Wainwright's first view
From this summit Alfred Wainwright saw mountains for the first time in 1930, and the same scene waits for you: the full length of Windermere backed by Scafell Pike, Great Gable and the Langdale Pikes.
At just 238 metres above Windermere town, Orrest Head hands you what people climb far bigger mountains for: the whole length of Windermere laid out below, and behind it a ridge line of Lake District fells from Coniston Old Man to Scafell Pike, England's highest, every one of them named on a panorama board at the summit. This is where a 23-year-old Alfred Wainwright stood in 1930 seeing mountains for the first time; he later called it a moment of magic that changed his life, and out of it came the pictorial guides walkers still carry in their jacket pockets. The path begins opposite Windermere railway station, at a narrow lane beside the lower entrance of the Windermere Hotel on the A591, and climbs roughly 1.7 km on a restored Victorian carriageway, re-graded to become the National Park's 50th 'Miles Without Stiles' route: 3.5 km there and back with 120 m of ascent. Follow the blue signs and you reach the top without a single step, which makes it one of the very few summits in the district you can manage with a wheelchair, an all-terrain mobility scooter or a sturdy pushchair. Do not picture a level promenade, though: the opening tarmac stretch is the steepest part of the whole route, up to 1 in 4, and needs strong arms behind a buggy. Shortcut paths with stone steps serve those who would rather climb. Allow 20-30 minutes up and about an hour for the round trip, longer with small children. There is nothing on the hill itself, no cafe and no toilets, so use the public toilets on Broad Street in Windermere, where the cafes and car parks are too (budget a few pounds for a couple of hours). At the top, benches radiate from a central direction marker, each one set to a true compass bearing and the landmarks that sit along it. The summit is fully exposed to the wind, and in low cloud the view simply vanishes and the effort goes unrewarded, so pick a clear morning or the hour before sunset. On summer evenings the summit rocks fill with people who had the same idea; in winter the path stays open and free, but daylight is short and the tarmac can ice over. Verdict: the best thing to do in your first hour in the Lake District, and probably the cheapest hour you will spend here. It is not a destination in itself but a preface, a way of reading the map of the region before you drop down to Bowness pier (about 2.5 km from Windermere station) and sail the lake you have just seen from above.
From this summit Alfred Wainwright saw mountains for the first time in 1930, and the same scene waits for you: the full length of Windermere backed by Scafell Pike, Great Gable and the Langdale Pikes.
The re-graded blue route reaches the top with no stairs at all, the National Park's 50th 'Miles Without Stiles' path and one of the very few Lakeland summits that works with a wheelchair, an all-terrain mobility scooter or a sturdy pushchair.
Benches radiate from a central direction marker, each set to a true compass bearing, forged by a local artist blacksmith with funding from the Wainwright Society; alongside them a panorama names the fells in front of you, which turns identifying mountains into a game for children.
Path starts on the narrow lane beside the lower entrance of the Windermere Hotel, opposite Windermere railway station off the A591, Windermere LA23 1AW
Yes, weather permitting. The cruise shows you the fells from below; Orrest Head shows you the lake and the fells together from above, free, in a single hour, so make it the first thing you do on arrival day. If the tops are in cloud, do not bother: you will see nothing but mist, and time on Bowness pier is better spent.
On the blue route yes, there are no steps to the summit, but the opening stretch is the steepest part of the route and wants a sturdy buggy with big wheels and a strong person pushing it. A light umbrella stroller will cost you more effort than it saves; carry a toddler or use a back carrier and everyone will have an easier climb.