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Binsey was the first of four Wainwrights bagged on my first serious day out on the hills in 2011.
This was a last-minute plan to visit the Lakes, en route from Aberdeen to home in Chesterfield, and a good opportunity to knock-off a few of the smaller and relatively isolated hills on a very wet and windy day.
My full day out is recorded in these threads:
My route up Binsey was from a layby on the A591 (Keswick to Carlisle) via West Crag.
The layby is about half a kilometer to the north of Bewaldeth and is sign-posted "North Lakes Camping and Caravan Park". The public footpath to Binsey is just a few yards back down the road towards Bewaldeth and is easily spotted as an avenue of trees heading across the fields towards the hill.
After passing through a gate in the fell wall I followed the sheep tracks up past an old quarry and then picked-up a farmer's track just to the left of the base of West Crag. This track goes all the way to the base of the summit and beyond.
Those who fancy a longer walk can go off the hill in various directions and make a circular route back to the car via various lower hills or local roads. But, as it was chucking it down with rain and I had other hills to bag I turned around and went back the way I came.
About half way down the rain eased off and the sky brightened a little so I got this shot of West Crag in better light...
This is a pretty uninspiring grassy mound but on a good day it gives a view over the Solway Firth to Scotland and good views towards the northern fells.
Back in the car and off to
Dodd.