Wainwright Walks for Dog Owners
a great way to explore the Lake District with your pooch
Alfred Wainwright was a lover of the Lake District who famously recorded 214 of the Lakeland Fells in his pictorial guides. Seven volumes of hill walks, with hand drawn illustrations by the man himself, which have now become something of a bible to ramblers who set out to climb them all.
These 214 fells are now known as ‘The Wainwrights’. Wainwright bagging is a great outdoor activity which your dog can join in with, and it’s a great way to explore new and often less well known parts of the Lake District.
While there are many dogs out there who have completed all 214, some are more dog friendly than others, and we’ve compiled some of our favourites into a quick guide for you here.
Easier Walks
Walla Crag
What if we told you there was an easy fell walk with unparalleled views from the summit, just a stone’s throw from one of Britain’s most dog friendly towns?
Take a walk up to the summit of Walla Crag via Great Wood, where the woodland trails afford plenty of opportunities for off lead time. Eventually you emerge from the trees for a final stretch uphill to gain the summit, where there’s a jaw dropping view over Derwentwater and the surrounding fells – most of which you’ll need to climb to bag all of the Wainwrights. With outstanding views for low effort, this would be a great first fell to start someone on their Wainwright bagging journey.
Depending on your route you might come across a few stiles, but these are generally the manageable kind, rather than the awkward ladder kind. Should you want to make the most of the elevation you’ve gained, you can easily walk across to Bleaberry Fell from the top – but beware that this extension is often boggy!
Suggested route: Walla Crag and the Great Wood
Dodd
When you think of a Lakeland fell walk, an open grassy hillside dotted with sheep is probably the first thing that springs to mind for most people. A jaunt up to the summit of Dodd is about as far from that as you can get, and is one of our favourite Wainwright walks.
This small fell in the Skiddaw range is in the heart of a Forestry Commission woodland, with a straightforward, stile free trail to the top which is mostly through the trees, and is perfect for being able to let your dog off the lead without having to worry about livestock. It’s only as you begin the last push up to the summit that the trees clear and you are rewarded with a spectacular view in all directions.
This walk shouldn’t take more than a few hours, but you can extend your visit by visiting one of the osprey viewing platforms looking down over Bassenthwaite Lake, or call in at the cafe (dogs welcome at outside tables) for a bite to eat.
Suggested route: Skiddaw to Dodd
Gowbarrow Fell
It doesn’t have to be a long or challenging hill walk for you to have a thoroughly wonderful time. Nowhere is this truer than at Gowbarrow Fell, where a walk up to the top of the hill can be combined with a visit to the beautiful waterfall at Aira Force. While the waterfall is popular, once on the hillside the crowds disappear and there are some incredible views across Ullswater.
This gentle walk is a great introduction to the Wainwrights for little legs or paws setting out at the start of their fell bagging careers. The view from the top takes in Place Fell, Red Screes and St Sunday Crag, as well as Helvellyn and Blencathra in the distance.
The area around the start at Aira Force is one of the best places to spot red squirrels, who are well established in the parkland and can often be seen helping themselves from one of the feeders on the site. Early morning or late afternoon is the best time to see them, but you could get lucky at any time.
Suggested route: Aira Force and Gowbarrow Fell
Rannerdale Knotts
Maybe the name Rannerdale Knotts rings a bell – a bluebell, that is. This small fell overlooking Buttermere and Crummock Water is best known for its sweeping carpet of bluebells in late April and early May, when visitors flock to see one of the best bluebell displays in Britain. According to a rather gruesome local legend, the bluebells sprang up from the blood of Norse warriors who wereslain in battle here in 1066.
While this is a very popular walk in spring and summer, Rannerdale Knotts is much quieter for the rest of the year, when you can still find fantastic views over the Lakes with a shorter fell walk which is good for beginners.
Keen Wainwright baggers can visit the church in Buttermere, where you’ll find a memorial to the man himself, while dogs will appreciate the opportunity to have a paddle in Crummock Water. In dry, warm weather do keep an eye out for blue-green algae which occurs naturally in fresh water lakes, and which is very harmful to dogs.
Suggested route: Rannerdale Knotts
Loughrigg Fell
Justifiably popular, a romp up the small hill of Loughrigg Fell is much more than just a fell walk. You can start from the pretty town of Ambleside, where you can find a multitude of dog friendly shops and cafés, for a relatively straightforward walk up to the summit. At the top you’ll find panoramic views of the surrounding fells and a trig pillar which has seen many a dog posing on top for a photo.
An alternative start point in Rydal provides the opportunity to visit Rydal Cave: a manmade quarry accessed via stepping stones. While the cave is very popular for photos, be aware that the occasional slab of rock is known to fall from the ceiling!
Another highlight of the route is a stretch along the shore of Rydal Water, which is perfect for dogs who like a swim.
Suggested route: Loughrigg Fell from Rydal
Moderate Walks
Barf
If you’ve driven down the A66 north of Keswick, you might have caught a glimpse of the Bishop of Barf. This white rock perches precipitously on the steep fell side, and stands as a memorial to the Bishop of Londonderry, who in 1783 tried to reach the rock on his horse. The tale doesn’t end well for him, but each year since the rock has been painted white in remembrance.
