Rannerdale

Bluebells and a crab apple tree on the flanks of a fell

Situated between Buttermere and Crummock Water lies Rannerdale Knotts. It has everything you could wish for in a Lake District fell - panoramic views as well as peace and quiet that is often difficult to find these days - plus a picturesque 'secret' valley.

Ridge with a view

From the ridge, you can see three lakes and many higher and more famous peaks, notably Haystacks, described by Alfred Wainwright as: 'the best fell top of all'. Despite this he left it out of his 'best half dozen walks' due to it’s comparative lack of height at only 597m.
 
Usually climbed from Buttermere, Haystacks can also be accessed from Honister via the old quarry tramway.
 

The tallest waterfall around

Looking across Crummock water from Rannerdale’s summit you may pick out the narrow gorge of Scale Beck where it enters the lake. This leads us to Scale Force, the tallest waterfall in the Lake District at 51.8m
 
Scale Force was one of the required sites to see in Victorian times. Wordsworth described it as: 'a fine chasm with a lofty but slender fall' and launches ran regularly across the lake to take sightseers to within a short walk of the falls.