Lingmoor Fell Walk | 4 Miles
This circular walk from Little Langdale takes you up Lingmoor Fell for cracking views* across both Great Langdale and back towards the Coniston Fells. After a steady climb to the summit, you loop back down near Blea Tarn before heading back for a post-hike pint at the Three Shires Inn.
* this was another of our wet walks, so we didn’t see the views!
Lingmoor Fell might be modest in height at 469m above sea level, but the views are anything but (on a clear day!). It sits right between two of the most scenic valleys in the Lakes, and from the summit you get a brilliant vantage point over the Langdale Pikes. Alfred Wainwright called it “a fell of much individuality, not easily overlooked” and once you’ve seen its heather-covered slopes and airy summit ridge, it’s easy to see why. Early summer (July-August) is the perfect time to do this walk, as the slopes of Lingmoor Fell are covered in heather.
We started from the Three Shires Inn – as we were staying there we could leave our car in the car park. There is another car park at Dale End Farm which is £5 all day, so I’ll start the route description from there.
Leaving the car park at Dale End Farm, turn right to continue along the track, passing the farmhouse and small honesty shop, then head along the rough track for around 180m until you reach a pair of wooden gates on the left.
The footpath heads up the hillside, with a couple of steep switchbacks, before reaching a cairn and a seat. Passing these, the well trodden route continues over the col and then runs alongside the rollercoaster of a dry stone wall.
There is a short climb up to a stile, and just over the stile is the summit of Lingmoor Fell, known as Brown How. The views over the Langdales are meant to be amazing from here, but all we could see was the rain and mist!
We headed back over the stile and followed the wall line running downhill and south-west. There are stunning views over Blea Tarn and beyond to Wetherlam (honestly).
There is a well worn path running back down the hillside, which is steep and rocky in places, but it soon takes you down to the Blea Tarn car park. Here you can have a wander around Blea Tarn if you like, but we were drenched by this point (and I’d ripped my waterproof coat on some barbed wire) so we hurried on!
Our route runs back to Little Langdale along Side Gates – take care on here, because it’s a narrow and windy road, and people seem to drive as though it’s wide and straight! We passed over the cattle grid and continued on our way.
We came to a junction – the left hand turn is back to the car park at Dale End, and continuing a short distance along the road will take you to the Three Shires Inn for a post-hike pint.
This is (yet another) walk we’ll have to do on a dry day to get the views!
Here’s a post about a weekend stay in Little Langdale if you want some walking weekend inspiration.
Walk Map (Opens in OS Maps): Lingmoor Fell Circular Walk
Parking: Dale End Farm, Little Langdale, Ambleside LA22 9NZ – W3W: rainwater.slowly.shoppers
Facilities: The Three Shires Inn is a short distance from Dale End, but there are no other facilities. Remember to take all your litter home with you to protect this beautiful place.
Walk Time: 2-3 hours
Difficulty: ▲▲
Distance: 4.25 miles (6.8km)
Trig Points Bagged: None
Wainwrights Bagged: Lingmoor Fell
For more Wainwright walks, you might like:
Dash Falls and Skiddaw Walk | 10 Miles
Burnbank Fell, Blake Fell and Gavel Fell | 8 Miles
Holme Fell, Black Fell and Tarn Hows Waterfalls | 7 Miles
and you can check out the full list of Wainwrights by Book which has walks to bag each summit (as we’re doing them).
