Top o' Selside
Key facts
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.
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 Top o' Selside (Wainwright summit)2 Arnsbarrow Hill3 Stang Hill (Arnsbarrow Hill South Top)
Easy 81%Moderate 19%HardSevere
Free mapping: OpenTopoMap / OpenStreetMap (switch layers top-right).
This walk covers about 8.71 km with around 369 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: A stile of unmapped type — a dog may need lifting over.
- Buggy: Stiles or rough going on the route.
- Knees: A sustained ~19% descent around the 7.6 km mark — a little jarring on tired knees.
On the line: 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 2026-07-26. Access data © OpenStreetMap contributors (via Overpass).
Pacing
| Summit | Cumulative | Ascent | Time (fast–steady) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Top o' Selside (Wainwright summit) | 2.6 km | 291 m | 1:01–1:21 |
| 2Arnsbarrow Hill | 3.9 km | 312 m | 1:18–1:44 |
| 3Stang Hill (Arnsbarrow Hill South Top) | 4.3 km | 312 m | 1:23–1:50 |
| Finish | 8.7 km | 369 m | 2:21–3:08 |
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 → Top o' Selside (Wainwright summit) (2.6 km, 291 m)
Starting from the eastern shore of Coniston Water (typically the Dodgson Wood or High Nibthwaite parking areas), this route begins with a steady, sustained climb away from the lake. The path ascends through ancient deciduous woodland and grazing enclosures before crossing the intake wall and breaking out onto the open fell. Once on the moorland, the terrain becomes a mix of rough grass, bracken, and heather. The 11% average gradient provides a solid, persistent workout, drawing you up to the modest, remarkably flat summit of Top o' Selside
WaypointsConiston East Shore (approx. 40m): The valley-bottom starting point. Intake Wall / Forest Boundary: The transition line from enclosed woodland to the open, wild moorland. Top o' Selside Summit (335m): The Wainwright top, marked by a small cairn set in the grass, offering expansive views back over Coniston Water to the Old Man massif
Decision pointConiston Water: The lake is an immense visual handrail. As long as it is directly behind you, you are moving in the correct easterly direction up the fellside. Drystone Walls: The field boundaries and intake walls on the lower slopes help funnel you onto the correct paths leading to the open fell
Easy to get wrongSummer Bracken and Ticks: The lower slopes of this fell are infamous for waist-high bracken from June to September. Pushing through it is exhausting, and this area is a notorious tick habitat. Long trousers and a post-hike tick check are mandatory. Muddy Woodland Tracks: The lower paths through the woods are heavily used by forestry vehicles and can be deeply churned and waterlogged after rain
If you need to get offSimply turn 180 degrees and trace your steps downhill. The descent will naturally funnel you back into the woodland paths and directly onto the east-shore road
- 2
Top o' Selside (Wainwright summit) → Arnsbarrow Hill (1.3 km, 21 m)
Leaving Top o' Selside, the route heads east and then turns south across a wide, undulating plateau. This is classic "between the lakes" moorland—a trackless, rolling sea of heather, rough alpine grass, and peat hags. There is virtually no elevation gain here (only 21m of ascent over 1.3km), but the ground is uneven and requires constant weaving around boggy depressions to reach the subsidiary bump of Arnsbarrow Hill
WaypointsThe Moorland Plateau: The squelchy, undulating ground separating the summits. Arnsbarrow Tarn: A beautifully remote, dark pool of water sitting in a depression just east of the main path. Arnsbarrow Hill (330m): A minor, grassy prominence on the plateau, offering excellent views toward the Grizedale Forest to the east
Decision pointArnsbarrow Tarn: If the mist is down, the tarn is a crucial geographical anchor. Keep it to your left (east) to ensure you are maintaining a southerly bearing toward Arnsbarrow Hill
Easy to get wrongThe Bogs: This plateau acts as a sponge. Expect wet boots year-round. You will spend a lot of time detouring around deep, black peat hags and standing water. Clag Disorientation: In thick mist, this plateau is highly disorienting. There are no defining ridges, sheer crags, or obvious paths to follow, making it easy to wander off-bearing
