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7.73 km · ~458 m ascent · ~2–3 h · loop · 3 summits

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A big stacked cairn on a stony summit plateau, with the rounded dome of Brim Fell rising beyond under a pale, hazy sky
Hard steepnessLoopWalked in part

North of Coniston Birketts

7.73 km
Distance
~2–3 h
Typical time
~458 m
Ascent
3
Summits

Photo: © Lee McCoy

Download GPX →Walked in part · km 1.9–4.4 from the map

Key facts

Distance 7.73 km
Ascent ~458 m
Descent ~458 m
Time ~2–3 h
Best season Any season, but save it for a clear day — the featureless ground between the tops is hard to read in low cloud.
Type Loop
Start Coniston Village
Three quiet Birketts on the Yewdale fells north of Coniston — Long Crag, High Wythow and Low Wythow — on a short but steep loop that most walkers pass over for the Old Man across the valley. Moderate for the legs, harder for the map: faint paths and a clear-day-only navigation challenge, rewarded with rarely-trodden tops and a fine view over Coniston Water.
🥾 Walked in part — Lee walked this ground in August 2024; km 1.9–4.4 of this line is from the map. A planned line is a suggestion, not a guarantee — conditions change. Navigate independently and carry a map & compass. How to use this guide.

Difficulty profile

LengthEasy7.73 km — a short outing.
SteepnessHardSteepest sustained pull about 34% around the 5.7 km mark.
TerrainModerateMostly good mountain path — rough/natural surface, ~22% pathless. desk assessment — not field-verified
NavigationHardCare needed in cloud — ~22% featureless high ground, 10 path junctions near the line. 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.

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, shaded by steepness
Elevation profile Rises from about 76 m to 421 m over 7.7 km, with the summits marked in order. The area beneath is shaded by sustained steepness over a 250 m window, in the same four bands as the route’s steepness rating: Easy under 15%, Moderate 15 to 25%, Hard 25 to 35%, Severe above 35%. 421 m 76 m 0 km 7.7 km 123

1 Long Crag - Yewdale Fells2 High Wythow3 Low Wythow

Easy 75%Moderate 18%Hard 7%Severe

~458 m
Total ascent
421 m
High point
88 m
Start height

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

This walk covers about 7.73 km with around 458 m of ascent, taking in 3 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
Gates only
Buggy
Not buggy-able
Knees
Tough descent
  • Dog: Gates and kissing gates only — a dog can do the whole route.
  • Buggy: Stiles or rough going on the route.
  • Knees: A long, steep ~34% drop around the 5.6 km mark — hard on the knees.

On the line: 4 gates · 1 kissing gate

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).

Pacing

SummitCumulativeAscentTime (fast–steady)
1Long Crag - Yewdale Fells2.8 km334 m1:07–1:29
2High Wythow3.0 km334 m1:10–1:33
3Low Wythow3.3 km334 m1:13–1:37
Finish7.7 km458 m2:19–3:04

Naismith-based estimate — a fast/steady range. Your pace will vary. These use Naismith’s textbook constants (5 km/h, 600 m of ascent an hour). Measured against a pace fitted to 41 recorded Lakeland walks they run about 8% slow, and we have left them that way deliberately: a slow estimate strands nobody.

The walk, stage by stage

  1. 1

    Start → Long Crag - Yewdale Fells (2.8 km, 334 m)

    Climb of about 334 m over 2.8 km (around 12% average).

    Starting from the valley floor near Coniston or Yewdale, ascend through the lower intake fields and woodland fringes. Break out onto the rugged, open fellside, picking your way up the steep, grassy, and increasingly rocky terrain to reach the prominent outcrop of Long Crag on the Yewdale Fells

    Waypoints

    Valley start (Coniston / Yewdale), lower fell enclosures, Long Crag summit

    Decision point

    The valley road and Yewdale Beck sit clearly below to the east, providing a massive macro-navigational baseline during the initial ascent. Aim for the high, rocky skyline

    Easy to get wrong

    A steady 12% average climb to access the high ground. The lower slopes are often choked with bracken in the summer, making the initial ascent humid and obscuring the uneven ground. Once on the open fell, the terrain transitions to the classic "lumpy" mix of grass, heather, and exposed rock that defines the Coniston hinterlands

    If you need to get off

    Turn around and carefully retrace your steps down the steep grass directly back to the valley enclosures

    Looking down from high on the climb to the dark tarn of Low Water in its corrie, with walkers strung out along the stony path and a second tarn beyond
    © Lee McCoy
  2. 2

    Long Crag - Yewdale Fells → High Wythow (0.3 km, 0 m)

    Undulating section of about 0.3 km.

