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2.35 km · ~175 m ascent · ~0.5–1 h · loop · 1 summit

Home / Routes / Binsey Walk

Written and walked by Lee McCoy · Last reviewed

Binsey - a large stone summit cairn on grass, low cloud spilling over a patchwork of green fields below
Moderate steepnessLoop

Binsey Walk

2.35 km
Distance
~0.5–1 h
Typical time
~175 m
Ascent
1
Summit

Photo: © Lee McCoy

Download GPX →Walked by Lee, July 2024

Key facts

Distance 2.35 km
Ascent ~175 m
Descent ~177 m
Time ~0.5–1 h
Type Loop
Start Binsey Lodge
The northern outlier, and the biggest view-per-minute in the Lake District. Binsey stands alone above the Solway plain with nothing between it and Scotland — forty minutes up a grassy path and you can see the whole Skiddaw massif on one side and the Galloway hills on the other. A first fell, an evening fell, a fell for a bad forecast everywhere else.

✎️ Quite possibly the second-simplest Wainwright there is. It took me 33 minutes car to summit and back. You park at the bottom, walk up, and walk straight back down — you cannot go wrong. If you want a Wainwright on a day with no time in it, or a first one for somebody who is not sure about hills, this is the walk.

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

Difficulty profile

LengthEasy2.35 km — a short outing.
SteepnessModerateSteepest sustained pull about 20% around the 0.5 km mark.
TerrainEasyA short grassy pull on a clear, good path. (Editorially assessed from the documented character of the route, not computed from gradient; not yet personally walked.)
NavigationEasyA single isolated hill with an obvious path and an ancient summit cairn. You cannot get lost. (Editorially assessed from the documented character of the route, not computed from gradient; not yet personally walked.)
ExposureEasyNo drops and no scrambling anywhere on the route. (Editorially assessed from the documented character of the route, not computed from gradient; not yet personally walked.)

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

Conditions on this route

We score every Lakeland Wainwright each morning on cloud, wind, rain and underfoot, and this route crosses 1 of them. The worst summit governs the verdict — a route is only as kind as its roughest top.

Modelled guidance — not a substitute for the mountain forecast or your own judgement. See how every fell ranks today →

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, shaded by steepness
Elevation profile Rises from about 268 m to 442 m over 2.4 km, with the summits marked in order. The area beneath is shaded by sustained steepness over a 250 m window, in the same four bands as the route’s steepness rating: Easy under 15%, Moderate 15 to 25%, Hard 25 to 35%, Severe above 35%. 442 m 268 m 0 km 2.4 km 1

1 Binsey

Easy 47%Moderate 53%HardSevere

~175 m
Total ascent
442 m
High point
269 m
Start height

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

This walk covers about 2.35 km with around 175 m of ascent, taking in 1 summit. The map above shows the line; the elevation profile and stage notes are below.

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
Steep in places
  • Dog: Gates and kissing gates only — a dog can do the whole route.
  • Buggy: Stiles or rough going on the route.
  • Knees: A sustained ~20% descent around the 1.7 km mark — a little jarring on tired knees.

On the line: 3 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 2026-07-14. Access data © OpenStreetMap contributors (via Overpass).

Pacing

SummitCumulativeAscentTime (fast–steady)
1Binsey1.2 km174 m0:31–0:42
Finish2.4 km175 m0:46–1:01

Naismith-based estimate — a fast/steady range. Your pace will vary. These use Naismith’s textbook constants (5 km/h, 600 m of ascent an hour). Measured against a pace fitted to 41 recorded Lakeland walks they run about 8% slow, and we have left them that way deliberately: a slow estimate strands nobody.

The walk, stage by stage

  1. 1

    Start → Binsey (1.2 km, 174 m)

    Climb of about 174 m over 1.2 km (around 14% average).

    Decision point

    There is nothing to decide. Park at the foot of the fell, go through the gate and follow the obvious track straight up. One path, one top, no junctions worth the name.

    Easy to get wrong

    Honestly, none. This is about as close to unloseable as a Wainwright gets — you can see the summit from the car and the way to it never leaves you in doubt.

    The large summit cairn on Binsey, with cloud pouring over the Skiddaw fells behind and farmland spread out below
    The heathery summit plateau of Binsey looking out over the Solway plain, with a rain shower drifting in from the right
    © Lee McCoy · 2 photographs

  2. Binsey → Finish (1.2 km, 1 m)

    Descent of about 175 m over 1.2 km.

    Decision point

    Straight back down the way you came. There is no circuit to get wrong.

    Easy to get wrong

    None. The only way to make this walk longer is to go looking for a different line down, and there is no reason to.

Summits bagged (1)

  1. 1Binsey447 mNorthern · Wainwright, Birkett, Fellranger, Synge, Marilyn

Getting there & parking

Roadside parking for Binsey (free) — 0.0 km from the start (straight line)
Approx 3 spaces. 1.1 km from Binsey. Added from the 5 Aug 2026 OSM candidate review.
Directions Something changed here?
Little Cockup car park — 2.0 km from the start (straight line)
1.8 km from Little Cockup.
Directions Something changed here?

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

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.