If you need to get offIf the bogs become too tedious, do not bail east into the massive, confusing expanse of the Grizedale Forest. Instead, head strictly west. You will quickly crest the lip of the fell and pick up the steep, grassy descent paths dropping back down to Coniston Water
- 3
Arnsbarrow Hill → Stang Hill (Arnsbarrow Hill South Top) (0.4 km, 0 m)
A very brief, almost entirely flat micro-navigation stage continuing south across the plateau. The terrain remains identical to the previous stage: a mix of tussocky grass, heather, and squelchy peat, taking you to the next minor prominence on the ridge line
WaypointsStang Hill / Arnsbarrow South Top (approx. 325m): Another heavily vegetated, minor bump on the moorland that marks the beginning of your eventual descent
Decision pointLine of Sight: In clear weather, you are simply walking from one grassy bump to the next one immediately to the south
Easy to get wrongAnkle-Rolling Terrain: The heather here can be thick, masking deep holes, rocks, and sudden drops off the sides of peat hags. High-stepping and concentration are required despite the lack of gradient
If you need to get offYou are now on the verge of the descent funnel. Keep pushing forward to pick up the designated descent routes down Bethecar Moor, or bail west directly towards the lake
Stang Hill (Arnsbarrow Hill South Top) → Finish (4.4 km, 57 m)
From Stang Hill, the route begins its long, gradual descent heading south-west across the expanse of Bethecar Moor. The path transitions from trackless heather into more defined, stony bridleways and farm tracks as you lose altitude. Dropping off the moorland, you will hit the tarmac of the quiet, single-track road running along the eastern shore of Coniston Water, which you will follow north back to your starting car park. (Note: The 57m of ascent on this stage accounts for the undulating nature of the lakeside road and minor farm tracks)
WaypointsBethecar Moor: The sprawling, descending southern flank of the fells. High Nibthwaite: The small hamlet at the southern tip of the lake marking your return to the valley floor. East of Lake Road: The quiet tarmac lane shadowing Coniston Water. Dodgson Wood / Start Point: The finish line
Decision pointThe Valley Funnel: The paths off Bethecar Moor naturally funnel you down toward the hamlet of High Nibthwaite. Coniston Water: Once you hit the road at the bottom, the lake becomes your infallible handrail once again. Keep the water strictly on your left, and the road will lead you unerringly north back to your car
Easy to get wrongSlippery Tracks: The stony bridleways descending Bethecar Moor can be slick after rain, and are often heavily rutted by farm vehicles and mountain bikes. The Tarmac Slog: Walking several kilometers on hard tarmac at the end of a hike can be punishing on feet that have been damp from the plateau bogs all day. Be prepared for a mental shift to "endurance mode" for the road walk. Blind Corners: The east-shore road is narrow and winding. While quiet, vehicles can appear suddenly around blind corners; stay alert and keep dogs on a short lead
If you need to get offThis entire stage is an exit route. The descent off Bethecar Moor commits you to the valley floor. Once you hit the lakeside road at High Nibthwaite, you are completely safe and on the most direct, hazard-free path back to the start
Summits bagged (3)
- 1Top o' Selside (Wainwright summit)332 m
- 2Arnsbarrow Hill322 m
- 3Stang Hill (Arnsbarrow Hill South Top)316 m
In the order you walk them — the same numbers the elevation profile, the stage notes and the pacing table use.
Getting there & parking
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 →
💧 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.)
Buses
The nearest bus stop we hold is the 505 at Monk Coniston, at Hall, 6.4 km of walking from this start — not realistically reachable without a car.
Rural routes change seasonally — confirm on stagecoachbus.com (opens in new tab) 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.
- Dodgson Wood car park, Coniston Water east shore (Forestry England)
- Rigg Wood Car Park
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
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 4.3 km (drop to Start) — roughly half the distance.