Claife Heights

Claife Heights is an upland area in the Lake District, near Windermere in Cumbria. It rises to a prominence of 177 metres, making it a Marilyn. The land is part of the wider fells landscape around the lake. Alfred Wainwright wrote about it in The Outlying Fells of Lakeland. His chapter describes a walking route that starts at Far Sawrey and passes Moss Eccles Tarn. Wainwright called Claife Heights ‘delightful’, though he noted that forestry has reduced open views. He recorded the highest ground at about 900 feet. The route he recommends is a clockwise circuit. The tarn lies at the foot of the slopes, adding water to the scenery. The book remains a guide for walkers exploring lesser-known fells. Visitors find open upland paths and quiet valleys. The route climbs gently through mixed woodland and heather moor. Moss Eccles Tarn sits in a small hollow below the slopes. The highest ground spreads in gentle rises without a single summit. Views once stretched widely across Windermere and the surrounding fells. Today, pockets of open ground still offer glimpses of the lake below. The walk passes stone walls and small farms along the way.