Home / Routes / Kentmere Horseshoe

Written and walked by Lee McCoy · Walked in part, May 2026 · Last reviewed 27 June 2026 · Route guide updated 13 October 2026: ascent, time and summary changed · 171 of 214 Wainwrights with a Strava-matched summit

Severe distanceLoopWalked in part

Kentmere Horseshoe

20.14 km

Distance

~5¾–7¾ h

Typical time

~1064 m

Ascent

Summits

Photo: © Lee McCoy

The classic round of the Kentmere valley — a 20 km, ~1,060 m horseshoe over eight Wainwrights: up over Yoke and the shapely Ill Bell ridge to Thornthwaite Crag, then back over Mardale Ill Bell, Harter Fell, Kentmere Pike and Shipman Knotts. A long, high, broad-ridged day in the Far Eastern fells.

Start Kentmere village

Getting here Parking: Kentmere Institute (donation, very limited), 0.0 km from the start (straight line). Getting there ↓ · Route map ↓

Hardest part Severe distance: 20.14 km — a long day out. Hands for a few steps: the first drop off Ill Bell towards Froswick (km 6.2–6.6).

Before you choose

The left-hand ladder stile between Kentmere Pike and Shipman Knotts has a big, almost-vertical drop on the far side — take care, and lift or handle dogs, which often refuse it.
Wray Crag on the final descent has a grooved sloping slab: an easy step in the dry, slippery when wet.
The initial drop off Ill Bell toward Froswick is steep and rough — you may need hands; it eases quickly.
Keep clear of Ill Bell's craggy eastern edge above Kentmere Reservoir — stay on the broad ridge by the cairns.
Parking at Kentmere (village hall / St Cuthbert's church) is very limited — only a handful of spaces — so arrive early.
Harter Fell (Mardale): The ridge from Nan Bield Pass to the top is narrow, with steep drops on both sides, particularly along the lip of Black John Hole. Take it steadily, keep to the path, and it is best avoided in strong wind or when iced.
The eastern and western slopes are both too steep to be used by walkers, and the Kentmere side falls in fans of scree to the River Kent. Don't be tempted to drop off the ridge in either direction; keep to the crest, and leave it only by an established path such as Scot Rake from the col north of Froswick, which our Troutbeck route uses.
Harter Fell (Mardale): Crags ring the fell and overlook Small Water and Mardale; they block any direct ascent for good reason. Keep back from the edges near the summit, especially in cloud or wind where the broad top hides the drop.
Mardale Ill Bell: The eastern side falls to the Mardale Waters — Blea Water and Small Water sit in crater coves ringed by crags. Keep back from the edges above them, especially in cloud or wind where the broad ground gives little warning before the drop.
Ill Bell: The ridge turns north-west at the summit, so it is not safe to simply head north off the top — that leads toward steep ground. Among the several tall cairns it's easy to take the wrong line in mist. Take a compass bearing and follow the correct ridge.

Walked in part — Lee walked this ground in May 2026; km 0.0–2.2, km 7.6–10.0, km 17.5–20.2 of this line are from the map. A route line is a suggestion, not a guarantee — conditions change. Navigate independently and carry a map & compass. How to use this guide.

Download GPX →Walked in part · km 0.0–2.2, km 7.6–10.0, km 17.5–20.2 from the map

Conditions on this route

We score every Lakeland Wainwright each morning on cloud, wind, rain and underfoot, and this route crosses 8 of them. The worst summit governs the verdict — a route is only as kind as its roughest top.

Hardest partHands for a few steps

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.

