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10.33 km · ~298 m ascent · ~2.5–3.5 h · loop

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Watendlath & the packhorse bridge

10.33 km
Distance
~2.5–3.5 h
Typical time
~298 m
Ascent
Download GPX →Maps & guidebooks

Key facts

Distance 10.33 km
Ascent ~298 m
Descent ~302 m
Time ~2.5–3.5 h
Type Loop
Start Borrowdale (B5289)
A roughly 6.4-mile Borrowdale loop up to the hidden hamlet of Watendlath, its tarn and the much-photographed packhorse bridge, returning down the valley. A satisfying low-level half-day.
✎️ 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.

🧭 The automated detail on this page — distance, climb, pacing and a first-pass difficulty read — is live. Hand-written field notes are being added.

Difficulty profile

LengthModerate10.33 km round.
SteepnessHardSteepest sustained pull about 33% around the 9.7 km mark.
TerrainModerateMostly good mountain path. desk assessment — not field-verified
NavigationEasyValley paths and lanes — easy to follow even in poor visibility.
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
Elevation profile Rises from about 69 m to 265 m over 10.3 km, with the summits marked in order. 265 m 69 m 0 km 10.3 km
~298 m
Total ascent
265 m
High point
82 m
Start height

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

This walk covers about 10.33 km with around 298 m of ascent. 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 ~33% drop around the 9.6 km mark — hard on the knees.

On the line: 19 gates · 3 kissing 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 and we’ll fix it. Barrier data as of 2026-07-09. Access data © OpenStreetMap contributors (via Overpass).

Pacing

SummitCumulativeAscentTime (fast–steady)
Finish10.3 km298 m2:34–3:25

Naismith-based estimate — a fast/steady range. Your pace will vary.

The walk, stage by stage

Borrowdale (B5289) → Finish (10.3 km, 298 m)

Climb of about 298 m over 10.3 km (around 3% average).

Stage-by-stage field notes coming soon.

Summits bagged (0)

    🅿️ Getting there & parking

    Great Wood, Keswick (NT, paid) — 2.5 km from the start (straight line)
    Under Walla Crag on the Borrowdale road.
    Directions
    Hawse End / Skelgill Bank, Catbells (roadside, limited) — 2.7 km from the start (straight line)
    Very limited roadside parking — better to use the 77 bus or the Keswick launch to Hawse End.
    Directions

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

    💧 Water, shelter & getting away

    🚺 map (40 m)🚌 Lodore Hotel (S bound) (18 m)🚌 Lodore Hotel (N bound) (38 m)

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

    🚌 Buses

    Stagecoach 78 “Borrowdale Rambler”
    Keswick – Lodore – Grange – Rosthwaite – Seatoller
    Catch it from: Keswick (connect via 555 or X4/X5)
    Year-round, frequent in season. Serves all the Borrowdale starts — Glaramara, the Scafells and Great Gable via Seathwaite (alight Seatoller, 20 min walk up the lane).
    Stagecoach 77 / 77A “Honister Rambler”
    Keswick – Portinscale – Hawse End (Catbells) – Grange – Seatoller – Honister Pass – Buttermere – Lorton – Whinlatter – Keswick (circular)
    Catch it from: Keswick (connect via 555 from Windermere/Ambleside or X4/X5 from Penrith)
    Seasonal (roughly Easter–October). Brilliant for the North Western fells: Catbells, Dale Head from Honister, the Buttermere fells and Whinlatter.

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

    ⚠️ Safety & conditions

    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

    Easier and harder options coming soon.

    ⬇️ Download

    Download GPX

    GPX track for your GPS or phone.

    Appears in these collections
    Dog-friendly walks