Catbells from Hawse End

Catbells is the most recognisable small fell above Derwentwater, its double-humped ridge visible from most of Keswick. The standard route starts at Hawse End, on the western shore, at a small car park that Walking Britain calls Gutherscale, reached on foot round through Portinscale or by the Keswick Launch across the lake. From there the path climbs directly up the ridge, over what walkers call “the two steps”, short rocky sections rather than a continuous scramble, to a narrow summit with a view down the length of Derwentwater to Keswick and Skiddaw beyond.

Alfred Wainwright, who included it in The North-Western Fells, called Catbells “a family fell where grandmothers and infants can climb the heights together”, and it remains one of the few Lakeland summits manageable by most walking families. That reputation undersells the top slightly: the final approach involves enough rock and exposure that small children need a hand, and the path can be greasy after rain. Most people come down the gentler southern flank toward Borrowdale and return along the lakeshore to Hawse End, a loop that Walking Britain times at three hours of walking; retracing the ridge is quicker and rougher underfoot.

The fell was mined for lead in the nineteenth century, and old shaft entrances remain close to the path in places. They are not fenced and are worth walking well round rather than investigating. Sheep graze the lower slopes, so dogs need a lead there, and on open access land the law asks for a short lead from 1 March to 31 July and near livestock at any time.

This is not a walk for anyone wanting solitude. Its combination of a short approach, a ridge that looks harder than it is and easy access from Keswick makes it crowded on any clear weekend, which is why the National Trust, who own the fell as part of their Borrowdale and Derwent Water holding, keep the eroded sections pitched with stone. The Trust notes how small the layby at the start is, so the launch from Keswick or the walk round through Portinscale is the way in for most people, and a weekday morning is the way round the crowd. The Stagecoach Honister Rambler, the seasonal 77/77A, runs from Keswick to Cat Bells, and the Trust also lists a Park and Sail car park in Keswick that pairs with the launch to Hawse End.