Route map

OpenTopoMap

Elevation profile, shaded by steepness

1 Yoke2 Ill Bell3 Froswick4 Thornthwaite Crag5 Mardale Ill Bell6 Harter Fell (Mardale)7 Kentmere Pike8 Shipman Knotts

Easy 80%Moderate 21%HardSevere

781 m

High point

176 m

Start height

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
Kentmere village → Yoke (5.1 km, 528 m)
Climb of about 528 m over 5.1 km (around 10% average).
From St Cuthbert's Church, follow Hollin Lane north-west past The Nook. At about 0.5 km a stony track leaves the lane: this is the Garburn Road, a restricted byway, and it climbs west through gates for about 2 km to the top of the Garburn Pass (about 450 m). At about 2.6 km, near the top of the pass, leave it and turn right (north) onto the footpath up the ridge. It climbs steadily over grass, through a kissing gate at about 4.3 km, to Yoke (707 m) at about 5.1 km.
Decision point
At the top of the Garburn Pass, turn right onto the ridge path; the track carries on west and down to Troutbeck.
2
Yoke → Ill Bell (1.1 km, 89 m)
Descent of about 41 m, then a climb of about 89 m, over 1.1 km.
Decision point
Clear ridge path north from Yoke's cairn; it bends left and drops gently past a small tarn (handy dog water) to the saddle above Rainsborrow Cove, then climbs the rockier far flank. Near the top several lines weave through rock but all meet on Ill Bell's big cairns — the listed summit is by the northern one.
Easy to get wrong
Don't drift east toward the craggy drop into Kentmere Reservoir — keep to the broad, rounded ridge by the cairns.
3
Ill Bell → Froswick (0.9 km, 75 m)
Descent of about 114 m, then a climb of about 75 m, over 0.9 km.
Decision point
From the last cairn take the path slightly right, then bending left to drop steeply through boulders around the head of Over Cove (old fence posts mark the line). Once past the rocky step, follow the clear ridge over the saddle and up to Froswick's small cairn.
Easy to get wrong
The first drop off Ill Bell is steep and rough — you may want hands, and it's slow, but it eases quickly. Ignore any path trending left into the valley. Ill Bell's eastern side drops almost sheer to the head of Kentmere, with the formidable Rainsborrow Crag hidden below the summit.
4
Froswick → Thornthwaite Crag (1.7 km, 151 m)
Descent of about 83 m, then a climb of about 151 m, over 1.7 km.
Decision point
Bear left (north-west) off Froswick and descend steeply to the saddle. As you climb out, the path forks: the right branch goes to High Street — take the LEFT fork for Thornthwaite Crag (Thornthwaite Beacon), the ~14 ft stone pillar that only appears when you're close.
Easy to get wrong
The High Street fork is the classic place to go wrong — keep LEFT for the beacon. In mist, hold roughly north for the high point. At the beacon several paths radiate (High Street, Mardale Ill Bell, Gray Crag) — orient with map and compass before moving on.
5
Thornthwaite Crag → Mardale Ill Bell (1.8 km, 19 m)
Undulating section of about 1.8 km.
Decision point
From the beacon head broadly east, over the broken wall, and curve round the head of Hayeswater Gill. At a broken wall crossing your path, turn right onto a narrow trod contouring across grassy slopes toward Mardale Ill Bell, above the great combe of the Kent: Gavel Crag, Bleathwaite Crag and Hall Cove are all on your right, dropping into it. The path passes just below the top; where it begins to curve away below the top, bear left over pathless grass to the summit cairn (small tarns nearby hold water in dry spells).
Easy to get wrong
Don't carry straight on toward High Street at that broken wall — turn right onto the contour. In mist, keep the deep Kent corrie below on your RIGHT (south) and hold a gentle contour; if you find yourself climbing steeply, you've drifted back toward High Street.
6
Mardale Ill Bell → Harter Fell (Mardale) (1.8 km, 161 m)
Descent of about 140 m, then a climb of about 161 m, over 1.8 km.
Decision point
Bear right and pick up the wide path SE then E, soon stone-pitched, down to Nan Bield Pass and its stone shelter above Small Water. Cross the pass and take the rough path climbing E/SE up Harter Fell — it zigzags between rocky terraces (no true scrambling), with a line of cairns near the top. The summit cairn is dressed with old iron fence posts.
Easy to get wrong
The climb up Harter Fell looks intimidating but the engineered path avoids scrambling — take it steadily when tired; the footing is rocky and uneven. At the top, stay on the cairn (east) side of the fence. The narrowing ridge down to Nan Bield Pass and up toward Harter Fell is steep and rocky with awkward steps; the path is rough underfoot.
7
Harter Fell (Mardale) → Kentmere Pike (1.8 km, 35 m)
Descent of about 52 m over 1.8 km.
Decision point
Stay on the cairn side of the fence and turn right (roughly south); the fence is your handrail along a gentle grassy ridge over a small knoll (The Knowe) to Kentmere Pike. The cairn is on your side of the wall; the trig point is just over a stone stile, reached by the built-in steps.
Easy to get wrong
Soft, soggy ground with peat hags in the wet — skirt the worst rather than leaving the fence. Harter Fell's ridge from Nan Bield Pass to the top is narrow, with steep drops on both sides, particularly along the lip of Black John Hole.
8
Kentmere Pike → Shipman Knotts (1.8 km, 7 m)
Descent of about 147 m over 1.8 km.
Decision point
Continue SE alongside the wall / fence. Where the main fence bears left toward Goat Scar, cut the corner slightly to the LEFT-most of two ladder stiles (at the junction where the Goat Scar fence joins). Cross it, cut the corner again to stay on the well-used path by the wall, then follow the wall over undulating ground up to Shipman Knotts — most walkers use the cairned outcrop on the western (path) side.
Easy to get wrong
That left-hand ladder stile looks modest on your side, but the far drop is big and almost vertical — handle dogs carefully, many balk. Don't take the path trending right (west) toward Hollow Bank — it bypasses Shipman Knotts entirely.
Shipman Knotts → Finish (4.3 km, 0 m)
Descent of about 407 m over 4.3 km.
Decision point
Continue south by the wall; through a gap in a broken cross-wall keep left; cross another broken wall above Wray Crag and keep left. Squeeze between the wall and Wray Crag's drop, then descend (wet underfoot) to the Sadgill–Kentmere track and turn right (west) for Kentmere. Past the barn at Stile End, through a gate to the tarmac; turn left, and after ~150 m cross the stone stile on the right at the footpath sign into the bracken. Drop to Low Lane, cross straight over and down to the River Kent footbridge; across, climb the field to Rook Howe, keep left through the buildings, and follow the waymarked drive to the road by the church — turn right to the village hall.
Easy to get wrong
At Wray Crag a grooved sloping slab is an easy step in the dry but slippery when wet — take care. In the fields near the village, follow the waymarks; it's easy to lose the line among the stiles and enclosures.

