Walk The Fairfield Horseshoe from Ambleside
A classic lakeland horseshoe walk
This 11 mile, Grade 7 (Hard), easy-to-follow, hand-crafted walk, complete with GPS Waypoints, starts at Ambleside in the Lake District & will take you about 7¾ hrs to complete.
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Detailed walk route map PDF | |
Vital Statistics: | ||
| Walk No.: | c247 | |
| Length: | 11 miles (17.5km) | |
| Ascent: | 3633 ft (1107m) | |
| Time: | 7¾ hours | |
| Grade: |  | |
| Walk Type: | High Mountains | |
| Gear Needed: | Full mountain gear including boots, warm layers, waterproofs, food & water, and good weather | |
Be Adventure Smart
If walking in the Lake District (and anywhere else) please be adventure smart.
Ask yourself 5 questions before you set off:
- Am I confident I have the KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS for the day?
- Do I know what the WEATHER will be like?
- Do I have the right GEAR for the day?
- Do I have enough FOOD & DRINK for the day?
- Do I have all the ESSENTIAL ITEMS for the day?
Note that there is no mobile phone or WiFi coverage in many parts of the Lake District
A dedicated GPS Device can be a good navigational aid, but only if you know how to use it properly. See The Myths and Truths about GPS for Walking and Hiking
Route outline for this walk:
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
Peaks, Summits and Tops reached on this walk:
 4 English Mountains |
 8 Wainwrights |
 6 English Nuttalls |
 0 English Deweys |
 0 Wainwright Outlying Fells |
 1 Marilyn |
 0 Bridgets |
Peak Bagging Statistics for this walk:
The highest point of this walk is Fairfield at 873m (2865ft). Fairfield is classified as an English Mountain (Hewitt) (15th highest in England, 35th highest in England & Wales) and a Wainwright (No. 13).
Fairfield is also known as an English Nuttall (18th highest in England, 40th highest in England & Wales) and an English Marilyn (7th highest in England, 280th highest in the UK).
Completing this walk will also take you to the top of Hart Crag at 822m (2698ft). Hart Crag is classified as an English Mountain (Hewitt) (34th highest in England, 65th highest in England & Wales) and a Wainwright (No. 27).
Hart Crag is also known as an English Nuttall (40th highest in England, 76th highest in England & Wales).
You will also reach the summit of Dove Crag at 792m (2599ft). Dove Crag is classified as an English Mountain (Hewitt) (47th highest in England, 85th highest in England & Wales) and a Wainwright (No. 38).
Dove Crag is also known as an English Nuttall (56th highest in England, 104th highest in England & Wales).
Along the way you will also bag and tick-off:
- Great Rigg at 766m (2514ft). Great Rigg is classified as an English Mountain (Hewitt) (62nd highest in England, 107th highest in England & Wales), a Wainwright (No. 54) and an English Nuttall (76th highest in England, 131st highest in England & Wales).
- High Pike (Scandale) at 656m (2153ft). High Pike (Scandale) is classified as a Wainwright (No. 109)
- Rydal Fell (Heron Pike North Top) at 621m (2038ft). Rydal Fell (Heron Pike North Top) is known as an English Nuttall (231st highest in England, 402nd highest in England & Wales).
- Heron Pike at 612m (2008ft). Heron Pike is classified as a Wainwright (No. 128) and an English Nuttall (246th highest in England, 430th highest in England & Wales)
- Low Pike (Scandale) at 508m (1667ft). Low Pike (Scandale) is classified as a Wainwright (No. 172)
- Nab Scar at 450m (1477ft). Nab Scar is classified as a Wainwright (No. 190)
You can find this walk and other nearby walks on these unique Interactive Walk Planning Maps:
(worth a look if you're new to go4awalk.com & have never seen one of these before.)
1:25,000 scale OS Explorer Maps (orange/yellow covers):
1:50,000 scale OS Landranger Map (pink/magenta covers):
Some Photos and Pictures from Walk The Fairfield Horseshoe from Ambleside
In no particular order . . .
Looking down to Alcock Tarn from near Heron Pike with Helm Crag, Gibson Knott and Steel Fell beyond
On Heron Pike - with a view all the way from Lake Windermere to Morecambe Bay
. . . load all 121 pictures & photos from this walk
Send us your photographs and pictures from your walks and hikes
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