Eastern Fells · Book 1

Great Rigg

Great Rigg is a Wainwright, one of the 214 Lake District fells in Alfred Wainwright’s Pictorial Guides. At 766 m (2,513 ft) it is the 54th highest of the 214 and the 15th highest in the Eastern Fells.

Height: 766 m; 2,513 ft
Rank: 54; of 214
In area: 15; of 35
Difficulty: Easy

Great Rigg in the Eastern Fells of the Lake District — Photo: Akiralx via Wikimedia Commons

About Great Rigg

A high step on the Fairfield Horseshoe with long looks over Rydal and Deepdale. The ascent is steady, the terrain clean, and the summit a perfect breather before Fairfield proper.

From the Rydal valley Great Rigg is a gentle swelling on Fairfield's western ridge, but from Grasmere it stands up as a mountain of its own. It is 766 m high with only 31 m of prominence, so it barely counts as a separate summit.

Many walkers reach it on the Fairfield Horseshoe from Ambleside, starting at the Rydal Road car park (NY 376 047). On the western arm, a cairned path runs along the grassy ridge over Nab Scar and Heron Pike to Great Rigg, and then 1.5 km on to Fairfield. Walked in the other direction, it is the natural way off Fairfield, a broad ridge heading south at an easy gradient.

The more direct climb starts in Grasmere village (NY 337 074). Follow the lanes signed to Greenhead Gill and Alcock Tarn, then climb the steep, narrow path to Stone Arthur, where bracken crowds in during summer. From there the southwest ridge leads up to Great Rigg. A circuit that carries on south over Heron Pike and Nab Scar and back along the coffin road from Rydal to Grasmere is about 12.5 km with 800 m of ascent.

The west side is grass all the way down to Tongue Gill. To the east Stone Cove drops more roughly to Rydal Beck. The summit has a big cairn, named Greatrigg Man on large-scale maps. The view west over the central fells is good, and on a clear day you can pick out ten lakes and tarns of a decent size.

In winter

The ridge north to Fairfield rises gently, but the Fairfield plateau beyond has few landmarks in snow, and coming back down you need a compass to pick up the Great Rigg ridge and not a steeper one. Stone Arthur's narrow path is slippery when frozen.

Great Views
Family Walk
Dog Friendly

Sources: Wikipedia: Great Rigg, Walk Lakes: Stone Arthur, Great Rigg, Heron Pike and Nab Scar, Walk Lakes: The Fairfield Horseshoe. Updated 22 September 2026.

Summit

OS grid ref: NY 355 103
Latitude: 54.48479° N
Longitude: 2.99579° W
Area: Eastern Fells

Walking up Great Rigg

The nearest car park on foot is Broadgate Meadow Car Park, 4.3 km (2.7 miles) from the summit along mapped paths. Directions to the car park

Route from Broadgate Meadow Car Park

Distance: 4.3 km; 2.7 miles, one way
Ascent: 695 m; Total climb to the summit
Time up: 1 h 56 min; Allow 1 to 3 hours

Height in metres along the path from Broadgate Meadow Car Park to the summit.

Times use Naismith’s rule, 5 km/h on the flat plus extra time for the climb, with Langmuir’s corrections. It’s a rule of thumb for the way up only, so add stops, weather and the walk back down.

The route follows paths mapped by OpenStreetMap contributors and isn’t a guided line. Check the mountain forecast before you go and carry a map and compass.

Great Rigg questions

Is Great Rigg a Wainwright?

Yes. Great Rigg is one of the 214 fells Alfred Wainwright described in his Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells, in Book 1, The Eastern Fells.

How high is Great Rigg?

Great Rigg is 766 metres (2,513 feet) high. That makes it the 54th highest of the 214 Wainwrights and the 15th highest in the Eastern Fells.

Where do you park for Great Rigg?

The nearest car park on foot is Broadgate Meadow Car Park, 4.3 km (2.7 miles) from the summit along mapped paths.

How long does it take to climb Great Rigg?

From Broadgate Meadow Car Park it is 4.3 km with 695 m of ascent. Naismith's rule, with Langmuir's corrections, puts the climb at about 1 h 56 min, so allow 1 to 3 hours to reach the summit at your own pace, plus the walk back down.

How hard is Great Rigg?

Upfell rates Great Rigg as easy. Check the mountain weather forecast before you set out and carry a map and compass.

Which Wainwrights are near Great Rigg?

The closest are Fairfield (873 m, 1.4 km N), Stone Arthur (504 m, 1.4 km SW) and Hart Crag (822 m, 1.5 km NE).

What is the grid reference for the summit of Great Rigg?

The summit is at OS grid reference NY 355 103, or 54.48479, -2.99579 in latitude and longitude.