    Continue across the plateau from Long Crag, tracking east over the grassy hummocks towards the minor, subtle rise of High Wythow

    Waypoints

    Long Crag summit, trackless plateau, High Wythow summit

    Decision point

    You must take a compass bearing and trust it rather than relying on finding a trod or sheep track to guide you

    Easy to get wrong

    While physically effortless with negligible ascent, this section is a serious navigational trap. The path here all but disappears, and the top is entirely featureless. It is incredibly easy to drift off line in poor visibility; this route is highly recommended for clear days only

    If you need to get off

    Retreat the short distance back to Long Crag and descend your known ascent route. Do not drop blindly east off the plateau, as the flanks guarding Yewdale are steep and craggy

  3. 3

    High Wythow → Low Wythow (0.3 km, 0 m)

    Undulating section of about 0.3 km.

    Push slightly further across the high ground, transitioning from High Wythow to the adjacent, nearly identical minor bump of Low Wythow

    Waypoints

    High Wythow summit, featureless saddle, Low Wythow summit

    Decision point

    Keep checking your bearing continuously between the tops. Do not rely on a path being there; trust your map and compass

    Easy to get wrong

    Similar to the previous stage, the physical effort is zero, but the underfoot conditions require total concentration. Very few walkers come this way, meaning any faint paths fade out completely into the grass and heather. The featureless high ground reads exceptionally poorly in cloud

    If you need to get off

    Return south to High Wythow and subsequently Long Crag to utilize the safest, most logical descent route

  4. Low Wythow → Finish (4.4 km, 125 m)

    Climb of about 125 m over 4.4 km (around 3% average).

    Leave the summit of Low Wythow and begin the descent off the pathless Yewdale Fells. Navigate the complex, lumpy terrain down towards the established, heavily engineered mining tracks (either in the Coppermines Valley or Tilberthwaite area, depending on your exact loop), and follow them back to the valley bottom

    Waypoints

    Low Wythow descent, lower fellside / crag avoidance, established valley tracks, Finish

    Decision point

    Aim generally for the deep, unmistakable trenches of the surrounding valleys to pick up the main trails. The massive expanse of Coniston Water in the distance acts as a perfect macro-navigational tool to orient yourself southward toward the village

    Easy to get wrong

    The initial descent off the high fells requires careful route-finding to avoid getting bluffed out by steep, craggy outcrops overlooking the valleys. The ground can be heavily waterlogged in the depressions. The 125 m of minor ascent is spread across the rolling terrain and hard-packed valley tracks on the long walk out

    If you need to get off

    You are on the final exit route. Maintain downward progress, picking the line of least resistance around the crags until you hit the established, unmistakable valley trails

    Herdwick sheep grazing on a grassy shoulder in low evening light, with a long line of crag-broken fells rising behind
    A single sheep standing on a rocky knoll against a clear blue sky, with dry grass and bracken on the fellside below
    © Lee McCoy · 2 photographs

Summits bagged (3)

  1. 1Long Crag - Yewdale Fells421 mSouthern · Birkett
  2. 2High Wythow410 mSouthern · Birkett
  3. 3Low Wythow372 mSouthern · Birkett

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

Getting there & parking

Coniston Station car park (paid) — 0.0 km from the start (straight line)
On the old station site, west of the village. Fees: pay and display; coins and cards; RingGo ID 37306 (LDNPA, checked Aug 2026).
Directions Something changed here?
If it is full: Coniston, Bluebird Car & Coach Park (paid) (0.6 km); Coniston, Ruskin Avenue (paid) (0.6 km); Walna Scar Road, Coniston (paid, rough track) (1.4 km, 143 m up)
Long Crag car park (paid) — 0.3 km from the start (straight line)
Walking base for Long Crag - Yewdale Fells, High Wythow and Low Wythow — the 'The Sun Pub Walk (Coniston)' route starts 265 m away. Also serves 'North of Coniston Birketts'. Paid parking (OSM-tagged).
Directions Something changed here?
High Wythow car park (paid) — 0.3 km from the start (straight line)
Walking base for Long Crag - Yewdale Fells, High Wythow and Low Wythow — the 'The Sun Pub Walk (Coniston)' route starts 211 m away. Also serves 'North of Coniston Birketts'. Paid parking (OSM-tagged). OpenStreetMap records it as weekends and school holidays only (2026-07-24 extract; unconfirmed by an operator - check on arrival).
Directions Something changed here?
Coniston, Bluebird Car & Coach Park (paid) — 0.4 km from the start (straight line)
North end of the village, the larger of the two.
Directions Something changed here?
Coniston, Ruskin Avenue (paid) — 0.4 km from the start (straight line)
Village car park — the full Coniston round, Old Man and Wetherlam. Fees: pay and display; cards only.
Directions Something changed here?
🚺 Coniston Bridge (~174 m straight line)🚺 Coniston Ruskin Avenue Car Park (~33 m straight line)☕ Sara's Indian☕ The Green Housekeeper☕ Steam Bistro🍺 The Yewdale Inn🍺 Crown Inn🍺 Sun Hotel Pub🏪 Coniston Gifts & Sports

