limefitt Park, Troutbeck: the 508 · stop page
- Nursery School, Troutbeck: the 508 · stop page
- Oakleigh Guest House, Goodley Dale: the 508 · stop page
- Pass Inn, Kirkstone: the 508 · stop pages: one side of the road, the other side
- Queens Head Hotel, Troutbeck: the 508 · stop page
- Rayrigg Meadow, Bowness on Windermere: the 508 · stop pages: one side of the road, the other side
- Rayrigg Road, Bowness on Windermere: the 508 · stop page
- Royalty Cinema, Bowness on Windermere: the 508 · stop pages: one side of the road, the other side
- St Martins Church, Bowness on Windermere: the 508 · stop pages: one side of the road, the other side
- Thwaite Lane, Windermere: the 508 · stop pages: one side of the road, the other side
- Town End Path, Troutbeck: the 508 · stop pages: one side of the road, the other side
- Town Head by spring, Troutbeck: the 508 · stop page
- turn for village, Ings: the 508 · stop pages: one side of the road, the other side
- Windermere Health Centre, Goodley Dale: the 508 · stop page
- Windermere Jetty Museum, Bowness on Windermere: the 508 · stop pages: one side of the road, the other side
- Windy Corner, Hartsop: the 508 · stop pages: one side of the road, the other side
Where the buses stop, not when: the stop and route pages have the timetables.
Car parks and toilets
- Church Bridge, Troutbeck (limited) (free) · in Parking near Troutbeck
- Troutbeck Bridge car park · in Parking near Troutbeck
- Troutbeck Tongue car park (free) · in Parking near Troutbeck
- Troutbeck, south-west (layby) (free) · in Parking near Troutbeck
- Orrest Head, north-west (layby) (free) · in Parking near Troutbeck
- Sour Howes, west (layby) (free) · in Parking near Troutbeck
Toilets near those car parks:
- Public toilets (free), about 641 m from Church Bridge, Troutbeck (limited) in a straight line
- Public toilets (free), about 1879 m from Church Bridge, Troutbeck (limited) in a straight line
Troutbeck at a glance
Troutbeck is the long village strung along the hillside above the Trout Beck, between Windermere and the climb to Kirkstone Pass. It is a village of farms and old houses rather than a centre: Townend at the south end, the church down by the bridge, the Mortal Man and the Queen's Head along the road, and the valley of the beck running north into the fells under Troutbeck Tongue.
There is another Troutbeck, on the A66 near Penrith; this page is the one above Windermere.
Quick facts
| Where | On the minor road from Windermere to the Kirkstone Pass, three miles north of Windermere; the A592 runs up the far side of the valley |
|---|---|
| Getting there | The 508 (Windermere – Kirkstone – Patterdale – Penrith) stops at Town End; no railway: Windermere is the station, three miles away |
| Parking | The lay-by at the south end of the village, Church Bridge on the A592 (limited), and the Kirkstone road lay-bys higher up |
| The walking | Wansfell Pike and Baystones above the village; Troutbeck Tongue up the valley; Sallows and Sour Howes to the east; the Kentmere round from the head of the valley |
| Weather | The village is sheltered; the tops above it are not, and Kirkstone at the head of the road closes in snow |
Getting there and parking
Without a car: The nearest stations as the crow flies are Windermere (3 km away) and Staveley (7 km away); the 508 stops at Town End Path, 0.6 km from here in a straight line (times on bustimes.org). The bus map has every stop we hold.
The 508 between Windermere and Penrith runs through the village on its way over Kirkstone, and the last bus each way is on the fell pages that use the stop, checked against the operator. Windermere station is three miles south. There is no village car park, only lay-bys, and the church-bridge spaces on the A592 are few.
Parking, toilets and buses: Parking near Troutbeck
Parking near Troutbeck
Toilets, food and shops near these car parks
Toilets: Public toilets (opens in new tab) (about 641 m from Church Bridge, Troutbeck (limited), straight line, free); Public toilets (opens in new tab) (about 1879 m from Church Bridge, Troutbeck (limited), straight line, free)
All the car parks around Troutbeck on the parking map →
Straight-line distances from the centre of Troutbeck. 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?
- Brockhole on Windermere (LDNPA, paid) — run by Lake District National Park Authority, which does not permit overnight parking. “The only legal places to park are on formal camp sites.” (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
What to see
- Townend, the National Trust's seventeenth-century farmhouse at the south end of the village, with its carved oak and its books.
- The village itself, a mile of slate and whitewash along one road, with the wells and the bank barns that made it a conservation area.
- Troutbeck Tongue, the small fell in the middle of the valley, and the view up the valley from the road end.
- Jesus Church down at Church Bridge, with its Burne-Jones and Morris window.
Pubs and food
The Mortal Man and the Queen's Head are the two village inns, both on the road through the village, both with rooms; the Old Post Office tea room is the walkers' stop. Windermere has everything else.
The walks
The routes we have mapped and every fell within reach of the village are ranked nearest first, with live conditions, on this page's walks list once it is published. The ones that start nearby:
- Wansfell Pike and Baystones Walked June 2023 — the fell between the village and Ambleside, with the Windermere view.
- Capple Howe and Sallows Walked in part — the quiet fells east of the village.
- Ambleside to the Old Post Office Tea Room over Wansfell Planned — the walk that ends here.
- Orrest Head Planned — Wainwright's first view, from Windermere.
The walks from Troutbeck are in Explore Troutbeck above, on one map and in a list you can filter by how you reach the start.
Places nearby: Windermere · Stock Ghyll Force · Ambleside · Bowness-on-Windermere
Frequently asked questions about Troutbeck
Which Troutbeck is this?
Where do I park in Troutbeck?
Can I get to Troutbeck by bus?
What is Townend?
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 Troutbeck — traditional Lakeland sports, agricultural shows and seasonal events, month by month.