The Nab: 576m, Walks and Views in the Far Eastern Fells

The Nab is a rounded, grassy fell in Martindale, linked to the higher ground of Rest Dodd by a notoriously boggy ridge. At 576m, it is modest beside its Far Eastern neighbours, but its position between deep, quiet valleys gives it a character of its own. Walkers come for the separate summit, the outlook into Martindale and the chance of seeing red deer on their own ground.

A separate summit above Martindale

The Nab stands between Bannerdale and Ramps Gill, projecting north from Rest Dodd into the head of Martindale. Its rounded outline is quite different from the craggy profiles of many better-known Lakeland fells. Grass, heather and peat are more characteristic here than exposed rock, and the summit is an understated destination rather than a dramatic rocky crown.

At 576m (1,890ft), The Nab ranks 138th among the 214 Wainwrights. Its summit grid reference is NY434151. Those figures suggest a relatively small outing, but height alone is a poor guide to the experience: the surrounding valleys and the wet ground on its connecting ridge give this fell a more substantial presence than its elevation might imply.

The outlook is chiefly about Martindale and the enclosing Far Eastern ridges. Higher ground to the south limits the sense of an all-round panorama, while the valleys on either side give the summit its depth and setting. It is a place for studying the shape of the dales rather than expecting a skyline filled with distant summits.

Its place in the Far Eastern Fells

The Nab appears in Book Two of Alfred Wainwright’s pictorial guides, The Far Eastern Fells. Rest Dodd is its immediate connection to the main body of higher country. Beda Fell, The Knott and Rampsgill Head are other neighbouring Wainwrights, placing it within the network of ridges and valley heads south of Ullswater.

Unlike a summit passed naturally along a through-ridge, The Nab occupies a spur. That geography helps explain why it can feel separate from the broader high-level walking nearby. Its connecting ground towards Rest Dodd is well known for peat hags and boggy hollows; conditions underfoot deserve attention even when the distance looks modest on a map.

Red deer and the deer forest

The Nab is particularly associated with the Martindale deer forest and its red deer. Here, “forest” describes a deer range, not a covering of woodland: much of the landscape is open fell. The deer are wild animals, and any sighting is a matter of circumstance, not a promised part of the walk.

Give them space, keep dogs under close control and heed any current notices concerning access or deer management. That consideration belongs naturally to walking this fell, where wildlife is as much a part of its identity as the summit itself.

Where the Nab stands

Summit at grid reference NY434151 · open full map

The real Nab

Walking the Nab

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

• Guide links to be curated.

Weather on the Nab

Conditions estimated at summit height (576 m) via Open-Meteo. For a walker's forecast, use the Mountain Weather Information Service.

The Nab on your wall

A painting of The Nab can hold the quieter side of Lakeland: rounded fell shoulders, the folds of Martindale and soft colour across open ground. On a wall at home, that familiar outline offers a lasting connection to a place whose appeal needs little explanation.

Own “The Nab Fell Vibrant Shadows” — our painting of The Nab → or browse all Fells & Mountains artwork

Neighbouring Wainwrights in The Far Eastern Fells

• Rest Dodd 696 m
• Beda Fell 509 m
• The Knott 739 m
• Rampsgill Head 792 m

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