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

Vehicles are left entirely at their owner’s risk. We list places people park; we cannot vouch for any of them. Judge it on the day: take valuables with you, leave nothing on show, and if a spot feels wrong when you get there, park somewhere else.

Every option near this start, on the parking map →

Water, shelter & getting away

🚌 The Ruskin Centre (329 m)🚌 John Ruskin School (W bound) (333 m)🚌 The Crown Inn (353 m)🚌 The Crown Hotel (366 m)

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

Buses

The 505 stops at Coniston, outside The Ruskin Centre, 500 m and 39 m of ascent from this start. The last bus is 20:24 towards Kendal (505) and 18:44 towards Ambleside (505), every day. Checked against the operator’s timetable, 7 September 2026. Times here are a guide, not a promise — leave yourself more than the minute.

The 505 passes this route at 0.2 km (Coniston, outside The Ruskin Centre, 230 m off the line).

Stagecoach 505 “Coniston Rambler”
Windermere – Ambleside – Skelwith Bridge – Hawkshead – Coniston
Catch it from: Windermere · Ambleside
Daily in season (reduced winter service). Best access for the Coniston fells (Old Man, Wetherlam group).

Rural routes change seasonally — confirm on stagecoachbus.com or Traveline before travelling.

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 if one is full the others usually are too. Worth starting early, or having a different walk in mind before you set off.

  • High Wythow car park (paid)
  • Coniston, Bluebird Car & Coach Park (paid)
  • Coniston Station car park (paid)

Worked out from the parking we hold within walking reach of this route and the other walks each place serves — two places that serve the same walks fill for the same reasons. We are not saying whether anywhere has spaces today, and we never will: this is what exists, not what is free.

Safety & conditions

  • Navigation is the real challenge on this loop, not the climbing. The paths around High Wythow and Low Wythow are faint and intermittent — most walkers are drawn across the valley to Coniston and the Old Man, so these Yewdale tops see little traffic and the trods fade into rough ground.
  • Attempt this only on a clear day, and treat it as one for moderately experienced hikers confident navigating with map and compass. About a fifth of the high ground is featureless, and in low cloud the line would be easy to lose.
  • Steep in places (a sustained pull of around 34%); crag/exposure data is unverified from the mapping, so take care choosing your line on the steeper ground.

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

Short version: turn back at about 3.3 km (drop to Start) — roughly half the distance.

Download

Download GPX

GPX track for your GPS or phone.

Places to stay near this start

Bank Ground Farm guest house

about 1.6 km from the start, in a straight line

The one property in the radius that answers the whole family arrival in its own words: cots, high chairs and stair gates on request, a cafe and restaurant on site so nobody gets back in the car, and two real 7kW chargers rather than a USB socket. It also answers honestly against you - check-in is after 4pm and breakfast is at 9am, which is late for a Coniston Old Man round, and the dog sleeps in the kennel block, not the cottage. East shore of Coniston Water, so the 1.57 km is across the lake from the village start.

Worth knowing: “Pets are more than welcome on the farm, we have purpose built five star accommodation so that you can bring the whole family along, however with the exception of assistant dogs, no pets are allowed inside the cottages and farmhouses.”

Arthur Ransome used this farm as the model for the Swallows' farmhouse, and the 1970s film of Swallows and Amazons was shot here.

  • Dogs “Pets are more than welcome on the farm, we have purpose built five star accommodation so that you can bring the whole family along, however with the exception of assistant dogs, no pets are allowed inside the cottages and farmhouses.”
  • Family rooms “The farmhouse has six en-suite bedrooms and offers bed & breakfast accommodation.”
  • Evening meal “Let our fab chefs prepare you lovely meals, be it breakfast, lunch or dinner.”
  • Children “High chairs, cots and stair gates are available on request.”

What each place says about itself, quoted from their own site. We have not stayed at any of them, and there are no prices, no booking and no affiliate links. Distances are straight lines from the route start, never walking times. Properties found via OpenStreetMap.

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Dog-friendly walks