Parking
Limited layby beside the minor road near Binsey Lodge, approximate postcode CA7 1HH. The small wooden gate at the end of the layby, opposite the lodge, is the route start. No facilities are available on the route.
Overview
About Binsey
Why go
- Quiet summit views
- Straightforward route
Heads up
- Limited parking
- Boggy ground after rain
Binsey sits apart from its neighbours, and that isolation does the work. From the summit you look across to the Northern Fells and the Skiddaw group, down over Bassenthwaite and Over Water, and north to the Solway Firth, Dumfries and Galloway and Scotland. On a clear day the Isle of Man can show on the horizon.
Parkwolf’s verdictThe payoffMap & elevation
The route
Loading the Lake District map
Full mapElevation277–439 m
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
8 active Lake District alerts
- ClosureChapel Stile footpath closed for retaining-wall riskPart of Footpath 543030 between Chapel Stile and Baysbrown campsite is closed because a retaining wall beside the path could collapse and material it supports could fall across the footpath.Official details
- ClosureStanley Ghyll Lower Falls footpath closed for rockfallThe section of Footpath 408037 leading towards Stanley Ghyll Lower Falls is closed because severe rockfall damage has made the path unstable and further rockfall remains a danger.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Lake District Tour Guide
Your drive to Binsey, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Lake District National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
Recorded for this trailhead
Binsey: A Short Climb with an Open View0:00 / 0:56
“You're coming up on the Binsey walk near Binsey Lodge, a good choice if you want a summit without spending half the day getting there.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Lake District Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Ospreys: A Grip Built for Fish
- Longlands: Quiet Summits and Trusmadoor
- Ireby: The Pillars That Became Gateposts
- Goldfinches: A Feast on the Teasels
- 298 audio storiesacross Lake District’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Red Deer, Eurasian Otter, Osprey, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 265 trails, 89 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking Binsey
The walk in shortAn out-and-back summit walk of 1.9 miles / 3.
An out-and-back summit walk of 1.9 miles / 3.0 km round trip, including the return along the same path. The mapped corridor covers the one way line from the layby to the summit turnaround, about 0.87 miles / 1.40 km. Allow around 1 hour, or 1 to 2 hours if you stop, take photos or hit slower ground.
How it goesStart from the small layby beside the minor road near Binsey Lodge and cross carefully to the…
- Start from the small layby beside the minor road near Binsey Lodge and cross carefully to the small wooden gate at the end of the layby, opposite the lodge.
- Through the gate, cross the small stream and pick up the clear grassy track.
- Climb steadily on grass, with heather higher up, to the summit area with its trig point, cairns and stone wind shelters.
- Return by the same route.
Difficulty and footingEasy overall, with about 190 m of ascent rising from roughly 277 m at the road to roughly 439 m…
Easy overall, with about 190 m of ascent rising from roughly 277 m at the road to roughly 439 m at the top. The climb is a steady pull rather than anything steep or technical. Footing is grass throughout, boggy in places, and the stream and lower ground stay soft after rain. The upper path can be wet or muddy. Treat it as an easy fell walk rather than a surfaced stroll, and wear boots you do not mind getting damp.
Parking and facilitiesParking is a limited layby beside the minor road near Binsey Lodge, approximate postcode CA7…
Parking is a limited layby beside the minor road near Binsey Lodge, approximate postcode CA7 1HH. It holds only a few cars, so arriving early helps. There are no facilities and no water on the route, so bring what you need. Take care on the short road approach and when crossing to the gate.
DogsDogs are welcome on the public footpath and access route.
Dogs are welcome on the public footpath and access route. Keep them under close control or on a short lead around livestock and other walkers, and clean up after them.
Honest tradeoffsThis is a quiet, straightforward walk with a strong summit reward for very little distance.
This is a quiet, straightforward walk with a strong summit reward for very little distance. It is also over quickly, offers no variety beyond the single up and back line, and the small parking area and lack of facilities mean a bit of planning before you set off.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Lake District
81 sightingsRed DeerMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
13 sightingsEurasian OtterMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
76 sightingsOspreyMost seen around 8 AMSighting map
51 sightingsEuropean BadgerMost seen around 8 PMSighting map
233 sightingsMute SwanMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
176 sightingsGrey HeronMost seen around 7 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Lake District. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
