Difficulty: Easy-Moderate
Wainwright Guide: Book Four – The Central Fells
Nestled between the Great Langdale and Little Langdale Valleys lies the small but mighty Lingmoor fell. Stunning views over the Langdale Pikes and down towards Blea Tarn make this one of the more popular fells in the South Lakes and it’s not hard to see why.
The first time Jonny and I took to this fell the weather was absolutely stunning! The glorious purple heather offset against a bright blue sky and the mountain ranges behind were some of the best views we’ve seen. If you can pick a season to ascend I would definitely go when the heather is out.
Where to Start?
There are a variety of options when it comes to starting locations for this fell. You can start down in Elterwater or Chapel Stile, however I would strongly recommend starting from near the Old Dungeon Ghyll Hotel. There is a car park here, however you do need to get there early. We made the mistake of heading up later in the morning and had to park a little further up the road. If this is case please make sure you choose a suitable spot where you are not obstructing a passing place or a farm entrance!
We ended up parking in the above spot which does cut off the initial part of the ascent from the Old Dungeon Ghyll Hotel, but for us this didn’t detract from how amazing the walk was!
If you do manage to get parked at the hotel you will need to turn right and walk along the road until you can access a footpath via a gate on your left.
The path will then turn right and head uphill, cutting off the road and meeting back up to where Jonny and I had parked.
From our parking spot on the road we looked towards Lingmoor Fell and joined the footpath via a small stile in the wall.
Ascent
The footpath follows the road for a very short while amongst the bracken.
Eventually the path starts to diverge to the left. Follow this path and you come to a small gate where you continue the ascent in the direction of Side Pike.
This small outcrop can be ascended but to continue up Lingmoor Fell itself you would have to turn back around and rejoin the main path. There is no safe way down other than the way in which you went up!
The main footpath is the more obvious route although it does seem counter-intuitive snaking around the rocky outcrop, rather than climbing higher. Looking to the right the views over Blea Tarn and into Little Langdale are incredible though.
There does come a point where you have to squeeze through a small gap or scramble down and around to continue on your journey. As such I wouldn’t attempt this particular route of ascent if you don’t at least have some hiking experience. For the more seasoned hiker it makes for a better adventure though!
From here the route is slightly easier and for the most part you will be following a stone wall or a fence through the heather, occasionally swapping sides of the boundary line.
There are some steep sections where a little scrambling is required but the path is generally easy enough to follow all the way to the summit.
Summit
The summit cairn is located where the path continues through the wall/fence you have been following and takes a sharp right hand turn.
In one direction you can see all the way to Windermere, and in the other you’re looking back towards Side Pike and the Langdale Pikes.
Lingmoor Fell definitely has some of the best 360 summit views in the Lake District!
Descent
You can make your route a circular one and take an alternative descent but the best views on the decline are actually those on the way you came up!
I have to admit I tripped a fair bit on this descent because I was far too busy looking up and in front of me. The beauty of the surroundings is incredible. One of my favourite descents by a long way.
My best advice would be to take your time and enjoy the views on your way down.
Once we got back to the car we headed along to the New Dungeon Ghyll Hotel for a well deserved pint looking up at the fell we had just climbed! There is also a National Trust Cafe here which is a great place for light refreshment too.
Overall I would say that this is a fantastic hike. For those staying in and around the Langdales it makes for a great warm up walk. Easily some of the best and most iconic views you can find of the Langdale Pikes.
Have you completed Lingmoor Fell yet? What way did you head up? Let me know in the comments!
