About The Nab

The Nab is a fell in the English Lake District with a moderate height of 576 metres (1,890 feet), and lies in the quieter eastern high ground between Ullswater and Haweswater Reservoir.

The Nab is included in Alfred Wainwright's list of Lakeland fells and many walkers feel compelled to climb it to complete their list of 'Wainwrights' even though it is not a significant fell and is awkward to reach.

The Nab is a top on the northern ridge of Rest Dodd, one of the horseshoe of fells surrounding the Martindale catchment. It divides the valleys of Bannerdale and Rampsgill, which meet below the nose of the ridge to form How Grain. The sides of the ridge are steep and rough, but the top is broad and level but is scarred by peat hags some deeper than a man.

The grassy dome of the summit is marked by a small cairn and although the view is obstructed by higher ground southward there is an end to end view of the Helvellyn range above Angletarn Pikes.

The route from Martindale to the summit follows a well engineered stalkers path which zig-zags up the fell and avoids any difficulties by by-passing the crags of Nab End just below the summit.

Most walkers who reach the summit of The Nab do not risk the wrath of the Dalemain Estate and avoid Martindale altogether, attaining the highest point by approaching and leaving along the boggy ridge which links with the neighbouring fell of Rest Dodd. This route has the added attraction of seeing the herds of Red deer on the open fell.

The best starting point for this uncontroversial ascent of The Nab is Hartsop village in Patterdale, just off the A592 main road, where there is a large car park.

This circular walk also takes in the 'Wainwright fells' of Brock Crags, Rest Dodd and Angletarn Pikes before descending back to Hartsop.