Middle Fell, Seatallan and Buckbarrow

This is a closed loop of 5.3 miles (8.5 km) with about 720 m of ascent, starting and finishing at the grassy roadside access beside Greendale Cottages, by the Greendale Gill bridge near Wastwater. Grid reference NY144056, nearest postcode CA20 1EU. There is room for roughly 10 cars on the grass about 0.4 miles from the lake, so park considerately and leave access clear. Allow 4 to 5 hours, with 4.5 hours a fair planning figure for most walkers.

From the start the path climbs beside Greendale Gill, then breaks left onto the long grassy shoulder of Middle Fell (about 570 m), which gives the first full view down Wastwater to the screes and across to the Scafell range. From there the route drops to the Greendale Tarn saddle and takes the high traverse up Seatallan, the high point of the day at roughly 690 m and a broad, quiet summit dome. The return runs out over Cat Bields and Glade How to Buckbarrow, whose craggy edge looks straight down into the valley, then back across Buckbarrow Moss and down to Greendale Gill and the car.

Rated hard, 7/10. The distance is short, but the climbing is steep and repeated: up Middle Fell, down to the saddle, up Seatallan, then a long undulating exit with a steep grassy descent at the end that is slippery when damp. Expect:

Carry map and compass and know how to use them, because the middle of the round is open fell rather than a signed corridor.

• Rough mountain paths, stony in places and grassy in others, with some pathless or faint ground on the high traverse
• Wet and peaty ground, especially near Greendale Gill, around the tarn saddle and on Buckbarrow Moss, which can stay wet
• Route-finding at height, particularly around the 465 m spot height between Middle Fell and Seatallan, where the line is not obvious in poor visibility
• No scrambling required, though Buckbarrow has a craggy edge that deserves respect near the top of the drop

No trail-specific permit is needed. Dogs are welcome under close control and on a lead where livestock are present. Standard countryside practice applies: respect livestock and wildlife, leave gates as you find them, and keep to the legal paths and access land. The verified line includes a short stretch of access track and road near the bridge at the start and finish.

The ascent is concentrated, so this loop feels harder than its mileage suggests, and the middle section is neither dramatic nor sheltered: it is broad, boggy, and easy to misread in cloud. Crowds are rarely the problem here, since most Wasdale visitors head for the higher fells across the valley, but that also means less company if something goes wrong.

If the full round looks like too much, the shorter Middle Fell circular from the same start is 3.5 miles, about 3 hours, moderate and dog friendly, and still delivers the Wastwater and Scafell views from the 570 m summit without the Seatallan traverse or the Buckbarrow exit. Note that longer versions of this walk begin from Nether Wasdale; those are a different route and a different day out.