Rydal Fell (Heron Pike North Top)
621m (2038ft)
The Eastern Fells, The Lake District, Cumbria, England
You can find Rydal Fell (Heron Pike North Top) & all the walks that climb it on these unique free-to-access Interactive Walk Planning Maps: (click/TAP to select)
1:25,000 scale OS Explorer Map (the ones with orange/yellow covers):
1:50,000 scale OS Landranger Map (the ones with pink/magenta covers):
See Rydal Fell (Heron Pike North Top) and the surrounding tops on our free-to-access 'Google Style' Peak Bagging Maps:
See Rydal Fell (Heron Pike North Top) and the surrounding tops on our downloadable PDF Peak Bagging Maps:
*Walk & bag all 35 Wainwrights in The Eastern Fells area of The Lake District in just 8 easy-to-follow circular walks.
*This version is marked with the walk routes you need to follow to Walk all 214 Wainwrights in just 59 walks. Click here for more information.
NB: Whether you print off a copy on to paper or download it to your phone, these PDF Peak Baggers Maps will prove incredibly useful when your are up there on the tops and you cannot get a phone signal!
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Vital Statistics:
| Length: | 7ml (11km) |
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| Ascent: | 2,661ft (811m) |
| Time: | 5.25hrs |
| Grade: |  (Moderate) |
Route Summary:
Grasmere - River Rothay - Grasmere (A591) - Stone Arthur - Great Rigg - Rydal Fell (Heron Pike North Top) - Heron Pike - Butter Crag - Alcock Tarn - Brackenfell - Dove Cottage - Grasmere (A591) - Grasmere
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Vital Statistics:
| Length: | 9.5ml (15km) |
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| Ascent: | 3,682ft (1,122m) |
| Time: | 7.25hrs |
| Grade: |  (Hard) |
Route Summary:
Grasmere - Mill Bridge - Little Tongue - Seat Sandal - Grisedale Tarn - Fairfield - Rydal Head - Great Rigg - Rydal Fell (Heron Pike North Top) - Heron Pike - Alcock Tarn - Grasmere
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Vital Statistics:
| Length: | 11ml (17.5km) |
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| Ascent: | 3,633ft (1,107m) |
| Time: | 7.75hrs |
| Grade: | (Hard) |
Route Summary:
Ambleside - Rydal - Nab Scar - Heron Pike - Rydal Fell (Heron Pike North Top) - Great Rigg - Fairfield - Rydal Head - Hart Crag - Dove Crag - High Pike (Scandale) - Low Pike (Scandale) - High Sweden Bridge - High Sweden Coppice - Ambleside
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Vital Statistics:
| Length: | 12.25ml (19.5km) |
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| Ascent: | 3,984ft (1,214m) |
| Time: | 8½ hrs |
| Grade: |  (Hard) |
Route Summary:
Ambleside - Rydal - Nab Scar - Heron Pike - Rydal Fell (Heron Pike North Top) - Greenhead Gill Head - Stone Arthur - Great Rigg - Fairfield - Rydal Head - Hart Crag - Dove Crag - High Pike (Scandale) - Low Pike (Scandale) - High Sweden Bridge - High Sweden Coppice - Ambleside
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Vital Statistics:
| Length: | 12.5ml (20km) |
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| Ascent: | 3,411ft (1,040m) |
| Time: | 8 hrs |
| Grade: | (Hard) |
Route Summary:
Ambleside - Rydal - Nab Scar - Heron Pike - Rydal Fell (Heron Pike North Top) - Great Rigg - Fairfield - Rydal Head - Hart Crag - Dove Crag - Little Hart Crag - Scandale Pass - Red Screes - Snarker Pike - Ambleside
Fellow go4awalkers who have already walked, climbed, summited & bagged Rydal Fell (Heron Pike North Top)
Melfyn Parry walked up Rydal Fell (Heron Pike North Top) on November 21st, 2023 [from/via/route] Followed route C247 - walked out of Ambleside on the A591 & just after Scandale Bridge we crossed the road to follow the lane into the Rydal Hall estate, went passed the cafe & the Hall & then turned right to pass Rydal Mount. Here we veered left to take the stone steps path to the top of Nab Scar, again following a well defined path we were soon on Heron Pike. Continuing along the path with a slight detour to ascend Heron Pike north top. Continuing on to Great Rigg & onwards to Fairfield. We stopped here for lunch & the clouds lifted to give great views over towards Helvellyn & Sunday Crag. After pausing to take some photos we retraced our steps for a few metres before heading left to follow the ridge line to ascend Hart Crag, then Dove Crag & then High Pike. The undulating ridge takes you through some quite boggy areas & on to Low Pike & then down to High Sweden Bridge (a fascinating old bridge). All that was left to do from here was to follow the trail downwards in to Ambleside returning to the village by the Salutation Hotel. [with] DS [weather] Visibility was very good below 800m. By lunchtime the cloud had lifted even more to give clear views of the whole horseshoe. A dry day with sunny intervals, quite cold above 600m but very pleasant below this level. - Doing the walk in a clockwise direction as per C247 is best as the ascent anticlockwise would be much more of a cardio vascular workout.