Every option near this start, on the parking map →

💧 No mapped drinking water or shelter on this route — that doesn’t mean there is none, and never drink untreated from a beck. (Facilities data © OpenStreetMap contributors.)

Buses

The X4 stops at Castle Inn (stop 6). From there it is 3.6 km and 197 m of ascent to this start — a walk in before the walk. Last bus: Monday to Friday 18:30 towards Keswick (X4); Saturday 18:30 towards Keswick (X4); Sunday no service on any of the 3 sunday(s) checked. Checked against the operator’s timetable, 7 September 2026. Times here are a guide, not a promise — leave yourself more than the minute.

Stagecoach X4 / X5
Penrith – Rheged – Threlkeld – Keswick – Braithwaite – Cockermouth – Workington
Catch it from: Penrith
Year-round, every 30 minutes Monday to Saturday between Penrith and Keswick and hourly on Sundays, from outside Penrith station. One ticket from any station on the West Coast Main Line to Keswick includes this bus: search for ‘Keswick Bus (KWK)’ when you book the train. From Penrith this is your way into Keswick and the Northern fells — Threlkeld/Scales stops serve Blencathra directly, Braithwaite serves the Coledale fells.

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

When the sun reaches the tops

Not sunrise — the moment the sun clears the skyline from that summit, which on a fell with high ground to its east can be a good deal later. The two equinoxes are shown because they fall in the walking season, and late December too wherever a top keeps you waiting then; the clock gap between the equinoxes is British Summer Time, not the hill. Rounded to the nearest quarter hour and meant as a general idea, not a schedule.

  • Binsey — in late March the sun reaches it around 06:30, with the sunrise. In late September, about 07:00. It waits longest in late December — about a quarter of an hour after sunrise.

Modelled from a 30 m elevation model against each summit’s own skyline — the same figures the fell pages carry, never observed. Cloud is not in it.

Safety & conditions

  • Binsey is exposed to the west with nothing to shelter it — it can be far windier on top than the short climb suggests.
  • This is a short walk on open, exposed moorland with no shelter. It is over quickly, but Binsey stands alone on the northern edge of the Lakes and catches the weather off the Solway — a hat and a jacket are worth having even for half an hour.

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.

Places to stay near this start

Puddleduck Cottages guest house

about 2.9 km from the start, in a straight line

The best-evidenced family stay in the radius, and the only one that puts cots and high chairs in writing at no charge. Two cottages (Jemima's sleeps up to 5, Rebecca's up to 2) beside a stream where children are expected to play, a shared laundry with tumble dryers for the wet-boots day, one dog under stated rules, and the village pub two minutes along the stream so nobody drives at 6pm. The only real gap is parking, which they never mention.

Worth knowing: “One dog is allowed provided all doggy rules are followed. All dog hairs should be removed before the cottage is vacated. Dogs are not allowed in bedrooms or on furniture and must not be left unattended in the cottage. Dogs MUST be on a lead in the communal courtyard”

Guests are invited to let the ducks out of their shed in the morning and collect the eggs; the cottages were previously called Loft Holiday Cottages, and sit at a working farmyard where the animals are now out in the fields and only the ducks and chickens remain.

  • Dogs “One dog is allowed provided all doggy rules are followed. All dog hairs should be removed before the cottage is vacated. Dogs are not allowed in bedrooms or on furniture and must not be left unattended in the cottage. Dogs MUST be on a lead in the communal courtyard”
  • Family rooms “Cots and high chairs are available free of charge but must be requested in advance of arrival.”
  • Children “Children often enjoy playing in the stream, the small open wood or on the swings by the cottages and on the village green - ideal for a game of football or cricket! We recommend children bring wellington boots.”

Bassenfell Manor Christian Centre hostel

about 3.0 km from the start, in a straight line

The only property in the whole radius with an actual drying room, and the one to point a wet walking party at: space to dry coats and boots, a 21-car park, a games room for the children when the weather closes in, and rooms sleeping up to six with en-suite. It is a Christian centre geared to group hire and school residentials, but individuals can book onto its catered holiday weeks - including a Walking Week from 14 to 19 September 2026 - so it is not a whole-house-only booking.

A charity-run outdoor centre marking 40 years of the Christian Outdoor Pursuits Trust, with a yurt and a dining room seating 75 that looks straight down Bassenthwaite Lake - and a games room with table football, table tennis, pool and air hockey for a rained-off afternoon.

  • Drying room “Drying Room and Laundry Space to dry wet coats and shoes.”
  • Family rooms “68 Bed spaces in 19 Bedrooms on 3 floors. Rooms range from twin/double up to 6 people each with en-suite or a private bathroom.”
  • Evening meal “All Inclusive Holidays Friendly relaxed atmosphere, comfy accommodation, great food, and quality leadership are the hallmarks of our holiday weeks.”
  • Parking “Parking Car park space for up to 21 cars.”
  • Children “A wonderful venue for residential groups whether adults, children, youth or mixed ages.”

What each place says about itself, quoted from their own site. We have not stayed at any of them, and there are no prices, no booking and no affiliate links. Distances are straight lines from the route start, never walking times. Properties found via OpenStreetMap.

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Dog-friendly walksEasy walks