Home / Routes / Place Fell and The Knight

Severe steepnessLoopPlanned

Place Fell and The Knight

7.12 km

Distance

~2–3 h

Typical time

~514 m

Ascent

Summits

Download GPX →Planned route · not yet walked

Key facts

Distance 7.12 km

Ascent ~514 m

Descent ~515 m

Time ~2–3 h

Difficulty Severe overall — hardest: Steepness

Type Loop

Start Patterdale

Straight up from Ullswater to Place Fell and The Knight — 7.1 km and 514 m, with a stage averaging 16%. Easy for length but severe for steepness and hard for exposure. About 2.3 hours.

✎️ Much better as a one-way day than an out-and-back: take the Ullswater Steamer from Glenridding to Howtown and walk back over the top, with Ullswater below you the whole way. Same fell, twice the walk. Sail first and walk back, so a slow descent can’t become a missed boat. (Seasonal timetable; checked 4 Aug 2026.)

✎️ 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. How to use this guide.

Difficulty profile

LengthEasy7.12 km — a short outing.

SteepnessSevereSteepest sustained pull about 42% around the 4.7 km mark.

TerrainModerateMostly good mountain path — rough/natural surface. desk assessment — not field-verified

NavigationModerateClear line, hard to stray. 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.

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

1 Place Fell2 The Knight

Easy 48%Moderate 29%Hard 16%Severe 7%

~514 m

Total ascent

650 m

High point

151 m

Start height

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

This walk covers about 7.12 km with around 514 m of ascent, taking in 2 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 ~42% drop around the 4.6 km mark — hard on the knees.

On the line: 6 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 2026-07-26. Access data © OpenStreetMap contributors (via Overpass).

Pacing

Summit	Cumulative	Ascent	Time (fast–steady)
1Place Fell	3.2 km	502 m	1:29–1:59
2The Knight	4.1 km	502 m	1:39–2:12
Finish	7.1 km	514 m	2:17–3:02

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
Start → Place Fell (3.2 km, 502 m)
Climb of about 502 m over 3.2 km (around 16% average).
Key Waypoints Patterdale (approx. 150m): The valley-bottom starting point near the southern tip of Ullswater. Boredale Hause (approx. 400m): A highly distinct, grassy saddle where multiple valley paths intersect. Place Fell Summit (657m): A rocky, prominent peak marked by a white OS trig pillar, offering some of the best unobstructed views of the Helvellyn range
Decision point
Boredale Hause: This saddle is an unmistakable terrain feature. If you hit a junction with paths heading to Martindale or Angletarn Pikes, you are in the right spot to turn north for Place Fell. Visual Handrails: The massive trench of Ullswater will be opening up behind and to your left (west) as you climb
Easy to get wrong
Relentless Initial Climb: The 16% average gradient up to Boredale Hause is a steep, breathless start. In summer, this west-facing slope becomes an absolute furnace in the afternoon sun. Rocky Steps: The final push from Boredale Hause to the summit involves minor scrambling over polished rock. It’s easy in the dry but requires care in wet or icy conditions. Heather and Ticks: The upper sections of Place Fell are heavily cloaked in heather, a prime habitat for sheep ticks. Keep to the main path to avoid brushing through it
If you need to get off
Before reaching the summit, the best bail option is to turn around and descend the clear, pitched path from Boredale Hause directly back to Patterdale. Do not drop east into the remote Boredale valley unless you have pre-arranged transport, as it is a massive detour
2
Place Fell → The Knight (0.9 km, 1 m)
Descent of about 128 m over 0.9 km.
Key Waypoints Place Fell Summit: The starting point of the descent. The Knight (approx. 530m): A rocky, subsidiary top on the northern ridge overlooking Ullswater
Decision point
Ullswater: In clear weather, the lake is an immense visual handrail to your left (west). Compass Bearings: In mist, you must take a strict northerly bearing from the Place Fell trig pillar to ensure you hit The Knight and don't accidentally drift east down the steep, pathless flanks toward Boredale
Easy to get wrong
Clag Disorientation: The plateau north of the summit is famously confusing in low visibility. The path frequently braids and disappears into the heather or over rock slabs, making it very easy to lose your bearing. Steep Crags: The ridge has sheer, dangerous drops on its western side toward the lake. Stay strictly on the path and do not wander toward the edge for a better photo, especially in high winds
If you need to get off
Do not attempt to bail directly east or west from this ridge section; the terrain is craggy, pathless, and dangerous. The safest retreat is to re-ascend the 128m back to Place Fell and use the Boredale Hause descent
The Knight → Finish (3.0 km, 12 m)
Descent of about 373 m over 3.0 km.
Key Waypoints Descent Path: The steep, zigzagging trail dropping west/north-west off the ridge toward the water. Ullswater Lakeside Path: The junction where the steep descent ends and the flat return leg begins. Side Farm: The campsite and cafe marking the transition back to tarmac and civilization
Decision point
The Lake: Once you hit the shoreline path, Ullswater is your definitive, infallible handrail. Keep the water tight on your right-hand side, and it will guide you directly back to Side Farm and Patterdale. Boundary Walls: As you approach Side Farm, the drystone intake walls clearly channel you away from the fellside and back onto the valley tracks
Easy to get wrong
Knee-Jarring Descent: The drop from The Knight to the lakeside is incredibly steep and loose underfoot. Trekking poles are highly recommended here to save your knees and prevent slips on the loose gravel. Rooty Shoreline Path: While flat, the lakeside path is notorious for exposed, polished tree roots and slick rocks that become treacherous after rain. High Bracken: In late summer, the bracken on the steep descent can be shoulder-high, entirely obscuring the rocky path beneath your feet
If you need to get off
Once you hit the lakeside path, you are fully committed to the valley exit. This path is entirely safe and serves as the primary bail route. Stay on it heading south; do not attempt to cut east back up the steep, craggy slopes of Place Fell

