Silver How Hike

Where: Silver How hike from Grasmere in the Lake District of England
When: April 2016
Weather: Sunny
Height: 1,293ft / 394m

The Silver How hike has some of the top views in the Lake District of England. After hiking to the top, you have great views down over the extremely scenic village of Grasmere and Grasmere Lake.

The image below is from the A591 road that runs between Keswick and Windermere, as it passes Grasmere village. That is the 1,293ft Silver How sitting high above Grasmere.

The main path leaves from the west side of Grasmere, from the top of Grasmere Lake, just right of the centre of the mountain, and runs up to the left, to the south side, then up that side to the top. You can descend the north side via a trail down into Allan Bank House and Gardens, then into north side of Grasmere. Grasmere Road Map.

Large Image . Grasmere Page

The image below is of Grasmere centre, named Red Lion Square. This is an extremely scenic and popular village, with 10 hotels in the village, most with scenic beer gardens, and 9 hotels in the countryside around the village. The village is also popular for the Wordsworth Museum, as well as the walking around the lake, and hiking the hills and mountains all around.

There are 3 large car parks, one as you enter the village from the south for cars and tour buses, another round closer to the lake for cars only, and one on the north side of the village for cars only. These are all pay and display car parks. There is a large layby next to the A591 road at the north entrance to Grasmere that is free, but that is about half of a mile from the village centre.

The image below is of the car park round towards Grasmere Lake, just past the Garden Centre. That is Silver How in the distance, exit the car park on the right and walk round towards Grasmere Lake past a hotel. Images from here were taken early on an April morning.

The image below is of the start of the trail, opposite Fairyland Cafe and Boating Hire, through the wooden gate.

The image below is of the main trail leading up to the south side. Over to the right, there is a gate leading to the direct route up through the rocks, real steep.

The image below is of the south side main trial to the top. This is fairly steep with a man made path much of the way.

The image below is of the final section to the summit.

The image below is from the top of Silver How looking east to Grasmere. The highest mountain across the valley is the 2,864ft Fairfield, another popular hike from Grasmere.

The image below is of the route back down the northeast side into Allan Bank House Gardens, home of William Wordsworth. You can also go straight over the edge there and pick you way down through the cliffs, back to the main path, real steep.

The image below is of the little hill to cross to get to Allan Bank. You can cross straight over the top, or go around it to the left.

The image below is from a rock section that sticks out the little hill, looking down into Allan Bank gardens with a path through the woodlands. Follow the stone dyke to the left here, up to a section of fence, from where you can cross into Allan Bank.

Had to do a little rock climbing to get down from here, although there is a path next to the rocks that is less eventful.

The image below is from the Allan Bank woodlands walk with the stone structure here being a seating area.

The image below is from the seating area down to some timber structures. The path down there leads to Allan Bank House.

The image below is of a tunnel leading into Allan Bank gardens.

The image below is of the path leading into Allan Bank gardens.

The image below is from the entrance to Allan Bank house. The road from here leads into Grasmere centre, only a few hundred yards.

William Wordsworth, wife Mary and three youngest children lived at Allan Bank from 1808 to 1810, two more children were born here, Catherine and William.

Make sure and take an Ordnance Survey Map and Compass on these hikes, and know how to use them, as in cloud, these mountains can be deadly. In Winter, make sure you have Crampons and an Ice Axe, and know how to use them.