The Forest [Borrowdale Head] [nameless (Bannisdale Horseshoe)]

About The Forest [Borrowdale Head] [nameless (Bannisdale Horseshoe)]

Situated at the head of Borrowdale in the quiet Far Eastern Fells, this grassy Birkett is a cornerstone of the Bannisdale Horseshoe. Reached from Garnett Bridge, the summit offers a lonely, expansive perspective over the hidden valley of Bannisdale and the nearby bulk of Lamb Pasture.

Key Statistics

Find It

Did You Know?

• •Though often listed as nameless in older maps, Alfred Wainwright identified it as 'The Forest' in his Outlying Fells guide, reflecting its location within the ancient Whinfell Forest hunting grounds.
• •The hill forms a pivotal point on the Bannisdale Horseshoe, a long circuit that remains one of the Lake District’s most secluded ridge walks, often bypassed in favour of the more popular fells to the west.
• •From the summit, the view south-east tracks the length of the remarkably isolated Bannisdale valley, a rare example of a Lakeland valley without a public through-road or significant settlement.
• •Navigation across this high ground relies heavily on a long boundary fence that traverses the ridge, providing a reliable guide through the often featureless terrain toward Whiteside Pike.
• •Its name is a linguistic relic of its status as a medieval deer park; walkers expecting actual woodland will find only grass, peat, and the occasional hardy hawthorn.