Summits bagged (2)

1Place Fell657 mFar Eastern · Wainwright, Birkett, Fellranger, Synge, Nuttall, Marilyn
2The Knight552 mFar Eastern · Birkett, Synge

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

Getting there & parking

⛽ Nearest fuel to this start: Rheged, A66, 18.2 km by road (06:00-22:00 daily). Nearest shop: Glenridding Mini Market, 0.2 km. Both measured along the road from the parking we publish at Glenridding, checked 8 August 2026. Coming in from a particular direction you may pass a closer one — the last petrol before each valley →

Patterdale Hotel Car Park (Patterdale Hotel, paid) — 0.0 km from the start (straight line)

Walking base for Place Fell, The Knight, Arnison Crag and Birks — the 'Place Fell and The Knight' route starts 23 m away. Also serves 'St Sunday Crag'. Fees: pay and display (LDNPA directory, checked Aug 2026). Unpaved surface (OSM-tagged).

Directions Something changed here?

Seasonal Car park — 0.5 km from the start (straight line)

Walking base for Arnison Crag, Birks, St Sunday Crag and Gavel Pike — the 'St Sunday Crag' route starts 464 m away. Also serves 'Place Fell and The Knight'. Fee not verified — check signage on arrival.

Directions Something changed here?

Patterdale (paid) — 0.5 km from the start (straight line)

For Place Fell, St Sunday Crag, the Grisedale fells.

Directions Something changed here?

🚺 Public toilets (~705 m straight line) — Free🚺 Public toilets (~926 m straight line)🍺 White Lion Inn🍺 Patterdale Hotel

Glenridding Dodd car park — 1.1 km from the start (straight line)

Directions Something changed here?

Ullswater Steamers Glenridding Pier car park (paid) — 1.2 km from the start (straight line)

Walking base for Glenridding Dodd, Heron Pike (Glenridding), Sheffield Pike and Catstye Cam — the 'Glenridding Dodd, Sheffield Pike, Catstye Cam, Birkhouse Moor' route starts 373 m away. Also serves 'Helvellyn via Striding Edge & Swirral Edge'. Fees: Pay-and-display; contactless card/cash machine in the main car park near the pier house entrance ('just at the bottom of the ramp'). Tariff amounts not published on the operator's site. Car parking charges apply while using the EV charger.

