Lake District Walks | The Kentmere Horseshoe (an epic 8 Wainwrights)

A 13 mile, 1085m/3,560ft ascent/descent walk around the glorious Kentmere Horseshoe, in early November 2021. The walk is a perennial classic, one of the longest and most remote in the Lake District, and on a cold and blustery day, Neil had an epic view of the eight Wainwright-encompassing round.
Starting out of Kentmere (where parking is often limited), the path ascends the Garburn Pass and then right to Yoke. From here, the ridge walk heads north to Ill Bell, Froswick (which is mistakenly labelled "Frostwick" in the film) and Thornthwaite Crag, famed for its tall summit cairn.
From here, the path bends east across to Mardale Ill Bell, then down the Nan Bield Pass and up to Harter Fell, then south again to Kentmere Pike and Shipman Knotts (where we're aware the true summit is to the east, behind the wall!), before finally returning to Kentmere.
A great description of the route (and brilliant maps) is available on the WalkLakes website here: www.walklakes.co.uk/walk_14.html
Subscribe for more films of our walks and visit our website: www.onyvafilms.com to read more and to suggest other walks that you would like to see.
Ordnance Survey maps used with permission. OS Explorer maps: OL7 and OL5: English Lakes - getoutside.ord...
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#Wainwrights
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#lakedistrict
#windermere #kentmere

[@ladymissdee]

You have inspired this to go way up the 'to-do' list....

[@LakeDistrictFilms]

Thank you! It's definitely worth a visit - some great views, and an epic walk. Let us know how you find it, when you get to it!

[@clairegreenlea3945]

Excellent film! Wonderful colors! I loved the segments that followed the trail for quite a ways. As a Texan/American, I have read Wainwright’s books and could only dream of what the landscape must look like. With your films, I can at least see them. You are a terrific walking guide. Marvelous. Thank you so much!

[@LakeDistrictFilms]

Thanks, Claire!

[@sidewaysid]

Myself and another guy did the Kentmere round back in 2008, it was a bad day for me as I had just purchased a pair of Meindle walking boots which I should have broken in, I ended up in agony, I was walking the last few miles in just my socks after sitting with my feet in a stream for ages, I can't describe the pain, I sold the boots on ebay the following week.

[@LakeDistrictFilms]

Oh, no! That sounds like hard work! Worth a visit to the fabulous Keswick Boot Company - thekeswickbootco.co.uk

[@lesbeldon8299]

Just discovered your videos and really enjoying them. Excellent quality and great entertainment. We’ll done and thank you.

[@LakeDistrictFilms]

Thank you! There are more on their way!

[@bernardscott1783]

The beauty of your videos is that you show the start of a walk and some details. Brilliant mate and thankyou 👍

[@LakeDistrictFilms]

Thank you!

[@RPA1999]

Excellent film. I'm doing the Kentmere Horsehoe on Tuesday. Nice, remote and beautiful. Thank you but no surprises for me but looking forward to it!

[@LakeDistrictFilms]

Thank you! Enjoy the walk - it’s a belter, isn’t it!

[@lauriecooper8194]

Love your videos. Well produced, a touch of humour & references to the map which I find most helpful. Thanks very much.

[@LakeDistrictFilms]

Many thanks, Laurie. So glad you've been enjoying them.

[@Happy_Hiker]

Another great video.. Thank you. Hoping to get these ones ticked off this year! :)

[@LakeDistrictFilms]

Thank you - the Kentmere Horseshoe is an absolute belter of a walk. Had a lucky day when we filmed, but is great all year round. Let us know how you get on!

[@andrewnorrab7809]

Every time I watch your films I want to pack up and move back home, it not the same where I live in NZ. Keep them coming, I should all being well be having a weeks walking in cumbia in Sept 23.

[@LakeDistrictFilms]

Thanks, Andrew - glad you've enjoyed them, and hope you have a good visit!

[@kohlemainen]

Beautiful. I recognize the feelings of gratitude for unexpected beautiful weather in the Lake District :). Did half the Kentmere Horseshoe back in 2003. Wonderful memories

[@LakeDistrictFilms]

Thank you - it's a stunning walk, isn't it!

[@tedwalks3516]

Epic walk, loved it! Thank you very much for making these (if indeed you still are)

[@LakeDistrictFilms]

Thank you! Hopefully more to come!

[@grahamcurl5026]

Another superb and inspirational video 👌🏻

[@LakeDistrictFilms]

Thanks, Graham!

[@grahamtowler1761]

Looks good and certainly away from the madding crowd

[@LakeDistrictFilms]

It's a favourite walk in the Lakes - long, but well worth the effort.

