Skip to content
View of Wastwater and Scafell Pike from the top of Middle Fell on a clear day in spring.
View of Wastwater from Middle Fell on a sunny day | © National Trust Images/Jo Day
Lake District

Greendale and Middle Fell walk

Not far from the busy slopes of Scafell Pike, discover the quieter side of the Western Fells on this circular walk above Wastwater. There's a hidden mountain tarn, superb views over the Wasdale Screes and, if visibility is good, you may see the Isle of Man rising up like Avalon out of the Irish Sea.

Fell walking

Conditions can change quickly in the mountains. Please wear suitable footwear for the conditions, pack waterproofs and warm layers, and carry a map and compass.

Total steps: 7

Total steps: 7

Start point

Greendale, grid ref: NY144056

Step 1

Starting from the parking on the grassy roadside at Greendale Cottages, follow the path north, uphill and through the bracken. After a third of a mile you will reach the grassy viewing area. Continue walking north up the path.

Step 2

There is a path junction at grid ref. NY143061, about 700yd (650m) from the start. Follow the left-hand terraced path, keeping the gill and its pools immediately to your left. Walk for a further half a mile (0.8km).

Step 3

Where two streams meet at grid ref. NY143064, keep ascending on the path on the right-hand side of the gill, past the rock pools. The path continues gently upwards (crossing some wet ground) for just over half a mile (0.9km), until you arrive at Greendale Tarn.

Step 4

Follow the narrow path along the east side (right-hand side) of Greendale Tarn, heading north for half a mile (0.8km) until you reach the path among the rocky outcrops at the head of Greendale Valley, at grid ref. NY149079.

Step 5

From here follow the grassy path uphill south-east for 350yds (321m) and then south for half a mile (0.8km), until you reach the summit of Middle Fell.

Step 6

The path descends gently south-southwest for 530yd (480m), then descends more steeply, zig-zagging through the small outcrops of rock for half a mile (0.8km). You will arrive at the path junction from Step 2 at grid ref. NY143061.

Step 7

Descend south, back to the start of the walk for around 700yd (650m).

End point

Greendale, grid ref: NY144056

Trail map

Ordnance Survey map of the Greendale and Middle Fell walk
Map of the Greendale and Middle Fell walk | © Crown copyright and database rights 2013 Ordnance Survey

You made it

Share your experience

More near here

View of the rocky summit of Pillar, a mountain in Wasdale in the Western Lake District
Trail
Trail

Pillar trail from Wasdale Head 

Few places in the Lake District have views to compete with those from the Pillar summit, but this route there involves a ascent of over 800m so a high level of fitness required.

Activities
Walking
DistanceMiles: 7.5 (km: 12)

Get in touch

Lake Head car park, near Seascale, Cumbria, CA20 1EX

Our partners

Cotswold Outdoor

We’ve partnered with Cotswold Outdoor to help everyone make the most of their time outdoors in the places we care for.

Visit website 

You might also be interested in

Walkers climbing rocks against a bright blue sky with the mountains in the distance at Sugarloaf, Monmouthshire

Walking 

Explore some of the finest landscapes in our care on coastal paths, accessible trails, woodland walks and everything in between. Find the best places to walk near you.

View over Derwent Water looking towards Skiddaw in the Lake District in spring

Walking in the Lake District 

From gentle ambles to more challenging hikes, these are some of the best walks to explore the heart of the Lake District.

A group of people in a hiking group are being guided on a hike by rangers at Marsden Moor, West Yorkshire
Article
Article

Cotswold Outdoor: our exclusive walking partner 

Find out more about the National Trust’s ongoing partnership with Cotswold Outdoor as our exclusive walking partner.

An aerial view of an adult and baby walking a dog along a path at Baggy Point, Devon
Article
Article

Staying safe at National Trust places 

The special places in National Trust care sometimes come with a few risks for visitors, be it coastline or countryside. Find out how to keep safe throughout your visits.

A visitor carrying a backpack and walking along a footpath at Divis and the Black Mountain with stone walls either side, the countryside visible in the background.
Article
Article

Follow the Countryside Code 

Help to look after National Trust places by observing a few simple guidelines during your visit and following the Countryside Code.

Walkers on the Scafell path with Wastwater in the distance at Wasdale, Cumbria
Article
Article

Things to see and do in Wasdale 

Explore Wasdale to discover England’s highest mountain peak and its deepest lake, and everything else that this area of the Lake District has to offer.

Walkers stopping for a photograph above Hollow Stones on Scafell Pike in Wasdale, Cumbria
Activity
Activity

Climbing Scafell Pike 

Find out more about how to prepare for climbing Scafell Pike, England’s highest mountain peak, and follow safety procedures.

A person walking along a footpath in a grassy landscape on Tennyson Down on the Isle of Wight
Article
Article

Top tips for hill and mountain walking 

Learn about the essential clothing and equipment to take with you, keeping your energy levels up, staying safe and leaving the environment as you found it.