Birketts South of Burnbanks
Start Haweswater, by the dam (verge)
Getting here Parking: Haweswater, by the dam (verge), 0.0 km from the start (straight line). Getting there ↓ · Route map ↓
Hardest part Hard navigation: Care needed in cloud — ~38% featureless high ground. Hard – estimated from the map, not checked on the ground
Before you choose
- The Naddle ridge carries a 1 km+ stretch with no clear path through rough forest-edge ground — faint trods come and go; keep the map handy.
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.
See also walking in bad weather and today’s conditions.
Access & barriers
Can a dog, a buggy or dodgy knees manage this route?
- Buggy: No mapped stiles, but the ground underfoot has not been assessed; not a buggy line on what we know.
- Knees: No sustained steep descent in the track’s height model (steepest 250 m about 15%). Steps, wet rock and the surface underfoot are not assessed; your own knees still matter.
With a dog
Hardest for a dog here: drops and exposed ground (estimated from the map). The steepest stretch is a sustained climb of about 22% around the 1.5 km mark.
- Drops and exposed ground: Not assessed on the ground; the map suggests Moderate. Graded from slope only (~26% max); treat exposure as unverified.
- Stiles and gates: Only gates and kissing gates are mapped: no stile a dog can’t get through. That is the barriers alone; check the route’s steep or rocky ground before you bring a dog. (OpenStreetMap, mapped as of 26 July 2026)
- Rock and scrambling: Ground underfoot: Not assessed.
- Ways off early: None recorded for this route.
- Livestock, shade and water: Not recorded for this route yet. We never call a stream safe for a dog to drink, so carry enough for both of you. The lead rules, and what to do around cattle, are on dogs on the fells.
On the line: 7 gates
Barriers as mapped on OpenStreetMap, which can miss some. Spotted one? Tell us (opens in new tab). Barrier data as of 26 July 2026. Access data © OpenStreetMap contributors (via Overpass).
Route map
1 Naddle Low Forest2 Hugh's Laithes Pike3 Wallow Crag4 Naddle High Forest
Easy 92%Moderate 9%HardSevere
Heights on this chart and its high point are read from the track itself (a terrain model sampled along the line, or a GPS recording), so a top can differ from its listed height, usually reading lower.
Free mapping: OpenTopoMap / OpenStreetMap, with SRTM elevation data (switch layers top-right).
The elevation profile is under the map; the stage notes follow.
The walk, stage by stage
- 1
Start → Naddle Low Forest (2.1 km, 203 m)
Starting from the roadside verge parking on the lane at the south end of Haweswater Dam, follow the lane east-north-east for about 0.3 km, then take the bridleway south-east through the Low Forest woodland to the gates at Naddle Farm (about 0.9 km). Turn south, then south-south-west, on a grassy track and path, through a gate, to the foot of the fell at about 1.3 km. From here you make a steep pull west on a path over open heath, climbing about 110 m in 0.6 km, before the line swings north-north-west for the last 200 m, off the mapped path, to the summit. The 9% average gradient masks this very sharp pull in the middle of the stage. Once on the ridge, the ground transitions to pathless, deep heather and rocky outcrops as you reach Naddle Low Forest.
WaypointsStart Point: Haweswater, by the dam (verge): free gravel parking at the roadside on the lane at the south end of Haweswater Dam, where the GPX starts. Naddle Farm (about 0.9 km): Gates and walls, where the route turns south off the bridleway. Foot of the climb (about 1.3 km): A gate, then the fence that runs beside the path up the fellside. Naddle Low Forest Summit (426 m): A rocky knoll marked by a small cairn, surrounded by heather.
Decision pointHandrails: On the steep climb west, a fence runs 20-90 m to your right (north); keep it on your right until you cross it near the top. Visuals: Looking back north, the flat expanse of the Eden Valley and the village of Bampton provide a clear orientation check.
Easy to get wrongSeasonal Hazards: The lower slopes are swarming with dense, waist-high bracken from June to September. Tick Warning: This area is heavily populated by deer and sheep, and the dense heather makes it a prime location for ticks. Long trousers are essential. Terrain: Underfoot, the fell is littered with hidden rocks and ankle-twisting holes concealed by the thick vegetation.
If you need to get offRetreat: Carefully retrace your steps: back down the path, north past Naddle Farm and through the woods to the lane.
- 2
Naddle Low Forest → Hugh's Laithes Pike (0.2 km, 0 m)
A very brief, undulating hop across the ridge crest. The terrain is a jumble of rocky bumps and heather-filled hollows; OSM maps paths within about 35 m of most of this short line. You are navigating line-of-sight between the two highest bumps on this section of the plateau.
