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13.17 km · ~191 m ascent · ~3–4 h · loop

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Crummock Water shore circuit

13.17 km
Distance
~3–4 h
Typical time
~191 m
Ascent
Download GPX →Maps & guidebooks

Key facts

Distance 13.17 km
Ascent ~191 m
Descent ~189 m
Time ~3–4 h
Type Loop
Start Buttermere village
The full circuit of Crummock Water — about 8.2 miles around one of the loveliest of the western lakes. Largely level but long, and boggy in places along the quieter western shore.
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

LengthModerate13.17 km round.
SteepnessModerateSteepest sustained pull about 16% around the 10.0 km mark.
TerrainModerateMostly good mountain path. desk assessment — not field-verified
NavigationEasyLow-level and on clear paths or lanes — easy to follow even in poor visibility.
ExposureNot assessedExposure (drops, scrambling, how bad a slip would be) can’t be judged from gradient data alone, so we don’t guess. A rating appears once the route is editorially assessed or walked.

Five independent axes, not one score. “Desk” ratings come from maps and guidebooks, not yet walked — treat them as a guide, not a survey.

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: 19 gates · 7 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 99 m to 197 m over 13.2 km, with the summits marked in order. 197 m 99 m 0 km 13.2 km
~191 m
Total ascent
197 m
High point
112 m
Start height

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

This walk covers about 13.17 km with around 191 m of ascent. The map above shows the line; the elevation profile and stage notes are below.

Pacing

SummitCumulativeAscentTime (fast–steady)
Finish13.2 km191 m2:57–3:56

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

The walk, stage by stage

Buttermere village → Finish (13.2 km, 191 m)

Climb of about 191 m over 13.2 km (around 1% average).

Stage-by-stage field notes coming soon.

Summits bagged (0)

    🅿️ Getting there & parking

    Buttermere village (NT, paid) — 0.2 km from the start (straight line)
    For Red Pike, High Stile, Robinson, Rannerdale Knotts.
    Directions
    Gatesgarth Farm, Buttermere (paid) — 3.0 km from the start (straight line)
    Farm car park at the foot of Haystacks, Fleetwith Pike and the High Stile ridge.
    Directions

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

    💧 Water, shelter & getting away

    🚌 The Fish Hotel (100 m)🚌 Bridge Hotel (147 m)🚌 Mountain Road junction (298 m)🚌 Buttermere Youth Hostel (N bound) (430 m)⛺ Syke Farm Campsite (104 m)

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

    🚌 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

    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.

    Appears in these collections
    Dog-friendly walksEasy walks