Great Carrs and Grey Friar

Overview

About Great Carrs and Grey Friar

Why go

Two quieter summits with broad Southern Fells views
Dramatic Great Carrs ridge and a distinctive air-crash memorial
A compact alternative to the longer Coniston fell circuits

Heads up

Steep, rocky, and boggy ground for much of the high route
Tiny informal parking and serious exposure above Greenburn

Great Carrs has a dramatic position above the Greenburn cliffs and a memorial to the crew of a 1944 Halifax bomber. Grey Friar is quieter and more open, with two cairned summit outcrops and wide views toward the Scafell and Bowfell group. This row does not include Swirl How or Wetherlam, although larger circuits link those summits nearby. Choose this route when you want the two named tops without committing to a full Coniston fell circuit.

Parkwolf’s verdictThe payoff

Map & elevation

The route

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Full map

Elevation386–761 m

TrailheadGreat Carrs and Grey Friar54.41432, -3.11563

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Plan your hike

Before you go

Parking

Use the small informal laybys around grid reference NY276026 at the top of Wrynose Pass. Spaces are very limited, and you may need to walk a short distance to the path. Keep vehicles clear of passing traffic, the narrow pass, and roadside access. Three Shire Stone is nearby, but it is a landmark rather than this trail's starting point.

Best time to go

A clear, settled day gives the route its best views and makes the summit navigation much easier. Spring through autumn is the practical season for most visitors. Snow and ice can turn the steep, rocky sections into serious winter mountain terrain, with shorter daylight and more demanding navigation. The ridge and memorial photograph well in early or late light, while mid-day haze can flatten the wider valley views.

Safety

The path runs close to the precipitous Greenburn cliffs near Great Carrs. Expect steep rough ground, boulders, short boggy sections, no dependable water or shelter, and difficult navigation in cloud. Snow and ice make this a serious winter mountain route. Keep dogs close around livestock and well away from the cliff edge.

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

See all 8 alerts

A park ranger sits on a dash-mounted phone, talking, as Parkwolf’s Tour Guide plays “Army Cutworm Moths: A Grizzly Bear Buffet” on Grand Loop Road below Dunraven Pass in Yellowstone — Parkwolf Tour GuideThe highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.

Lake District Tour Guide

Your drive to Great Carrs and Grey Friar, 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

Wrynose Pass: Two Summit Loops

0:00 / 1:21

“You're nearing the top of Wrynose Pass, where two summit loops give you a choice of rugged fell walks straight from the road.”

Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Lake District Tour Guide.

Hiking Great Carrs and Grey Friar

The routeThis is a 4.

This is a 4.7-mile loop from the top of Wrynose Pass; that figure is the full walk, including the rough return branch from Grey Friar. From the pass, the path climbs Wet Side Edge and continues over Little Carrs to Great Carrs. After the summit and the Halifax memorial, it crosses the broad grassy col to Grey Friar, then returns by a rougher line to rejoin the ridge below Little Carrs before descending to the pass.

How it feelsThis is a hard high-fell walk rather than a casual summit stroll.

This is a hard high-fell walk rather than a casual summit stroll. Expect a steep pitched start, rocky and bouldery ground higher up, short boggy sections around the col, and a lot of uneven footing on the return. The route gains about 508 metres and normally deserves around 3.5 to 5 hours, depending on stops and visibility. The path is usually clear enough in good weather, but navigation becomes much less obvious in cloud.

Dogs and accessDogs may use the public paths, but this is open grazing country and they should be kept close…

Dogs may use the public paths, but this is open grazing country and they should be kept close and under control around livestock. There is no dependable shelter or water source on the high route. The cliff edge above Greenburn is a serious permanent hazard for people and dogs alike.

Wildlife

Wildlife in Lake District

All Lake District wildlife maps

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 map

Sighting maps show where each species has been reported across Lake District. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.