Cumbria / Lake District · United Kingdom
Newlands Pass
Buttermere to Stair
Narrow Lakeland pass over Newlands Hause linking Buttermere to the Newlands Valley.
Newlands Pass runs from Buttermere over Newlands Hause and down through the Newlands Valley towards Stair and Braithwaite, one of the more direct routes between Buttermere and Keswick. The road is unclassified, narrow and brutally steep in sections, with signed gradients of around 1 in 4 (roughly 25 percent) on the ramps, and a small waterfall, Moss Force, by the summit car park. Heavier vehicles are advised not to use it. Mind the smooth, slippery tarmac on the steep ramps, the single-track width with limited passing places, and exposed unfenced drops on the descent.
Scenery
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Where it runs4.2 mi · point to point
Navigate to the start: Apple Maps · Google Maps
Character
Steeper than 9 in 10 roads here in the catalogue.
Corners
busiest around mile 3Elevation
under 4%4–8%over 8%128.2 – 330.3 mPoints of interest3 stops
- Newlands PassViewpoint1.2 mi in
- Ard CragsViewpoint2.8 mi in
- The Lone Tree ButtermereLandmarkat the start
Hazards
- Up to 25% (1-in-4)
- Single-track passing
- Unfenced drops
- Slippery polished tarmac on the steep ramps
Sources
“It's a really fun drive with fantastic views but not for a faint-hearted driver, especially if the weather is bad.”
Verified route: mapped from real road geometry and fact-checked by a human editor. How roads get checked
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