Christine Shepherd climbed Rydal Fell (Heron Pike North Top) during May, 2007 [from/via/route] Walked from Rydal as part of the Fairfield Horseshoe walk c247 [with] Tony Sailes [weather] Fine & clear at this stage, misty on Fairfield. - I climbed this again on 30.4.11 in the windiest conditions I have ever walked in & again on 26.3.12 & 25.3.18
Shirley Philips has bagged Rydal Fell (Heron Pike North Top) [from/via/route] Fairfield Horseshoe from Ambleside
Kevin Foster hiked Rydal Fell (Heron Pike North Top) on October 21st, 2019 [from/via/route] Ambleside. [with] With Henry. [weather] Sunny with broken high cloud.
Phil Higgins summited Rydal Fell on June 10th, 2018 [from/via/route] Nab Scar (clockwise) [with] Steve Brown [weather] Mixed! - Running Fairfield Horseshoe. 10.49 miles distance. 2:24.
Alan Jolly conquered Rydal Fell on May 10th, 2019 [from/via/route] From Ambleside as part of Fairfield Horseshoe [with] Denis Jolly [weather] Sunny on the way out & sleet & rain on the way back
Simon Myerscough scaled Rydal Fell on October 6th, 2007 [from/via/route] C230 [with] Alan Glasgow & Andy Gill (Shaun's Ambleside weekend) [weather] Sunny & warm - Only one bottle!
Graham Coules walked up Rydal Fell on September 16th, 2017 [from/via/route] Ambleside - Fairfield Horseshoe [weather] Sunny
Tony Deegan climbed Rydal Fell on August 5th, 2017 [from/via/route] Fairfield Horeshoe [with] Si [weather] first half in rain, second half drizzle & sunshine.
Mark Davidson bagged Rydal Fell on December 1st, 2001 [with] The old walking gang [weather] Nice winters' day with snow on the summits
Christine Flitcroft hiked Rydal Fell on April 9th, 2015 [from/via/route] Fairfield Horseshoe [with] Sandra [weather] Sunny
Leon Harvey summited Rydal Fell on August 17th, 2014 [from/via/route] c247 Fairfield Horseshoe [with] Solo [weather] Windy wet
Andy James conquered Rydal Fell during October, 2012 [with] Suzie James
Joanne Mcgawley scaled Rydal Fell on August 16th, 2013 [from/via/route] Ambleside ~ Nab Scar ~ Herons Pike ~ RydaL Fell ~ Great Rigg ~ Fairfield ~ Hart Crag ~ Dove Crah ~ High Pike ~ Low Pike ~ Ambleside [with] Rich [weather] Muggy then windy on tops - 12.06 miles
Iain Jones walked up Rydal Fell on July 16th, 2013 [from/via/route] The Fairfield Horseshoe from Ambleside
Angela O'neill climbed Rydal Fell on July 3rd, 2013 [from/via/route] Amblside [with] John [weather] Dry & Warm
John Nicholson bagged Rydal Fell on July 30th, 2010 [from/via/route] walk c247 The Fairfield Horseshoe from Ambleside reversed. Ambleside to Low pike first
Paul Carmichael hiked Rydal Fell on October 27th, 2012 [from/via/route] walk c247 The Fairfield Horseshoe [with] solo [weather] sunny, windy, cold
Andy Dickinson, Patrick Rogozinski, Matthew Thomas and Adrian Roberts have all walked, climbed & bagged Rydal Fell.
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