Rosthwaite Fell (Bessyboot)
551m (1808ft)
The Southern Fells, The Lake District, Cumbria, England
The summit of Rosthwaite Fell (Bessyboot) is marked by an Ordnance Survey Trig Point.
You can find Rosthwaite Fell (Bessyboot) & all the walks that climb it on these unique free-to-access Interactive Walk Planning Maps: (click/TAP to select)
1:25,000 scale OS Explorer Map (the ones with orange/yellow covers):
1:50,000 scale OS Landranger Maps (the ones with pink/magenta covers):
See Rosthwaite Fell (Bessyboot) and the surrounding tops on our free-to-access 'Google Style' Peak Bagging Maps:
See Rosthwaite Fell (Bessyboot) and the surrounding tops on our downloadable PDF Peak Bagging Map:
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Vital Statistics:
| Length: | 10.5ml (17km) |
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| Ascent: | 3,407ft (1,038m) |
| Time: | 7.25hrs |
| Grade: |  (Hard) |
Route Summary:
Seatoller - Big Stanger Gill - Hanging Haystack Crag - Alisongrass Crag - Rosthwaite Fell (Bessyboot) - Tarn At Leaves - Rosthwaite Cam (Rosthwaite Fell) - Dovenest Top - Combe Door Top - Combe Head - Glaramara - Looking Steads (Glaramara) - Red Beck Top - High House Tarn Top - Allen Crags - Sprinking Tarn - Seathwaite Fell (South Top) - Seathwaite Fell - Grains Gill - The Allerdale Ramble - Stockley Bridge - Seathwaite (Borrowdale) - Thornythwaite Farm - Strands Bridge - The River Derwent - Seatoller
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Vital Statistics:
| Length: | 10.5ml (17km) |
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| Ascent: | 3,384ft (1,031m) |
| Time: | 7.25hrs |
| Grade: | (Hard) |
Route Summary:
Stonethwaite - Big Stanger Gill - Hanging Haystack Crag - Alisongrass Crag - Rosthwaite Fell (Bessyboot) - Tarn At Leaves - Rosthwaite Cam (Rosthwaite Fell) - Dovenest Top - Combe Door Top - Combe Head - Glaramara - Looking Steads (Glaramara) - Red Beck Top - High House Tarn Top - Allen Crags - Esk Hause - Allencrags Gill - Langstrath - Stonethwaite
Fellow go4awalkers who have already walked, climbed, summited & bagged Rosthwaite Fell (Bessyboot)
Geoff Hand walked up on September 9th, 2025 [from/via/route] Walk c139 from Seatoller, climbed Rosthwaite fell (Bessyboot), Glaramara, Red Beck top, Allen Crags & Seathwaite Fell. Returned by Seathwaite & the Annerdale Ramble. [with] Alone [weather] Bright clear sunny day, however very windy on the tops. Sunny & warm in the valley.
Victoria Bates climbed it on April 15th, 2025 [from/via/route] From stonethwaite [with] Mark, Dominic and Tabitha [weather] Cloudy - Dominic walked the whole way! Tabitha walked nearly all the way to the top via the stanger gill path
James Hughes bagged it on April 5th, 2025 [from/via/route] c139 Allen Crags & Seathwaite Fell [weather] Beautiful clear skies, blustery & cool on tops, warm in valleys & in sheltered spots. - Cold morning. Ice on tent. Walk up to Styhead Tarn rather than clambering up Seathwaite Fell. Lakeland 50 ultra race also taking place. Left Sprinkling Tarn up to Allen Crags. Glaramara down to Combe Head via Rockstep. Through Borrowdale fells Bessyboot & down. Met retired french lady who was wrong side for C2C.
John Ramsbottom hiked it on March 16th, 2025 [from/via/route] Dow Cragg, The Old Man of Coniston,Brim Fell,Swirl How, Great Carrs & Grey Friar. Start from Seatoller, Rosthwaite Fell, Glaramara, Allen Crags & Seathwaite Fell [with] Lola [weather] Fine, Odd shower, chilly wind - First one in a while. First of 2025. Felt hard
Pete George summited on April 14th, 2024 [from/via/route] from Seathwaite. With Pete Sisson [with] Roco & Pete Sisson [weather] Warm spring day
Richard Fulcher conquered it on July 8th, 2024 [from/via/route] Parked at the NT car park at Seatoller (plenty of room at 11:30 on a Monday in July!). We set off down the road towards Strands Bridge, turning right to take the public footpath around the Old Mill Cottage. We then followed the path that takes you across a rock strewn hillside, gradually climbing up by Rottenstone Gill to Tarn At Leaves. After eating our sandwiches we then completed the short hike up to the top of Bessyboot. We met a fellow walker at the top who had climbed up from Langstrath - he said he'd never attempt it again! We returned by a slightly different route through an unnamed gully before finding the 'official' path down. At the bottom of the hill we crossed over Combe Gill to follow a track back down to the road. For further variation we crossed over the road & took a footpath back to the car park. [with] Jen [weather] A fine day, cloudy with spells of sunshine, warm. - Great views all the way & especially from the top.
Christine Shepherd scaled on May 28th, 2009 [from/via/route] Walked from Borrowdale using walk c139 Climbed again with a group from Head4theHills on 16.10.21 from Stonethwaite Church Climbed for a third time on a lovely day via Big Stranger Gill on 9.08.2023 [with] On my own [weather] Very hot in the morning, clouding over & becoming very wet & misty in the afternoon.
Ian Ashton walked up on April 29th, 2023 [with] Solo 17 miler
John Tippins climbed it on October 27th, 2022 [from/via/route] From Seatoller [with] Alone [weather] Dry to start with & mild - t-shirt mild for the ascent. Started to rain mid-morning, then rained on & off all day. Very low cloud - in cloud for most of the walk. Wind quite calm. - Not an enjoyable walk, particularly the stretch from Rosthwaite to Glaramara. Confronted with many sheer rock faces that you have to find a way over. And I forgot the warning about the scree at Aaron Crags until I was part way down. It was bad. 'Not for the faint hearted' - you're not kidding.
Michael Nolan bagged it on September 20th, 2022 [with] Morag [weather] Lovely
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More Photographs & Pictures of views from, on or of Rosthwaite Fell (Bessyboot)
*Scafell Pike (far left back) and The Borrowdale Fells featuring Allen Crags, High House Tarn Top, Red Beck Top, Looking Stead, Glaramara, Comb Head, Comb Door Top, Dovenest Top and Rosthwaite Fell (Bessyboot) from High Raise (Langdale)
Approaching Rosthwaite Cam (Rosthwaite Fell) and Tarn at Leaves from Rosthwaite Fell (Bessyboot)
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