Wainwrights from Borrowdale

Borrowdale runs south from Derwentwater past Grange and Rosthwaite to Seatoller, where the road turns up Honister Pass, and a lane carries on to Seathwaite Farm under the highest fells in England. Side valleys branch off at Stonethwaite and Langstrath. More than twenty Wainwrights start from its villages or from the top of Honister Pass, across the Central Fells, the Southern Fells, the Western Fells and the North Western Fells.

Think of the valley as five starts rather than one village. Each suits a different group of fells, and using the wrong one can add several kilometres of lane each way.

Parking and buses

• Rosthwaite has a National Trust pay and display car park, the start for Castle Crag, Grange Fell and High Spy. Yew Tree Farm's Flock-in tea room is on the way out of the village towards Castle Crag.
• Stonethwaite has almost no parking. WalkLakes says spaces in the hamlet are for residents, so park considerately on the verges of the approach road. It is the start for Eagle Crag, Sergeant's Crag, Rosthwaite Fell, Great Crag and Ullscarf.
• Seatoller has a National Trust car park, and it is the right start for Glaramara, up past Thorneythwaite Farm.
• Seathwaite has roadside parking on the lane to the farm and a field beside it. It is the start for Base Brown, Seathwaite Fell, Great End, Allen Crags and the Gillercomb way to Green Gable and Great Gable. Using Seatoller for these adds about 2 km of lane each way.
• Honister Pass has the slate mine's walkers' car park, a paying visitors' car park and a National Trust car park behind the youth hostel. It is the start for Dale Head, Grey Knotts and Brandreth. Seatoller is often given as the start for these, but it means climbing the pass on foot first.

The Stagecoach summer 2026 timetable (23 March to 1 November) lists two services:

• 78 Borrowdale Bus, open top, from Keswick to Grange, Rosthwaite and Seatoller, daily and about every half hour
• 77 and 77A Honister Rambler, which stop at Grange, Rosthwaite and Seatoller and carry on over Honister Pass to Buttermere, several times a day

Neither goes up the lane to Seathwaite or into Stonethwaite, so walk from Seatoller or Rosthwaite.

Short walks from the villages

Castle Crag is the short one. The WalkLakes route from Rosthwaite follows the Derwent to New Bridge and climbs past old slate workings to the war memorial on top: 4.5 km with 214 m of ascent, a minimum of 1 hour 15 minutes. It is one of the most common last fells on both completion registers, so don't be surprised to find a party on the summit. Grange Fell goes from Rosthwaite by the Watendlath bridleway to Brund Fell, or from Grange to King's How through the woods. Great Crag is a short climb from Stonethwaite by Lingy End and Dock Tarn. From Grange, a path climbs to Hause Gate, the col between Catbells and Maiden Moor, so you can reach either from the 78. From Honister, Dale Head is about 2 km up a fence line, 45 to 50 minutes for most walkers, and Grey Knotts is a steep kilometre behind the youth hostel. WalkLakes times leave out stops, so allow extra.

Full days from the villages

From Stonethwaite, the WalkLakes round goes up the front of Eagle Crag by gullies and rock terraces, follows the wall to Sergeant's Crag and crosses boggy ground to Ullscarf before dropping down Greenup Gill: 14.7 km with 777 m of ascent. The direct line on Eagle Crag takes care, and you should not come down it. Glaramara from Seatoller is about 3 miles with 2,310 feet of ascent. From Seathwaite, the WalkLakes loop over Base Brown, Green Gable, Great Gable and Seathwaite Fell is 11.7 km with 1,014 m of ascent. Great End is up Grains Gill and Ruddy Gill to Esk Hause, and Allen Crags is a short climb north from there. High Spy goes from Rosthwaite through the old Rigg Head quarries.

Classic rounds from Borrowdale

Scafell Pike from Seathwaite

The longer, finer way to the highest point in England. Walk up to Stockley Bridge and Styhead, then follow the Corridor Route under Great End to the summit boulder field. Come back by Esk Hause and Grains Gill, and add Great End on the way if you have the legs.

The Glaramara ridge

Climb Glaramara from Seatoller, carry on south over Looking Steads to Allen Crags, and come down Grains Gill to Seathwaite. The ridge is about 3 km of rocky ups and downs with tarns along the way. A 15 km loop from Seathwaite takes in Seathwaite Fell as well.

Grey Knotts, Brandreth and the Gables

From Honister, the WalkLakes round of Grey Knotts and Brandreth is 7.6 km with 464 m of ascent and passes Dubs Quarry, whose hut is open as a bothy. For a bigger day, carry on from Brandreth to Green Gable and over Windy Gap to Great Gable.

Seathwaite is one of the wettest places in England, and the high fells above it are serious in poor weather. Carry a map and compass and check the Mountain Weather Information Service (MWIS) forecast before you set out. From Keswick, the 78 makes all of this a day trip: see Wainwrights from Keswick. Buttermere is over Honister, with its own list in Wainwrights from Buttermere, and Great Gable and Scafell Pike are also climbed from the other side, in Wainwrights from Wasdale. For the Catbells ridge above Grange, see the Newlands Horseshoe, and for more walks without a car, Wainwrights by bus.