Download GPX

GPX track for your GPS or phone. Walked in part · km 0.0–2.2, km 7.6–10.0, km 17.5–20.2 from the map

Make it easier or harder

Easier: Escape options if the weather turns or the legs go: at Nan Bield Pass you can turn down into the Kentmere valley via Smallthwaite Knott, Hallow Bank Quarter and Overend; the (roofless) stone shelter on the pass gives some respite. The marked half-round descent from Nan Bield is the cleanest single bail. Earlier, at the col between Froswick and Thornthwaite Crag, you can leave the ridge westwards to join Scot Rake, the mapped bridleway, and descend towards Hagg Gill and Troutbeck Park. That brings you down into the Troutbeck valley, not Kentmere, so plan how you will get back to the car before you take it.

Harder: Add High Street: instead of turning right onto the Mardale Ill Bell contour from Thornthwaite Crag, carry on to bag High Street (about +28 m and ~30 minutes), then return and pick up the contour to Mardale Ill Bell, turning left onto the clear path sooner rather than retracing the whole way.

Summits bagged (8)

1Yoke707 mFar Eastern · Wainwright, Birkett, Fellranger, Synge, Nuttall, Hewitt
2Ill Bell757 mFar Eastern · Wainwright, Birkett, Fellranger, Synge, Nuttall, HuMP, Hewitt
3Froswick720 mFar Eastern · Wainwright, Birkett, Fellranger, Synge, Nuttall, Hewitt
4Thornthwaite Crag784 mFar Eastern · Wainwright, Birkett, Fellranger, Synge, Nuttall, Hewitt
5Mardale Ill Bell761 mFar Eastern · Wainwright, Birkett, Fellranger, Synge
6Harter Fell (Mardale)779 mFar Eastern · Wainwright, Birkett, Fellranger, Synge, Nuttall, HuMP, Hewitt
7Kentmere Pike731 mFar Eastern · Wainwright, Birkett, Fellranger, Synge, Nuttall, Hewitt
8Shipman Knotts587 mFar Eastern · Wainwright, Birkett, Fellranger, Synge

In the order you walk them — the same numbers the elevation profile, the stage notes and the pacing table use.