WaypointsHugh's Laithes Pike Summit (419 m): The next top north of Naddle Low Forest, offering excellent views down the length of Haweswater.
Decision pointVisual Targeting: The summit of Hugh's Laithes Pike is distinct and immediately visible north of Naddle Low Forest in clear weather.
Easy to get wrongMicro-Topography: The ridge is a chaotic mess of minor rocky pikes. It is easy to waste energy climbing the wrong bump if you aren't paying attention to the true summit.
If you need to get offRetreat: Due to the 200m distance, the only logical bail is to retrace your steps south to Naddle Low Forest and descend the way you came.
- 3
Hugh's Laithes Pike → Wallow Crag (0.9 km, 23 m)
You now push south along the undulating spine of the Naddle ridge. (Note: This is the Haweswater Wallow Crag, not the famous Derwentwater viewpoint). The route is a messy traverse through deep heather, crossing several slight, boggy depressions. The net elevation change is practically zero, but the constant weaving around rock outcrops and peat hags makes it slow going.
WaypointsThe Ridge Depressions: Several slight, damp cols you must cross. Wallow Crag Summit (433 m): A superb rocky prow perched dramatically over the eastern shore of Haweswater.
Decision pointHandrails: Keep the steep drop down to Haweswater strictly on your right (west). This acts as a firm, albeit dangerous, boundary line. Visuals: Haweswater is a constant, massive visual aid to your right.
Easy to get wrongClag Navigation: The Naddle ridge is notoriously confusing in the mist. The sheer number of identical-looking rocky knolls and the lack of a defined path make it one of the easiest places in the Far Eastern fells to get turned around. Exposure: While the elevation is low, you are exposed to weather blowing directly off the lake. Do absolutely NOT bail directly west off Wallow Crag to the lake. The crags are sheer, dangerous, and heavily guarded by impenetrable woodland on the lower slopes.
If you need to get offRetreat: The better option in bad weather is to turn 180 degrees and retrace the ridge the way you came.
- 4
Wallow Crag → Naddle High Forest (1.1 km, 34 m)
Continuing south-west, the ridge broadens significantly. You leave the dramatic drops of Wallow Crag and head into the widest, boggiest section of the Naddle plateau. The terrain is a sprawling expanse of damp moss, tussocks, and heather, with a gentle 23 m pull up to the summit of Naddle High Forest.
WaypointsThe Broad Col: The wide, often sodden expanse separating the two heights. Naddle High Forest Summit (435 m): A quiet, unassuming Birkett marked by a modest cairn in a sea of heather.
Decision pointCompass Bearings: Essential here in poor visibility. You must accurately shoot a bearing from Wallow Crag to Naddle High Forest, as the terrain lacks any distinct catch features or walls.
Easy to get wrongBogs: The depressions on this stage hold water year-round. Expect deep, hidden pools of black peat disguised by sphagnum moss. Fatigue: High-stepping through deep heather for over a kilometre is exhausting work for the hip flexors.
If you need to get offRetreat: You are now midway along the ridge. No way down into Swindale has been checked for this guide. If conditions are poor, judge going on or retracing the ridge from where you are.
Naddle High Forest → Finish (3.4 km, 43 m)
The final stage is a long, undulating return journey. From Naddle High Forest, you drop off the high ridge east-south-east for about 150 m, partly off the mapped path, then follow a grassy path east-north-east, then east, across open heath, fording two streams. Through a run of gates in walls and fences at about 1.4-1.7 km, the path swings north-east, then north-north-east, and descends to the gate at the foot of the climb you made in Stage 1, about 2.1 km into the stage. From here you retrace Stage 1: north-north-east on the grassy path and track to the gates at Naddle Farm, north-west on the bridleway through the Low Forest woodland, and west-south-west along the lane for about 0.3 km, back to the verge parking at the south end of Haweswater Dam.
WaypointsDescent Spur: The grassy line dropping off the eastern flanks of the Naddle High Forest plateau. Gates (about 1.4-1.7 km): Gates through walls and fences, where the path swings north-east. Foot of the climb (about 2.1 km): The gate where you rejoin Stage 1's line, about 1.3 km from the finish. Naddle Farm (about 2.5 km): Gates and walls, then the bridleway north-west through the Low Forest woodland. Finish: Haweswater, by the dam (verge), the roadside parking on the lane at the south end of Haweswater Dam, where you started.
