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1.98 km · ~156 m ascent · ~0.5–1 h · loop · 1 summit

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Ullswater from the summit of Hallin Fell
HardLoopPlanned

Hallin Fell

1.98 km
Distance
~0.5–1 h
Typical time
~156 m
Ascent
1
Summit

Photo: © Lee McCoy

Key facts

Distance 1.98 km
Ascent ~156 m
Descent ~157 m
Time ~0.5–1 h
Type Loop
Start St Peter's Church, Howtown (The Hause)
A short, steep little climb from the Howtown steamer pier to a superb all-round viewpoint over Ullswater — maximum reward for minimum effort, and a fine car-free outing using the lake steamer.
✎️ 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

LengthEasy1.98 km — a short outing.
SteepnessHardSteepest sustained pull about 29% around the 0.2 km mark.
TerrainModerateMostly good mountain path. desk assessment — not field-verified
NavigationHardCare needed in cloud — ~28% featureless high ground. desk assessment — not field-verified
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.

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.

OpenTopoMap
Elevation profile
Elevation profile Rises from about 221 m to 375 m over 2.0 km, with the summits marked in order. 375 m 221 m 0 km 2.0 km 1

1 Hallin Fell

~156 m
Total ascent
375 m
High point
222 m
Start height

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

This walk covers about 1.98 km with around 156 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: Not a pushchair route.
  • Knees: A sustained ~29% descent around the 1.6 km mark — a little jarring on tired knees.

On the line: 2 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 (opens in new tab) and we’ll fix it. Barrier data as of 2026-07-09. Access data © OpenStreetMap contributors (via Overpass).

Pacing

SummitCumulativeAscentTime (fast–steady)
Hallin Fell0.8 km152 m0:25–0:33
Finish2.0 km156 m0:39–0:52

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

The walk, stage by stage

St Peter's Church, Howtown (The Hause) → Hallin Fell (0.8 km, 152 m)

Climb of about 152 m over 0.8 km (around 19% average).

Hallin Fell → Finish (1.2 km, 4 m)

Descent of about 153 m over 1.2 km.

Stage-by-stage field notes coming soon.

Summits bagged (1)

  • Hallin Fell 388 m · Far Eastern · Wainwright, Birkett, Fellranger, Synge, Marilyn

🅿️ Getting there & parking

Martindale, St Peter's church (free, limited) — 0.2 km from the start (straight line)
Quiet side of Ullswater — Hallin Fell, Steel Knotts, Beda Fell, Pikeawassa.
Directions (opens in new tab)
Aira Force (NT, paid) — 3.9 km from the start (straight line)
For Gowbarrow Fell and the path toward Great Dodd via Dockray.
Directions (opens in new tab)

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

💧 Water, shelter & getting away

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

🚌 Buses

Stagecoach 508 “Ullswater Bus”
Penrith – Pooley Bridge – Aira Force – Glenridding – Patterdale (summer services continue over Kirkstone Pass to Troutbeck and Windermere)
Catch it from: Penrith · Windermere (summer only)
The key route from Penrith for the Eastern and Far Eastern fells: Helvellyn from Glenridding, Place Fell, the Hartsop fells. The summer Kirkstone extension drops you at the pass for Red Screes and Caudale Moor.

Rural routes change seasonally — confirm on stagecoachbus.com (opens in new tab) or Traveline before travelling.

⚠️ Safety & conditions

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.

Make it easier or harder

Easier and harder options coming soon.

⬇️ Download

Download GPX

GPX track for your GPS or phone.

📚 Maps & guidebooks for Hallin Fell

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