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9.89 km · ~546 m ascent · ~2.5–4 h · loop · 1 summit

Home / Routes / Ambleside to the Old Post Office Tea Room, Troutbeck (over Wansfell)
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Ambleside to the Old Post Office Tea Room, Troutbeck (over Wansfell)

9.89 km
Distance
~2.5–4 h
Typical time
~546 m
Ascent
1
Summit
Download GPX →Maps & guidebooks

Key facts

Distance 9.89 km
Ascent ~546 m
Descent ~546 m
Time ~2.5–4 h
Best season Year-round, best in clear weather for the Windermere view. Wansfell’s shoulder is open and can be windy; paths get muddy.
Type Loop
A proper half-day loop with a reward built in: climb out of Ambleside over Wansfell Pike for a huge view down Windermere, drop into pretty Troutbeck for tea and cake at the Old Post Office Tea Room, then circle back. Around 550 m of up and down — and dog-friendly throughout.

✎️ A hill day rather than a stroll (546 m ascent) — it tops Wansfell Pike — with a tea-room halfway; grand with a dog.

✎️ 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.

🧭 The automated detail on this page — distance, climb, pacing and a first-pass difficulty read — is live. Hand-written field notes are being added.

Difficulty profile

LengthModerate9.89 km round.
SteepnessSevereSteepest sustained pull about 38% around the 7.8 km mark.
TerrainModerateFell path plus village lanes; muddy in places.
NavigationModerateWell-trodden but open on Wansfell’s shoulder — care in mist.
ExposureEasyLow-level throughout; no real exposure.

Five independent axes, not one score — all field-checked on the ground here, with nothing left as a desk estimate.

Access & barriers

Can a dog, a buggy or dodgy knees manage this route? A quick read from the gates and stiles mapped along the way.

Dog
Gates only
Buggy
Not buggy-able
Knees
Gentle descent
  • Dog: Gates and kissing gates only — a dog can do the whole route.
  • Buggy: Not a pushchair route.
  • Knees: No sustained steep descent — kind on the knees.

On the line: 18 gates · 6 kissing gates

These are mapped barriers, from OpenStreetMap — coverage in the Lakes is good but not guaranteed complete. Spotted a stile or gate we’ve missed? Tell us and we’ll fix it. Barrier data as of 2026-07-09. Access data © OpenStreetMap contributors (via Overpass).

☀️ Daylight & turnaround

Daylight is short from October to February — check today’s sunrise and sunset before you set off, and carry a head-torch and spare batteries. On short days, decide your turn-back time before you start.

Why this matters: 78% of Mountain Rescue call-outs come after midday — the day runs out on the way home, not on the way up. See also walking in bad weather and today’s conditions.

OpenTopoMap
Elevation profile
Elevation profile Rises from about 57 m to 474 m over 9.9 km, with the summits marked in order. 474 m 57 m 0 km 9.9 km 1

1 Wansfell Pike

~546 m
Total ascent
474 m
High point
58 m
Start height

Free mapping: OpenTopoMap / OpenStreetMap (switch layers top-right).

This walk covers about 9.89 km with around 546 m of ascent, taking in 1 summit. The map above shows the line; the elevation profile and stage notes are below.

Pacing

SummitCumulativeAscentTime (fast–steady)
Wansfell Pike7.3 km527 m2:20–3:07
Finish9.9 km546 m2:53–3:50

Naismith-based estimate — a fast/steady range. Your pace will vary.

The walk, stage by stage

Start → Wansfell Pike (7.3 km, 527 m)

Climb of about 527 m over 7.3 km (around 7% average).

Wansfell Pike → Finish (2.6 km, 18 m)

Descent of about 419 m over 2.6 km.

Stage-by-stage field notes coming soon.

Summits bagged (1)

🅿️ Getting there & parking

Ambleside (various paid) — 0.6 km from the start (straight line)
Town car parks — Fairfield Horseshoe, Wansfell, Loughrigg from the door.
Directions
Pelter Bridge, Rydal (paid) — 2.4 km from the start (straight line)
For Loughrigg and the Rydal side of the Fairfield Horseshoe.
Directions

Positions are approximate. Lakeland car parks fill before 9am on fine weekends.

💧 Water, shelter & getting away

🚌 Hayes Garden Centre (18 m)🚌 Loughrigg Avenue (180 m)🚌 Riverside Lodge (378 m)⛺ Ambleside Backpackers (153 m)

On-route facilities © OpenStreetMap contributors — an absent marker does not mean the facility isn’t there.

🚌 Buses

Stagecoach 555
Kendal – Staveley – Windermere – Ambleside – Rydal – Grasmere – Thirlmere (Wythburn & Swirls) – Keswick
Catch it from: Windermere · Ambleside
Year-round, roughly hourly. The backbone bus of the A591 — ideal for Helvellyn (Wythburn/Swirls), Fairfield, the Central fells and anything around Grasmere/Rydal. From Penrith, take the X4/X5 to Keswick and change.
Stagecoach 505 “Coniston Rambler”
Windermere – Ambleside – Skelwith Bridge – Hawkshead – Coniston
Catch it from: Windermere · Ambleside
Daily in season (reduced winter service). Best access for the Coniston fells (Old Man, Wetherlam group).
Stagecoach 516 “Langdale Rambler”
Ambleside – Skelwith Bridge – Elterwater – New Dungeon Ghyll – Old Dungeon Ghyll
Catch it from: Ambleside · Windermere (change at Ambleside)
The Langdale bus — Pikes, Bowfell, Crinkle Crags, Pike o' Blisco all walkable from the Dungeon Ghyll stops. Seasonal frequency varies; check before relying on the last bus back.

Rural routes change seasonally — confirm on stagecoachbus.com or Traveline before travelling.

⚠️ Safety & conditions

  • The climb over Wansfell is open and exposed to wind on top.
  • A sustained descent into Troutbeck — jarring on tired knees.
  • Lanes and a road crossing in Troutbeck; livestock on the fell.
  • Check the tea room’s opening before relying on it.

Check live conditions in the “From the fells” panel, on MWIS and the Met Office mountain forecast before you set off.

Make it easier or harder

Easier and harder options coming soon.

⬇️ Download

Download GPX

GPX track for your GPS or phone.

📚 Maps & guidebooks for Ambleside to the Old Post Office Tea Room, Troutbeck (over Wansfell)

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