[@MartinKing-jk8hl]

Another brilliant video.. love what you do 👏👌

[@LakeDistrictFilms]

Thank you so much - much appreciated. All the best

[@AnneNichols]

Fabulous film, thank you, and it showed me what I missed out! I walked the first part of the Kentmere Horseshoe as a teenager of 17 with some older friends of my then landlady who were regular walkers, whilst I'd never walked up anything higher than Holcombe Hill before and was completely unprepared. We had walked up as far as Ill Bell when my companions decided it was getting too late to carry on and get all the way round before dark, so they decided to come off the side of Ill Bell, which was a scramble down to Kentmere Reservoir at the bottom. It was, for me, a terrifying descent, and one I was convinced I'd not get to the bottom of without injury. I went down most of it on my bottom, and I was never brave enough to attempt the walk again, but my companions insisted on taking photos of me at the cairn on Ill Bell, so I could show I'd done it once.

[@LakeDistrictFilms]

Thanks, Anne, glad you enjoyed it. Those are some steep drops, off the east side of Ill Bell - not recommended, but glad you survived!

[@goprocaz4019]

Another great film you’ve made, you certainly put the miles in 👍

[@LakeDistrictFilms]

Many thanks!

[@alanparr5536]

A great walk and well filmed, keep up the great work!

[@LakeDistrictFilms]

Thanks, Alan!

[@yasminshikingmission]

Thanks for sharing this route, great video. I’d like to walk this route soon 😊

[@LakeDistrictFilms]

You should! Hope you get a good day for it.

[@ashleyjarnold]

That was absolutely 1st class and very inspiring- My video efforts are very amateurish in comparison, though I do have Andrea to keep an eye on. Loved your route and all the history and descriptions - you do your homework so well!! Congrats on getting a great hiking day too with wonderful visibility. Your fitness is top class too. Regards, Ashley

[@LakeDistrictFilms]

Thanks, Ashley - glad you enjoyed it! We were so lucky with the weather - just the day before, it was tipping it down! See you on the hills!

[@yvetteprice8097]

Love this film. Thanks for sharing. We’ve yet to do this, so this was particularly helpful to us. Take care. All the best, Yvette and Mark

[@LakeDistrictFilms]

Thank you! You too! Hope you have a good day for it.

[@yvetteprice8097]

@@LakeDistrictFilms we re-watched this last night in preparation for our walk, which we FINALLY did today. Obviously we had maps, Wainwright's guide and Strava too, but your visual reference was very helpful. Fab day, but incredibly hot - 27 degrees. Not ideal , but we loved it. Thanks for inspiring us, Neil. All the best, Mark and Yvette

[@supertrowel1]

Great video thank you I will be doing this walk on 15th December when I’m in the lakes and your video has helped massively so you got urself a sub.Can I ask I will be going to high street also and was looking at the path to bale out if I don’t have time etc is the path off between Mardale lll bel and hartel fell towards the reservoir? Il be using the all trails app so should be ok but just checking.

[@LakeDistrictFilms]

Thank you so much! Hope you have a good day for it - depending on your speed, it might be a longish walk for limited sunlight, but it's a cracker of a walk. The path south between Mardale lll Bell and Harter Fell is a good escape route, if needed. It doesn't go down meet to the Kentmere Reservoir, but tacks parallel to it up the hillside. There is a right turn off to Whether Fold and the weirs below the reservoir from Smallthwaite Knott, although I think I'd recommend sticking on the main path down to Hallow Bank and then Low Lane back to the start. Hope that helps! Let us know how you get on. All the best, Neil

[@GENerationXplorers]

Bit of us this. Want to cover as many new ones as we can this year!

[@LakeDistrictFilms]

Hope you get some good days for it!

[@GENerationXplorers]

@@LakeDistrictFilms thanks guys 🤞although at some point we’ll invest in all weather gopros and then it wont matter too much!

[@Bladesmobile]

Anyone know what the metal thing is @ 6:08 There’s a few of them along this walk on the way up to high street I can’t find them on the os map as a fence line and they look low for a fence ? Do they mark out pipe work or something?

[@LakeDistrictFilms]

It’s a fence post from a no-longer existant fence - the circular bits along it are tensioners for the wire.

[@Bladesmobile]

⁠thank you

[@MaxZappa1]

Great walk and video, but have to correct you on the name "Frostwick", - it should be Froswick, unless of course it has been renamed.

[@LakeDistrictFilms]

Absolutely right! Thanks for the correction.

[@Bladesmobile]

One would be an ouef 😂😂😂😂

[@stueyre1406]

It's 4 hours max, more likely 3

[@LakeDistrictFilms]

It’s around 13 miles long, with a total ascent/descent of 1,016m, so can’t really agree with that, unless you’re running. At a normal walking pace, it’s probably somewhere around a 6 to 8 hour walk.