An ascent of Barf itself best avoids this slope entirely, which Wainwright described as: “Not a walk. A very stiff scramble, suitable only for people overflowing with animal strength and vigour.” This route is strongly discouraged and is a mountain rescue hotspot, with a much easier and more enjoyable approach starting from Whinlatter Forest visitor centre. As well as being a safer and easier route, this has the added bonus of including plenty of woodland trails where dogs can be safely off lead.
From this direction, you’ll get to the summit of Lord’s Seat before arriving at the top of Barf, meaning you get two Wainwrights for the ascent of one. The views from the summit of Barf are outstanding and worth saving for a nice day.
Suggested route: Lords Seat and Barf from Whinlatter Visitor Centre
Illgill Head & Whin Rigg
The mountains in Wainwright’s volume of Southern Fells are where the landscape starts to get really dramatic, and here you’ll find some of the Lake District’s most breath taking hill walks.
Occasionally these fells can have troublesome approaches which should be substituted for a safer alternative route with dogs, such as Jack’s Rake in the Langdales. Another is Illgill Head and Whin Rigg, the fells which are home to the famous Wastwater Screes. The screes make for an impressive sight when driving to Wasdale Head, but attempting to traverse them makes for a rather tricky and dicey walk.
Happily, the screes can be avoided by starting from the opposite side of the hills in Miterdale. The walk before you begin your ascent is fairly long but also reasonably flat and easy, following a farm track which eventually climbs steadily past Burnmoor Tarn to Illgill Head, where you’ll get a great view back towards Wasdale Head on your way up. It’s an easy stroll to the summit of Whin Rigg from Illgill Head: there’s a sheer drop off to one side, but it’s possible to keep well back from this as you stride along the ridge.
The descent back through the forestry plantation offers the opportunity for dogs to have a stretch off the lead.
Suggested route: Whin Rigg and Illgill Head
Blake Fell
The best thing about bagging Wainwrights is that it takes you to all sorts of places in the Lake District which you’d never know about otherwise. Often frequented only by locals or other Wainwright baggers, there are some great walks which fall into the category of hidden gems – a rarity in the Lake District.
There are dozens of little known hills which you’ll encounter on your Wainwrights journey, but Blake Fell is a great option for dog owners. Start your climb from Cogra Moss, a forest plantation and angling reservoir, which is blissfully livestock free and popular with local dog walkers. The paths as far as the dam are on well surfaced tracks, while beyond this point there is a network of narrower trails to explore further afield.
The climb up to the top of Blake Fell is hard work at times, but you’ll probably have the summit mostly to yourself, where you can enjoy views over the northern Lake District, Solway Coast and even the Isle of Man on a clear day. You can extend your route easily to bag two other nearby Wainwrights, Gavel Fell and Burnbank Fell.
Suggested route: Blake Fell and Cogra Moss Circular
Challenging Walks
Catbells
There’s perhaps no fell that’s inspired more people to start their Wainwright bagging journey than Catbells. This most iconic of hills is undoubtedly one of the most popular walks in the Lake District, but with incredible views from the summit and being quick to reach from Keswick it’s easy to see why.
Parking at the bottom of the path is limited, but you can incorporate a romp up Catbells with a lap of Derwentwater from the centre of Keswick – if you’re feeling energetic! Another alternative start is to head across the water from Keswick Launch – how many hikes can you start by boat?
Cat Bells can be tackled on its own as a good way to introduce novice hikers (including dogs) to some easy scrambling, with one short section which requires you to use your hands as well as your feet. Or, once you’ve gained the summit, it’s an easy extension to bag two more Wainwrights, Maiden Moor and High Spy. From here, you can finish off with a beautiful walk back down the Newlands Valley, or go all out and tackle the full Newlands Round to bag more summits (which is not a route to be underestimated).
Suggested route: Catbells to High Spy
Helvellyn
Voted as Britain’s favourite hike by ITV’s Britain’s Favourite Walks, there’s surely no fell more popular than Helvellyn. Many people choose to tackle Helvellyn via one of its knee wobbling grade 1 scrambles, Striding Edge or Swirral Edge, but for many dog owners these approaches should be avoided due to risk of injury – for yourself, your dog or other hikers near you.
Fear not though, as it’s possible to get to the top of this mountain via an alternative, safer route which requires absolutely no scrambling. Starting on the Thirlmere side of the hill, from either Swirls or Wythburn car parks, is a much less scary option and is the best choice for dog owners: it’s still a long old slog up to the top though!
Once you’re up there, it’s all worth it for a view of almost every mountain range in the Lake District. For a straightforward walk with practically no additional ascent, you can also bag two more Wainwrights: Nethermost Pike and Dollywaggon Pike. As an added bonus, the route from Thirlmere is stile free.
Suggested route: Helvellyn Round from Thirlmere
Before you set off
Getting out in the hills is an increasingly popular activity, and while there’s nothing like a good bracing hill walk to blow away the cobwebs, mountain rescue have seen a corresponding increase in the number of call outs to rescue people from the fells. Before you set off on your walk you should read this information from Mountain Rescue to make sure that you are properly prepared for your walk: Mountain Rescue Safety Advice.