Directions Something changed here?

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

🛖 map (97 m)🚺 map (103 m)🚌 Patterdale Hotel (E bound) (50 m)🚌 Patterdale Hotel (W bound) (81 m)🚌 Youth Hostel (N bound) (411 m)🚌 Youth Hostel (S bound) (418 m)⛺ Patterdale Youth Hostel (437 m)⛺ Patterdale Youth Hostel camp site (464 m)

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

Buses

The 508 stops at Patterdale Hotel (opp), 110 m from this start. The last bus is 19:46 towards Windermere (508) and 15:09 towards Hartsop (509), 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 508 passes this route at 0.0 km (Patterdale Hotel (o/s), 80 m off the line).

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

Short version: turn back at about 4.1 km (drop to Start) — roughly half the distance.

Download

Download GPX

GPX track for your GPS or phone.

Places to stay near this start

Greenbank Farm Bed and Breakfast (opens in new tab) guest house

about 1.3 km from the start, in a straight line

The only property in the whole radius that prices a packed lunch and an evening meal on its own page - Packed Lunches £6.00, Evening Meals From £14.00 - alongside a family room for three and drying facilities. A family walking St Sunday Crag can be fed before it leaves and fed again when it gets back without moving the car.

A working sheep farm sitting below Arnison Crag, looking across at Place Fell and Angletarn Pikes - the two things a guest walks up next. The guest dining/sitting room has a log burner and there is one shared bathroom.

Drying room “We also have drying facilities and a large patio and garden to enjoy the view.”
Family rooms “Family: Room for three with a double and one single bed.”
Evening meal “We offer hearty home-cooked breakfasts and evening meals as well as packed lunches if required.”
Packed lunch “Packed Lunches £6.00”
Children “Family: Room for three with a double and one single bed.”

Also nearby, but not independent

YHA Helvellyn (opens in new tab) hostel

about 3.2 km from the start, in a straight line

The only bed in this cluster that is already up the hill - 963 ft up the Greenside road - with a shared drying room, free parking on site and meals served in the building. Two things will decide it for a family: dogs cannot come at all unless you are in the Camping & Cabins or have hired the whole hostel, and reception is shut from 10:00 until 17:00, so an early arrival cannot check in.

Worth knowing: “Dogs: Pets are not permitted at YHA Helvellyn, except in our Camping & Cabins accommodation or when hiring the whole hostel through YHA Exclusive Hire. Assistance dogs are welcome - please notify us at the time of booking.”

It began life as accommodation for the lead miners at Greenside, opened to hostellers as "Glenridding", took men only in 1947 and admitted women the year after; mine debris still lies around the building.

Drying room “Free parking on premises Games Group meals Intermittent mobile coverage Licensed bar Minibus parking on premises Mountain view Restaurant Shared drying room Unlimited breakfast Water refill station WiFi”
Family rooms “Private room is offered here”
Evening meal “With tasty breakfasts, packed lunches and evening meals, groups are sure to find something delicious to eat at YHA Helvellyn (see sample menu ).”
Packed lunch “With tasty breakfasts, packed lunches and evening meals, groups are sure to find something delicious to eat at YHA Helvellyn (see sample menu ).”
Parking “Free parking on premises”
Children “Under 12s are not permitted in dorm rooms. Children under 3 can stay with us for free.”

Patterdale Youth Hostel (opens in new tab) hostel

about 0.5 km from the start, in a straight line

This is the nearest hostel bed to the start, 460 m away, and the row exists to carry the one thing the cache actually proves about it: YHA's own pet rule bars a dog from both dorms and private rooms, so the private-room workaround for the under-12 dorm rule does not solve a dog. No Patterdale-specific facility is claimed here, because the capture contains none.

Worth knowing: “Pets - including dogs - are not permitted in our hostels when staying in a dorm or a private room. This is a consideration of other guests who may be allergic as well as the logistics of pets staying.”

Children “People of all ages are welcome at YHA. Guests aged under 16 must be accompanied by an adult aged 18 years or older.”

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 (opens in new tab).