Cat Bells (Catbells)
451m (1480ft)
Cat Bells (Catbells) is in The North Western Fells, The Lake District, Cumbria, England
You can walk to the top of Cat Bells (Catbells) by using any of these 6 route maps:
Walk c399 Cat Bells and Derwent Water from Keswick
Very popular fell with fine views
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Vital Statistics:
| Length: | 3.75ml (6km) |
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| Ascent: | 1,628ft (496m) |
| Time: | 3 hrs |
| Grade: |  (Moderate) |
Route Summary:
Keswick - Derwent Water Launch - Nichol End Pier - Hawes End Pier - Newlands Valley - Woodford's Path - Cat Bells (Catbells) - Hawes End Pier - Derwent Water Launch - Keswick
Walk c291 Cat Bells and High Spy from Hawes End
Very popular fell with fine views
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Vital Statistics:
| Length: | 8.25ml (13km) |
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| Ascent: | 2,512ft (766m) |
| Time: | 5½ hrs |
| Grade: |  (Moderate) |
Route Summary:
Hawes End - Derwent Water - Newlands Valley - Skelgill Bank - Woodford's Path - Cat Bells (Catbells) - Maiden Moor - High Spy (North Top) - High Spy - Dalehead Tarn - Newlands Valley - Newlands Church - Little Town - Hawes End
Walk c405 Cat Bells, High Spy and Castle Crag from Hawes End
Popular walk with good views of Derwent Water
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Vital Statistics:
| Length: | 10mls (16km) |
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| Ascent: | 3,349ft (1,082m) |
| Time: | 7.25hrs |
| Grade: |  (Hard) |
Route Summary:
Hawes End - Derwent Water - Skelgill Bank - Woodford's Path - Cat Bells (Catbells) - Maiden Moor - Narrow Moor - High Spy (North Top) - High Spy - Dale Head Tarn - Rigghead Quarries - The Allerdale Ramble - Castle Crag - River Derwent - Yewdale Knott - Manesty - Manesty Band - Hawes End - Derwent Water.
Walk c100 The Newlands Horseshoe from Hawes End
Popular Horseshoe route with fine views
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Vital Statistics:
| Length: | 10.25ml (16.5km) |
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| Ascent: | 3,585ft (1,093m) |
| Time: | 7½ hrs |
| Grade: | (Hard) |
Route Summary:
Hawes End - Derwent Water - Skelgill Bank - Woodford's Path - Cat Bells (Catbells) - Maiden Moor - High Spy (North Top) - High Spy - Dalehead Tarn - Dale Head (Newlands) - Hindscarth - High Crags - Scope End - Low Snab Farm - Newlands Church - Little Town - Newlands Valley - Hawes End - Derwent Water.
Walk c313 The Newlands Fells from Hawes End
Classic Lakeland
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Vital Statistics:
| Length: | 12mls (19km) |
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| Ascent: | 4,152ft (1,266m) |
| Time: | 8½ hrs |
| Grade: |  (Hard) |
Route Summary:
Hawes End - Derwent Water - Skelgill Bank - Woodford's Path - Cat Bells (Catbells) - Maiden Moor - High Spy (North Top) - High Spy - Dale Head Tarn - Dale Head (Newlands) - Hindscarth Edge - Hindscarth - Littledale Edge - Robinson - High Snab Bank - Newlands Church - Little Town - Hawes End - Derwent Water.
Walk c459 The Greater Newlands Horseshoe from Hawes End
Popular Horseshoe route with fine views
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Vital Statistics:
| Length: | 14.5ml (23km) |
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| Ascent: | 5,409ft (1,648m) |
| Time: | 11 hrs |
| Grade: |  (Very Hard) |
Route Summary:
Hawes End - Derwent Water - Skelgill Bank - Woodford's Path - Cat Bells (Catbells) - Maiden Moor - High Spy (North Top) - High Spy - Dalehead Tarn - Dale Head (Newlands) - Hindscarth - Littledale Edge - Robinson - High Snockrigg - Moss Force - Newlands Hause - Knott Rigg - Ard Crags - Birkrigg - Keskerdale Beck - Newlands Church - Newlands Beck - Little Town - Skelgill Farm - Hawes End Derwent Water.
Interactive Walking Maps
See Cat Bells (Catbells) and the surrounding tops on our unique, downloadable, PDF Peak Bagging Maps:
NB: Whether you print off a copy or download it to your phone, these PDF Peak Baggers' Maps might prove incredibly useful when your are up there on the tops and you cannot get a phone signal.
*This version is marked with the walk routes you need to follow to Walk all 214 Wainwrights in just 59 walks.
See Cat Bells (Catbells) and the surrounding tops on our free-to-access 'Google Style' Peak Bagging Maps:
The North Western Fells of The Lake District National Park
Less data - quicker to download
The Whole of The Lake District National Park
More data - might take a little longer to download
You can find Cat Bells (Catbells) & all the walks that climb it on these unique free-to-access Interactive Walk Planning Maps:
1:25,000 scale OS Explorer Map (orange/yellow covers):
1:50,000 scale OS Landranger Maps (pink/magenta covers):
Fellow go4awalkers who have already walked, climbed, scaled, summited, hiked & bagged Cat Bells (Catbells)
Neil Walker walked up Cat Bells (Catbells) on June 1st, 1982 [from/via/route] Car Park. [with] Doddridge & Commercial St URC
Martin Woods climbed it on July 30th, 2025 [from/via/route] Catbells loop over Dalehead with Crush [with] Crush [weather] Mixed with no wind.
Martin Hartshorne bagged it on April 25th, 2025 [from/via/route] Chapel bridge [with] finley [weather] Started warm & sunny with a cool breeze then clouded over later
Nick Tippins hiked Cat Bells (Catbells) on January 1st, 2025 [from/via/route] Cat Bells Circular from Grange [with] Fran
Sarah Gunn summited on February 27th, 2024 [from/via/route] From Littletown [with] Martin Gunn, Dan Gunn and Shannon Worton
To add (or remove) your name and experiences on this page - Log On and edit your Personal Mountain Bagging Record
. . . [see more walk reports]
Photographs & Pictures of views from, on, or of, Cat Bells (Catbells)
Cat Bells (Catbells) (foreground) with Skiddaw and Blencathra (distance left) and Derwent Water from Maiden Moor
Cat Bells (Catbells) (foreground) with Derwent Water, Keswick and Skiddaw (centre left) and Blencathra (right) from Maiden Moor
Ullock Pike, Carl Side, Skiddaw and Little Man (Skiddaw) from Cat Bells (Catbells)
Cat Bells (Catbells) from Maiden Moor The Newlands Horseshoe with Keswick and Skiddaw beyond
Bassenthwaite Lake (far left), Skiddaw (left), Blencathra (or Saddleback) (right), Keswick and Derwent Water from Cat Bells (Catbells)
Cat Bells (Catbells) from near Barrow Bay on the Eastern shore of Derwent Water
Cat Bells (Catbells) with Dale Head (Newlands) & Hindscarth beyond from Latrigg
. . . see all 61 walk photographs & pictures of views from, on, or of, Cat Bells (Catbells)
Send us your photographs and pictures on, of, or from Cat Bells (Catbells)
If you would like to add your walk photographs and pictures to this page, please send them as email attachments (configured for any computer) along with your name to:
and we shall do our best to publish them.
(Guide Resolution = 300dpi. At least = 660pixels (wide) x 440 pixels (high).)
You can also submit photos via our Facebook Page.
NB. Please indicate where each photo was taken and whether you wish us to credit your photos with a Username or your First Name/Last Name.
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