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Orrest Head from Windermere (station)

Start/Finish

As close to Windermere station as one can park. There is some on road parking a little towards Ambleside past the Nat West Bank on the main road.

Distance/Time

2 km    About 1 hour

Peaks

Orrest Head, 238 m, SD 414 994.

OS 1 : 25 000 Outdoor Leisure 5, English Lake District NE Area.

Introduction

Orrest Head is famous for being the hill which Wainwright first ascended on a day trip and inspired him to start his adventures in the Lake District – the rest, as they say, is history! It is an excellent viewpoint, especially for Windermere, the Coniston Fells, Langdale Pikes, High Street range and many more. There is a viewfinder cairn on the summit but no summit cairn. The ascent takes most people less than 30 minutes.

Route

(1) Locate the Nat West Bank, near the station. Cross over the main road to where there is a large sign for Orrest Head and follow the road up, ignoring a left fork soon after the start. Follow the road up, leaving it on paths which cut corners. The first such path goes off left down the side of a wall by a house; the second goes off to the right. Higher up, there is a sign then a path leaves the track and goes up to the right to reach a kissing gate in a gateway with stone plaques either side. Above here, steps go directly to the summit. A less steep way is to go right and follow the wall to the crest then go left to the top. There is no summit cairn; the highest point is actually a stone bench! This marks the summit of Orrest Head, 238 m.

(2) Retrace the route of ascent.

Notes

(a) This walk took place on 26^th February, 2016.