Baystones: 486.9m Height, Walks and Fell-top Views

Baystones is the higher summit of Wansfell, the fell separating Ambleside from Troutbeck. At 486.9m, its grassy top is less immediately eye-catching than the rocky Wansfell Pike to the south, but that distinction is part of its appeal. This is gentler Lakeland terrain, where an open ridge, the surrounding fells and the pastoral character of Troutbeck give a relatively modest summit plenty of interest.

Baystones and Wansfell Pike: two distinct tops

The first thing to understand about Baystones is its relationship with Wansfell Pike. They belong to the same fell, but they are not the same summit. Baystones is the higher, northern top, reaching 486.9m, or 1,597ft. Wansfell Pike lies farther south and has the more conspicuous rocky summit, particularly familiar to walkers approaching from Ambleside.

This difference matters when reading walk descriptions. A walk advertised as Wansfell Pike does not necessarily include Baystones. For anyone interested in the fell’s highest ground, rather than simply its best-known viewpoint, it is worth checking which top a guide actually covers. The connecting ridge gives Wansfell more extent than its appearance from Ambleside might suggest.

Baystones itself is defined more by rounded, grassy ground than by dramatic crags. Its recorded summit position is NY403051. The contrast between this softer northern top and the rockier pike is one of the most useful ways to understand the fell’s shape and character.

A southern member of the Far Eastern Fells

Wansfell appears in Alfred Wainwright’s The Far Eastern Fells, the second volume of his seven-book Lakeland guide. Baystones stands towards the southern end of this region, with Ambleside to the west and the Troutbeck valley to the east. Its setting brings together the busier country around the head of Windermere and the farmland and open fell of Troutbeck.

Neighbouring Wainwrights include Troutbeck Tongue, Sour Howes, Sallows and Stony Cove Pike. These names help place Baystones within the wider fell country: Sour Howes and Sallows lie across the Troutbeck valley, while Stony Cove Pike belongs to the higher ground farther north. Baystones is modest in height beside that northern skyline, but its position makes it a useful introduction to the region.

Views and walking character

Wansfell is especially associated with views of Windermere from Wansfell Pike. Baystones offers a different emphasis, with the surrounding fell country and the Troutbeck side deserving attention. The two tops are complementary rather than interchangeable viewpoints.

Ambleside and Troutbeck are established starting areas for walks on Wansfell. Although the fell is relatively low, the ridge is exposed to the weather, and grassy ground can be wet underfoot. Dedicated walking guides are the right place to compare approaches, distances and the inclusion of both summits.

Where Baystones stands

Summit at grid reference NY403051 · open full map

The real Baystones

Walking Baystones

We make artwork, not route guides — these are the guides we'd point a friend to:

• Guide links to be curated.

Weather on Baystones

Conditions estimated at summit height (487 m) via Open-Meteo. For a walker's forecast, use the Mountain Weather Information Service.

Baystones on your wall

A painting of Baystones can bring home the quieter character of Wansfell: rounded fell ground, changing light and the relationship between ridge and dale. For those who know it on foot, that familiar outline can hold as much meaning as any higher Lakeland summit.

Own “Sunlit Patchwork on Baystones Ridge” — our painting of Baystones → or browse all Fells & Mountains artwork

Neighbouring Wainwrights in The Far Eastern Fells

• Troutbeck Tongue 364 m
• Sour Howes 483 m
• Stony Cove Pike 764 m
• Sallows 516 m

Part of our guide to all 214 Wainwrights — see the full index.