More about this walk

Walked and described first-hand by Lee — a big mountain day (≈12½ miles / ~3,500 ft, 5¾–7¾ hours of walking). Start early, carry OS Explorer OL7 and a compass (the eastern ridge walls and fences are vital handrails in mist), and know the escape options.

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.

When the sun reaches the tops

Not sunrise — the moment the sun clears the skyline from that summit, which on a fell with high ground to its east can be a good deal later.

Yoke — in late March the sun reaches it around 06:15, with the sunrise. In late September, about 07:00.
Ill Bell — in late March the sun reaches it around 06:15, with the sunrise. In late September, about 07:00.
Froswick — in late March the sun reaches it around 06:15, with the sunrise. In late September, about 07:00.
Thornthwaite Crag — in late March the sun reaches it around 06:15, with the sunrise. In late September, about 07:00. It waits longest in midsummer — about a quarter of an hour after sunrise.
Mardale Ill Bell — in late March the sun reaches it around 06:15, with the sunrise. In late September, about 07:00.
Harter Fell (Mardale) — in late March the sun reaches it around 06:15, with the sunrise. In late September, about 07:00.
Kentmere Pike — in late March the sun reaches it around 06:15, with the sunrise. In late September, about 07:00.
Shipman Knotts — in late March the sun reaches it around 06:15, with the sunrise. In late September, about 07:00. It waits longest in midsummer — about a quarter of an hour after sunrise.

How to read these times

The two equinoxes are shown because they fall in the walking season, and late December too wherever a top keeps you waiting then; the clock gap between the equinoxes is British Summer Time, not the hill. Rounded to the nearest quarter hour and meant as a general idea, not a schedule.

Modelled from a 30 m elevation model against each summit’s own skyline — the same figures the fell pages carry, never observed. Cloud is not in it.

Getting there and back

Parking

Kentmere Institute (donation, very limited) — 0.0 km from the start (straight line)

Tiny: about eight spaces, so arrive early, and do not assume the verges are allowed. Kentmere Horseshoe: Yoke, Ill Bell, Froswick, Kentmere Pike. The box is a donation box, not a machine (OpenStreetMap, 2026-07-24 extract).

Directions Something changed here?

Hollow Moor car park — 0.2 km from the start (straight line)

Walking base for Yoke, Ill Bell, Froswick and Thornthwaite Crag — the 'Kentmere Horseshoe' route starts 248 m away. Fee not verified — check signage on arrival.

Directions Something changed here?

Hollow Moor (layby) — 1.2 km from the start (straight line)

Walking base for Shipman Knotts, Kentmere Pike, Harter Fell (Mardale) and Little Harter Fell — the 'Longsleddale Round (Kentmere Pike, Tarn Crag, Grey Crag & Shipman Knotts)' route starts 6 m away. Free (OSM-tagged). Ground surface (OSM-tagged).

Directions Something changed here?

1 more place to park near the start

Shipman Knotts (verge) — 1.5 km from the start (straight line)

1.2 km from Shipman Knotts.

Directions Something changed here?

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.

Every option near this start, on the parking map →

If the parking is full

There is no real plan B here. Every place we know beside this route serves the same walks and sits close together, so expect them to fill on the same mornings. Worth starting early, or having a different walk in mind before you set off.

Kentmere Institute (donation, very limited) — at the start
Shipman Knotts (verge) — joins the loop at about km 18.7 of 20.1: a 240 m walk to the line, and you walk the round from there
Hollow Moor car park — a 300 m walk to the start

We never say whether anywhere has spaces today. Walks to the line are measured along mapped paths (OpenStreetMap), not in a straight line. How we choose these places.

No signal when you get there? RoutePark keeps this list on your phone: choose this walk’s GPX at home, keep it, and it opens offline.

Buses

No bus we hold serves this start. The nearest stop we hold is the 508 at Troutbeck, opposite Limefitt Park, 5.4 km away on foot: a walk of its own, not a way to the start.

