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9.58 km · ~114 m ascent · ~2–3 h · loop

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Wray Castle & the Windermere west shore

9.58 km
Distance
~2–3 h
Typical time
~114 m
Ascent
Download GPX →Maps & guidebooks

Key facts

Distance 9.58 km
Ascent ~114 m
Descent ~112 m
Time ~2–3 h
Type Loop
Start Hawkshead
A roughly 6-mile circular taking in the mock-Gothic Wray Castle and the quiet western shore of Windermere. A varied, low-level day — flat underfoot but a fair distance.
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

LengthModerate9.58 km round.
SteepnessEasySteepest sustained pull about 10% around the 6.9 km mark.
TerrainModerateMostly good mountain path. desk assessment — not field-verified
NavigationEasyLow-level and on clear paths or 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.

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
Gentle descent
  • Dog: Gates and kissing gates only — a dog can do the whole route.
  • Buggy: Not a pushchair route.
  • Knees: No sustained steep descent — kind on the knees.

On the line: 6 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).

☀️ 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 43 m to 104 m over 9.6 km, with the summits marked in order. 104 m 43 m 0 km 9.6 km
~114 m
Total ascent
104 m
High point
71 m
Start height

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

This walk covers about 9.58 km with around 114 m of ascent. The map above shows the line; the elevation profile and stage notes are below.

Pacing

SummitCumulativeAscentTime (fast–steady)
Finish9.6 km114 m2:06–2:48

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

The walk, stage by stage

Hawkshead → Finish (9.6 km, 114 m)

Climb of about 114 m over 9.6 km (around 1% average).

Stage-by-stage field notes coming soon.

Summits bagged (0)

    🅿️ Getting there & parking

    Ambleside (various paid) — 3.5 km from the start (straight line)
    Town car parks — Fairfield Horseshoe, Wansfell, Loughrigg from the door.
    Directions
    Church Bridge, Troutbeck (limited) — 4.1 km from the start (straight line)
    For Wansfell, Troutbeck Tongue and the Ill Bell ridge via Garburn Pass.
    Directions

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

    💧 Water, shelter & getting away

    🚌 The Lodge-Wray Castle (410 m)

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

    🚌 Buses

    Stagecoach 555
    Kendal – Staveley – Windermere – Ambleside – Rydal – Grasmere – Thirlmere (Wythburn & Swirls) – Keswick
    Catch it from: Windermere · Ambleside
    Year-round, roughly hourly. The backbone bus of the A591 — ideal for Helvellyn (Wythburn/Swirls), Fairfield, the Central fells and anything around Grasmere/Rydal. From Penrith, take the X4/X5 to Keswick and change.
    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).
    Stagecoach 516 “Langdale Rambler”
    Ambleside – Skelwith Bridge – Elterwater – New Dungeon Ghyll – Old Dungeon Ghyll
    Catch it from: Ambleside · Windermere (change at Ambleside)
    The Langdale bus — Pikes, Bowfell, Crinkle Crags, Pike o' Blisco all walkable from the Dungeon Ghyll stops. Seasonal frequency varies; check before relying on the last bus back.
    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 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 walksEasy walks