Decision pointVisual Targeting: As you drop off the fell, Haweswater and the massive concrete structure of the dam are distinctive visual targets. Handrails: From the gate at the foot of the climb you are back on Stage 1's line: mapped paths, a track, the bridleway and the lane all the way to the start.
Easy to get wrongSlippery Descents: The grassy drop off the plateau is steep in places and heavily lubricated by rain. Undulating Walk-Out: The 43 m of re-ascent on this final stage occurs mostly after Naddle Farm, on the bridleway through the Low Forest woodland, which rises and falls over tree roots and rocky bluffs. It can feel surprisingly tiring at the end of the day. When descending from Naddle High Forest, keep to the route's own line, east and then north-north-east on the grassy path to the gate at the foot of the climb; no other way down to the valley has been checked for this guide.
If you need to get offRetreat: This stage is the designated walk-out.
GPX track for your GPS or phone. Planned route · not yet walked
Summits bagged (4)
- 1Naddle Low Forest426 m
- 2Hugh's Laithes Pike419 m
- 3Wallow Crag433 m
- 4Naddle High Forest435 m
In the order you walk them — the same numbers the elevation profile, the stage notes and the pacing table use.
Conditions and timing
Check live conditions in the “From the fells” panel, on MWIS (opens in new tab) and the Met Office mountain forecast (opens in new tab) before you set off.
Getting there and back
Parking
Positions are approximate.
Vehicles are left at their owner’s risk: we list places people park and cannot vouch for any of them. Take valuables with you and leave nothing on show.
Buses
No bus we hold serves this start. The nearest stop we hold is the UB2 at Askham, outside Stores, 9.5 km away on foot: a walk of its own, not a way to the start. It is a seasonal service too: 1 November 2026 is its last day of the year (confirmed with the operator, 9 October 2026); it returns on 22 March 2027.
Toilets and refreshments
The essentials
- Arrival Gravel parking at the roadside, beside the start: free, as mapped. No capacity is recorded for it. 6 m in a straight line, not a walking distance. (our parking map (Lee's Street View sweep, 10 August 2026; the OpenStreetMap entry is Lee's own), checked 10 August 2026)
- Toilets No toilets are mapped within 250 m of the start. (OpenStreetMap, as mapped on 13 September 2026, checked 13 September 2026)
- Refreshments No café or pub is mapped within 250 m of the start: bring what you need. (OpenStreetMap, as mapped on 13 September 2026, checked 13 September 2026)
- Limitation Short, at 7.6 km, but rated hard to navigate: the Naddle ridge has more than 1 km with no clear path through rough forest-edge ground. (our route notes (this route's own warnings), checked 2 October 2026)
Water, shelter & getting away
On-route facilities © OpenStreetMap contributors — an absent marker does not mean the facility isn’t there.
Getting there across the Lake District: Buses · Parking map · By train · By boat
Planning detail
How each grade on this page is set, and the timings stage by stage.
Difficulty profile
Hard overall — hardest: Navigation (estimated from the map, not checked on the ground); terrain not assessed; exposure not assessed on the ground
Five independent axes, not one score. None of them was set on the ground: they are computed from the recorded track and the map, which measures the line rather than surveying the ground.
How we grade: each axis is Easy, Moderate, Hard or Severe, and a route between two bands takes the higher one. Length: under 8 km, 8–14 km, 14–20 km, over 20 km. Steepness, the steepest 500 m of the track: under 15%, 15–25%, 25–35%, over 35%. Terrain, navigation and exposure are judged rather than measured, and each note says why. How we grade.
Pacing
| Summit | Cumulative | Ascent | Time (fast–steady) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Naddle Low Forest | 2.1 km | 203 m | 0:45–1:00 |
| 2Hugh's Laithes Pike | 2.3 km | 203 m | 0:48–1:03 |
| 3Wallow Crag | 3.2 km | 225 m | 1:00–1:20 |
| 4Naddle High Forest | 4.2 km | 259 m | 1:17–1:42 |
| Finish | 7.6 km | 303 m | 2:02–2:42 |
A fast–steady range from Naismith’s rule, deliberately on the slow side. Breaks, weather, rough ground and the slowest person in your party all add to it. How we time walks.
Places to stay near this start
- Haweswater Hotel (opens in new tab) hotelabout 2.5 km
- New Ing Lodge (opens in new tab) hostelabout 6.0 km
We have not stayed at any of them. We take no bookings or affiliate fees. Distances are straight lines from the route start, never walking times. Properties found via OpenStreetMap (opens in new tab).