Walking to Orrest Head:

The Hill That Opens Up the Lake District

There’s a hill just above Windermere. It’s not high, not wild, but something about it feels like a key. A threshold. A quiet doorway into the Lake District.

This is Orrest Head, and it’s the hill that has opened this landscape to generations of wanderers (myself included).

The walk itself is simple. The path begins just opposite Windermere Train Station, slipping behind a gate marked modestly as “Orrest Head.” It climbs gently through woodlands, past old stone walls and sudden clearings, until the trees fall away.

A panorama. Not dramatic, not overwhelming, but spacious enough to shift something inside you. Below, Windermere Lake shimmers, and beyond it — the fells begin. Lingmoor. Fairfield. Scafell Pike hiding somewhere behind the haze.

“It wasn’t the highest summit I’d reach, but it was the first. The one that whispered: yes. Keep going.”

Route Details

Start: Windermere Train Station

Distance: 1.5 miles (2.5 km) round trip

Difficulty: Easy — gentle incline, well-maintained path

Time: 45 mins – 1 hour

Wheelchair/pushchair accessible via a tarmac path most of the way.

Best at sunrise or sunset — softer light, fewer crowds.

Pair it with a visit to Holehird Gardens (a short walk beyond).

On clear days, spot peaks like Helvellyn and Langdale Pikes in the distance.

For me, Orrest Head wasn’t just a view. It was the moment of crossing over — from noise into stillness, from routine into pilgrimage.

This story is part of my journey through the Lake District in my book, Finding Solace in the Lake District -

a guide for wanderers, seekers, and anyone looking to walk slower.

→ Support the writer: Buy a print from the trail or get the book.