Wainwright's favourite fell of all 214 — and the one where he chose to rest. A rugged little summit of knolls and tarns above Buttermere, with far more character than its modest height suggests. The fell every Wainwright-bagger saves for something special.
Height · 1,959 ft
Gatesgarth circular
~550–590 m ascent
Minor scramble near top
Wainwright's favourite
Haystacks stands at the head of the Buttermere valley, a rough, knobbly little fell of 597 m (1,959 ft) hemmed in by giants — Pillar, Great Gable and the High Stile range all tower over it. Yet Alfred Wainwright, who climbed and drew every one of the 214 fells that bear his name, loved this one above them all. For beauty, variety and sheer interesting detail packed into a small space, he reckoned Haystacks supreme — a fell to be savoured slowly rather than ticked off.
The summit isn't a single peak but a delightful jumble of rocky knolls, hollows and little tarns — Innominate Tarn, Blackbeck Tarn and the summit pools — strung along a plateau with the whole western Lakes laid out around it. It's a moderate walk with a bit of easy hands-on scrambling near the top, well within most walkers' reach. The one genuine caution is navigation up high, which we cover below.
The heart of the fell
Haystacks was where Alfred Wainwright asked to be laid to rest. After his death in 1991, his wife Betty scattered his ashes near Innominate Tarn, the little pool on the summit plateau he'd written about so fondly. He'd told his readers that if they ever came across a bit of grit in their boot-sole as they crossed Haystacks, to treat it kindly — "it might be me."
Down in the valley, St James's Church in Buttermere has a small memorial window dedicated to him, positioned so that it frames the fell itself through the glass. Together they make Haystacks a quiet place of pilgrimage for walkers who grew up with his hand-drawn guides — and a genuinely moving summit to reach, whatever your reason for climbing it. Please treat the tarn and its surroundings gently.
Choose your route
Pick by how far you want to walk and how much climbing you fancy — from the short standard loop to the easiest high start.
The classic and shortest circular. From Gatesgarth Farm at the head of Buttermere, climb to Scarth Gap, up onto the summit knolls, and return down Warnscale Beck. About 5–6 miles, ~550–590 m ascent, 4–5 hours.
Gatesgarth Farm · CA13 9XA
The honest answer to "easiest route up Haystacks." Starting high at Honister Pass, you climb the least — following the old tramway past Dubs Quarry and the Drum House before traversing to the summit. Least ascent, most industrial history.
Highest start · least climbing
Start at St James's Church for the full experience — a longer circuit of around 8.5 miles taking in the Buttermere lake shore on the way to and from the fell. Free church parking or the Buttermere Court Hotel car park.
Via the lake shore · most scenic
See Buttermere walks for how Haystacks links with Fleetwith Pike, Warnscale and the valley's other routes.
The scramble & summit
The final pull onto the summit involves a handful of easy rock steps where you'll use your hands — an enjoyable clamber with no real dangers in good conditions, and a big part of the fell's charm. Once up, the top is pure exploration: knolls to wander between, tarns to sit beside, and a new view around every rise. Give yourself time to potter; this is a summit to linger on, not rush across.
The very feature that makes Haystacks lovely — its maze of knolls and tarns — makes it genuinely confusing in mist. Crucially, there is no safe direct descent from the summit: the north face falls away in crags, so you must traverse around Green Crag to get off. Wainwright warned that it's a bad place to be lost in cloud. Carry a map and compass and know how to use them, check the forecast, and if visibility closes in, navigate carefully back the way you came rather than improvising a shortcut down.
Just off the Warnscale Beck descent sits Warnscale Head Bothy, a tiny restored stone shelter with one of the most photographed windows in the Lakes — it frames Buttermere and Crummock Water perfectly. It's a worthwhile few-minutes' detour and a fine spot to shelter for a brew. Treat it with care under the Mountain Bothies Association code: leave it as you'd wish to find it.
More Buttermere valley walksGetting there & parking
The standard start, at the head of Buttermere. Flat-rate honesty box (around £4, cash) — fills on fine days.
The 77/77A Borrowdale Bus from Keswick stops right at Gatesgarth (~45 minutes, roughly every 30 minutes in season) — an excellent car-free way to reach a valley where parking is tight.
For its height, the outlook is extraordinary. Buttermere and Crummock Water shine below, backed by the High Stile range; Pillar, Great Gable and Scafell Pike crowd the skyline; Ennerdale falls away to the west; and on a clear day you can pick out the Solway Firth and the hills of Scotland. Add the summit's own necklace of tarns — Innominate, Blackbeck and the little pools — and you have one of the most rewarding small-fell panoramas anywhere in the Lakes.
"...the best fell-top of all."
— Alfred Wainwright, on Haystacks
Of all 214 fells he catalogued, Haystacks was the one Wainwright returned to for pleasure and chose as his resting place — a small, rough, endlessly interesting summit he rated for its beauty and variety above every loftier neighbour.
Make a day of it
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Common questions