Toilets and refreshments

The essentials

Arrival Kentmere Institute, beside the start: about eight spaces and a donation box, so arrive early. We have not checked other parking in the village: do not assume the verges are allowed. 16 m in a straight line, not a walking distance. (our parking map, from OpenStreetMap, 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 Harter Fell’s ridge from Nan Bield Pass is narrow, with steep drops on both sides: take it steadily, and avoid it in strong wind or when iced. (our route notes (this route's own warnings), checked 28 September 2026)

Everything mapped near the start

Mapped as nearby on OpenStreetMap, as of 13 September 2026, within 250 m of where this route starts (information boards within 150 m; benches and shelter within 50 m):

Also mapped within reach: a bench.

Distances are straight lines from where this route starts, not walking routes. Opening hours are as mapped and change; none of this is checked daily.

Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (opens in new tab), ODbL.

No mapped drinking water or shelter on this route — that doesn’t mean there is none, and never drink untreated from a beck. (Facilities data © OpenStreetMap contributors.)

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

Severe overall — hardest: Length; terrain not assessed; exposure not assessed on the ground

LengthSevere20.14 km — a long day out.

SteepnessModerateSteepest sustained climb about 23% around the 11.8 km mark.

TerrainNot assessedThe map holds no grading for what is underfoot on this line, so we don’t guess. A rating appears once the ground is assessed.

NavigationHardBroad or featureless ground where navigation is serious in cloud — map and compass needed. Hard – graded by Lee on the ground, on the stretches he walked

ExposureNot assessedNot assessed on the ground; the map suggests Moderate. Graded from slope only (~32% max); treat exposure as unverified. Exposure (drops, scrambling, how bad a slip would be) needs the ground, so a map estimate is not given a grade here and does not count towards the overall grade.

HandsHands for a few stepsThe first drop off Ill Bell towards Froswick (km 6.2–6.6).

Five independent axes, not one score. One of the five was set on the ground; the rest are computed from the recorded track and the map, which measures the line rather than surveying the ground. This line was walked in part, so a grade set on the ground covers the stretches Lee walked; km 0.0–2.2, km 7.6–10.0, km 17.5–20.2 are from the map.

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)
1Yoke	5.1 km	528 m	1:53–2:31
2Ill Bell	6.1 km	616 m	2:15–3:00
3Froswick	7.0 km	692 m	2:33–3:24
4Thornthwaite Crag	8.7 km	843 m	3:09–4:11
5Mardale Ill Bell	10.5 km	861 m	3:32–4:42
6Harter Fell (Mardale)	12.3 km	1022 m	4:10–5:32
7Kentmere Pike	14.1 km	1057 m	4:35–6:05
8Shipman Knotts	15.9 km	1064 m	4:57–6:35
Finish	20.1 km	1064 m	5:48–7:43

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.

Access & barriers

Can a dog, a buggy or dodgy knees manage this route?

Dog

Not dog-friendly

Buggy

Not buggy-able

Knees

Tough descent

Buggy: Stiles or rough going on the route.
Knees: A long, steep ~32% drop over 250 m around the 6.2 km mark — hard on the knees.

With a dog

Hardest for a dog here: stiles and gates. The steepest stretch is a sustained climb of about 23% around the 11.8 km mark.

Stiles and gates: Two ladder stiles on the fence between Kentmere Pike and Shipman Knotts, the left-hand one with a big, near-vertical drop on the far side; many dogs balk (stage 8, walked). (Lee) (set by hand)
Drops and exposed ground: Not assessed on the ground; the map suggests Moderate. Graded from slope only (~32% max); treat exposure as unverified.
Rock and scrambling: Hands for a few steps: the first drop off Ill Bell towards Froswick (km 6.2–6.6). 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: 10 gates · 2 kissing gates · 6 stiles (type unmapped)

Barriers as mapped on OpenStreetMap, which can miss some. Spotted one? Tell us (opens in new tab). Barrier data as of 9 July 2026. Access data © OpenStreetMap contributors (via Overpass).

Places to stay near this start

High Borrans Lodges (opens in new tab) caravan siteabout 4.0 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).

Walks from places nearby

Walks from Kentmere — 0.1 km from this start

Straight-line distance from this walk’s start. Those lists hold the routes we have mapped and every Wainwright and Outlying fell within about 5 km of the town, ranked nearest first.

All routes →