Seatoller to Honister Horseshoe
Wainwright said of Green Gable that “it is probably true to say that no visitor to Lakeland ever announced at breakfast that this this fell was his day’s objective; and, if he did, his listeners must assume a slip of the tongue: of course he must mean Great Gable.”
Despite not being the primary objective of most fellwalkers, I think that Green Gable offers some of the best views over Buttermere, and the row of Great Gable, Kirk Fell and Pillar look fantastic from this perspective.
Whilst this route turns right at Green Gable and heads directly back to Honister, it is also possible to descend to Windy Gap and bag Great Gable as part of this horseshoe.
Click the image to open the Outdoor Active Route Card
Key Details:
Wainwrights: 4 - Base Brown, Green Gable, Brandreth, Grey Knotts. Great Gable an optional extra.
Distance: 5.9m/9.5km.
Elevation gain: 2750ft/840m.
Terrain: Rocky paths, tracks and a short section of scrambling.
Start/Finish: Seatoller and Honister bus stops.
Public Transport:
78 bus service: all year round-Keswick to Seatoller,
77/77a bus service: additional services from April to November, in a circle from Keswick to Buttermere.
Route Notes
1. Start: From the bus stop in Seatoller, head south for 100m and turn right at the signpost for Seathwaite/Styhead Pass. Follow this road until the road crosses the stream.
2. 0.7m: Leave the road, just before the bridge, and go through the gate on the right. Follow this track until crossing the bottom of Sourmilk Gill.
3. 1.3m: Turn right, heading uphill and keeping the waterfalls to your right. You will cross over the drystone wall and eventually reach a short scramble. Take the rock-seam to the right, and at the top you will rejoin the footpath.
Waterfalls on Sourmilk Gill
The top of Sourmilk Gill, at the mouth of Gillercomb
4. 1.6m: Crossing over the drystone wall will lead you into Gillercomb. Follow the foothpath all the way up through the valley until reaching the shoulder between Base Brown and Green Gable.
5. 2.6m: The top of the valley is marked by a cairn. Turn left to follow the path directly to Base Brown.
6. 3.1m: From Base Brown, retrace the path back to the cairn, and continue straight up the rocky path until the ground begins to level out.
7. 3.8m: As the path levels out, several piles of stones will mark the junction between paths connecting Honister to Green Gable. Bear left and follow the path to Green Gable.
Kirk Fell and Pillar from Green Gable
8. 4.0m: From Green Gable, return back to the junction: this time continuing straight over: descending to Brandreth Three Tarns before rising up to Brandreth.
Red Pike and Buttermere from the grassy slopes between Brandreth and Grey Knotts
9. 4.7m: From Brandreth, head North East and a fence-line pointing directly towards Grey Knotts emerges. Cross through the gate and follow this to the summit of Grey Knotts.
10. 5.2m: From the summit of Grey Knotts continue to follow the fence-line. It will lead all the way back to Honister Slate Mine. The bus stops opposite the YHA.