Honister to Keswick: over the Newlands fells
Key facts
✎️ Because it finishes in a different valley from where it starts, this one suits a car–free day: the seasonal Honister Rambler (the 77 / 77A) sets you down at Honister Hause and you walk back into Keswick for the bus home. From Penrith it’s the X4 / X5 to Keswick, then the Rambler up to Honister. Check the last bus before you set off — the walk’s long tail down the Newlands valley eats time when legs are tired.
Difficulty profile
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 5 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.
1 Dale Head2 Hindscarth3 Robinson4 Knott Rigg5 Ill Crag (Newlands) (Knott Rigg North Top)6 Ard Crags
Free mapping: OpenTopoMap / OpenStreetMap (switch layers top-right).
This walk covers about 19.62 km with around 1035 m of ascent, taking in 6 summits. 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: A stile of unmapped type — a dog may need lifting over.
- Buggy: Not a pushchair route.
- Knees: A long, steep ~46% drop around the 6.0 km mark — hard on the knees.
On the line: 20 gates · 1 kissing gate · 2 stiles (type unmapped)
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 2026-07-12. Access data © OpenStreetMap contributors (via Overpass).
Pacing
| Summit | Cumulative | Ascent | Time (fast–steady) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dale Head | 1.9 km | 402 m | 1:03–1:24 |
| Hindscarth | 3.7 km | 480 m | 1:32–2:02 |
| Robinson | 5.7 km | 666 m | 2:16–3:00 |
| Knott Rigg | 9.1 km | 896 m | 3:19–4:25 |
| Ill Crag (Newlands) (Knott Rigg North Top) | 9.5 km | 896 m | 3:24–4:31 |
| Ard Crags | 10.5 km | 958 m | 3:42–4:55 |
| Finish | 19.6 km | 1035 m | 5:39–7:31 |
Naismith-based estimate — a fast/steady range. Your pace will vary.
The walk, stage by stage
Start → Dale Head (1.9 km, 402 m)
Climb of about 402 m over 1.9 km (around 21% average).
Decision point: From Honister Hause take the steep, cairned path climbing beside the old fence line up onto Dale Head.
Easy to get wrong: It’s an unrelenting pull straight from the pass — pace it; the summit shelter sits right on the edge above Newlands.
Dale Head → Hindscarth (1.7 km, 78 m)
Climb of about 78 m over 1.7 km (around 5% average).
Decision point: Off Dale Head head north along Hindscarth Edge; where the ridge broadens, a short spur runs out to the Hindscarth summit cairn before you rejoin the round.
Easy to get wrong: In mist the broad top of Hindscarth Edge gives few landmarks — hold your bearing rather than following sheep trods.
Hindscarth → Robinson (2.1 km, 186 m)
Climb of about 186 m over 2.1 km (around 9% average).
Decision point: Cross Littledale Edge west to the stony plateau of Robinson.
Easy to get wrong: Robinson’s summit is a wide grassy dome with several tops — find the correct north–west line before you start down.
Robinson → Knott Rigg (3.4 km, 230 m)
Climb of about 230 m over 3.4 km (around 7% average).
Decision point: Descend Robinson’s steep nose to Newlands Hause, cross the road, and take the clear grassy path up onto Knott Rigg.
Easy to get wrong: This is the steepest, roughest ground of the day — the descent is eroded and crag–fringed; stay on the walkers’ path and don’t be tempted onto steeper ground in poor visibility.
Knott Rigg → Ill Crag (Newlands) (Knott Rigg North Top) (0.4 km, 0 m)
Undulating section of about 0.4 km.
Decision point: Follow the narrow, grassy ridge north–east over the minor top.
Easy to get wrong: Straightforward — a pleasant, quiet ridge after the Newlands crowds.
Ill Crag (Newlands) (Knott Rigg North Top) → Ard Crags (1.0 km, 61 m)
Climb of about 61 m over 1.0 km (around 6% average).
Decision point: Continue along the ridge to the neat summit of Ard Crags.
Easy to get wrong: Fine airy walking, but the ridge is narrow in places — take care in strong wind.
Ard Crags → Finish (9.1 km, 77 m)
Climb of about 77 m over 9.1 km (around 1% average).
Decision point: Drop off Ard Crags’ north–east ridge to the valley road at Rigg Beck, then follow footpaths and lanes down the Newlands valley through Stair and Portinscale into Keswick.
Easy to get wrong: The descent to Rigg Beck is steep and can be greasy; after that it’s a long, low walk–out on tired legs — allow for it in your bus timing.
Summits bagged (6)
- Dale Head 754 m · North Western · Wainwright, Birkett, Fellranger, Synge, Nuttall, Marilyn
- Hindscarth 727 m · North Western · Wainwright, Birkett, Fellranger, Synge, Nuttall
- Robinson 738 m · North Western · Wainwright, Birkett, Fellranger, Synge, Nuttall, Marilyn
- Knott Rigg 556 m · North Western · Wainwright, Birkett, Fellranger, Synge
- Ill Crag (Newlands) (Knott Rigg North Top) 546 m · North Western · Birkett, Synge
- Ard Crags 581 m · North Western · Wainwright, Birkett, Fellranger, Synge, HuMP
🅿️ Getting there & parking
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
Rural routes change seasonally — confirm on stagecoachbus.com (opens in new tab) or Traveline before travelling.
⚠️ Safety & conditions
- The descent off Robinson to Newlands Hause is the crux — steep, eroded and grassy (around a 40–45% pull), and slippery when wet. Take the walkers’ line and keep away from the crags; cross the Buttermere road with care at the bottom.
- A long day — nearly 20 km and about 1,035 m of ascent over six tops, with a further long walk–out down the valley at the end. Carry map, compass, food and water, and start early.
- The high ridge from Dale Head over Hindscarth and Robinson is broad and grassy — easy to drift off line in cloud, so navigate on a bearing between the tops.
- It’s a linear route: fix your return transport (and the last bus time) before you leave, as there’s no loop back to the start.
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
Why this direction: Walked north–bound (Honister to Keswick) so the day ends in town for the bus, and the steep Robinson ground is taken as a descent early on rather than a climb late.
Short version: turn back at about 9.8 km — roughly half the distance.
📚 Maps & guidebooks for Honister to Keswick: over the Newlands fells
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