Revised
Key facts
- Distance 12.83 km
- Ascent ~820 m
- Descent ~723 m
- Time ~3.9 h
- Difficulty Easy
- Direction Linear
- Best season A good year-round walk; the steep little steps on Catbells are slippery when wet, and the ridge is exposed to wind.
- Type Linear
- Start Hawes End
A lovely, accessible ridge walk above the western shore of Derwentwater, and a great introduction to the fells. From Hawes End it climbs the shapely little peak of Catbells, then follows the airy but easy ridge south over Maiden Moor to High Spy, with Derwentwater and the Newlands valley spread out below. There are a few easy scrambly steps on Catbells that some guides don't mention, but nothing most people can't manage. A modest, rewarding day with some of the best views in the northern Lakes for the effort.
Free mapping: OpenTopoMap / OpenStreetMap (switch layers top-right).
Elevation profile
Summits bagged (4)
- Skelgill Bank 338 m · Central · Birkett, Synge
- Cat Bells (Catbells) 451 m · Central · Wainwright, Birkett, Fellranger, Synge
- Maiden Moor 575 m · North Western · Wainwright, Birkett, Fellranger, Synge
- High Spy 653 m · North Western · Wainwright, Birkett, Fellranger, Synge, Nuttall, HuMP
🅿️ Getting there & parking
Hawse End / Skelgill Bank, Catbells (roadside, limited) — 0.3 km from the start (straight line)
Very limited roadside parking — better to use the 77 bus or the Keswick launch to Hawse End.
Directions ↗Little Town, Newlands (paid, small) — 2.1 km from the start (straight line)
Newlands valley — Catbells, Maiden Moor, Hindscarth, Robinson.
Directions ↗Positions are approximate. Lakeland car parks fill before 9am on fine weekends.
🚌 Buses
Stagecoach 77 / 77A “Honister Rambler”
Keswick – Portinscale – Hawse End (Catbells) – Grange – Seatoller – Honister Pass – Buttermere – Lorton – Whinlatter – Keswick (circular)
Catch it from: Keswick (connect via 555 from Windermere/Ambleside or X4/X5 from Penrith)
Seasonal (roughly Easter–October). Brilliant for the North Western fells: Catbells, Dale Head from Honister, the Buttermere fells and Whinlatter.
Rural routes change seasonally — confirm on stagecoachbus.com or Traveline before travelling.
⚠️ Safety & conditions
- A few easy scrambly steps on Catbells — take care, especially when wet.
- The ridge is narrow in places with steep ground either side; fine for most, but keep children close.
Hazard & incident notes: Cat Bells (Catbells) · Maiden Moor · High Spy
Check live conditions in the “From the fells” panel, on MWIS and the Met Office mountain forecast before you set off.
A planned line is a suggestion, not a guarantee — conditions change. Navigate independently and carry a map & compass.