Newlands Pass Cycling Guide

​Newlands Pass cycling begins in beautiful Buttermere, testing riders with a steep 25% pitch past Moss Force waterfall.

Direction: West to East: Buttermere to Braithwaite​

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Overview

Newlands (frequently called Newlands Hause) links Buttermere with the Keswick side of the fells. Handily, the classic route configuration runs this pass from west to east, which is widely considered the kinder of the two ways to ride it. Tackled from the east out of Braithwaite, you face a brutal wall right at the start. Ridden this way round, the gradient builds gradually, saving its sharpest, double-digit pitch for the very top before launching you down a long, open descent. Despite coming early in a long day, it possesses a sting in the tail that catches many riders completely off guard.

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The Details

• Distance: 1.9km

• Elevation gain: 205m

• Average gradient: 11% (deceptive due to the gentle launch)

• Maximum gradient: 25% (The final pre-summit wall)

• Landmark: Moss Force waterfall near the crest; views of the ancient Goldscope Mine workings in the valley below.

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History & Character

While the Newlands Valley presents a quiet, pastoral character today, it hides one of the richest and most intense mining histories in the Lake District. The lower slopes of Hindscarth and the surrounding ridges are honeycombed with ancient shafts, most notably the legendary Goldscope Mine. Active from the 16th century onwards, the mine was worked heavily for lead, copper, silver, and even trace amounts of gold. The enterprise was so lucrative that skilled German miners, brought over to Cumbria under a special royal charter by Queen Elizabeth I in the 1560s, nicknamed the site "Gottesgab" meaning "God's Gift." These early miners literally reshaped the valley, building tunnels that went so deep into the mountain that operations were eventually abandoned at the end of the 19th century, not because the minerals ran dry, but because keeping the deep water pumped out became economically impossible.

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Beyond its rich industrial footprint, the pass possesses a unique geological and social heritage that shaped the very layout of the road. Millions of years ago, a massive underwater landslide formed what geologists call the "Buttermere Formation," creating the dramatic, craggy ledge that the modern road sits on today. Before the unclassified mountain road was formally engineered for heavy Victorian carriage wheels, the path was used by local Cumbrian packhorse teams to move essential agricultural goods between the secluded hamlets of Little Town and Stair.

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This deep solitude and dramatic interplay of light, rock, and water captured the imaginations of iconic British artists like J.M.W. Turner and John Constable. The pass also left a lasting mark on English literature; in May 1826, William Wordsworth walked the route over Newlands Hause, a journey that directly inspired him to write a stanza in his poem "To May," celebrating the wild beauty of the valley. Later, the landscape became a central inspiration for Beatrix Potter, who famously used the nearby Littletown Farm as the idyllic backdrop for The Tale of Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle. While the old schools, traditional inns, and community buildings of the upper valley closed or converted into farm complexes across the 20th century, the pass retains its raw, traditional identity: remaining a windswept mountain gap where the sheer power of the local fells completely dominates the landscape.

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What to Expect

The climb begins right in the picture-postcard setting of Buttermere village. The opening mile is incredibly deceptive, tracking along the valley floor as a steady, rolling false flat that lets you settle into a comfortable, spinning rhythm. It feels more like a scenic alpine lane than a rugged Lakeland pass.

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The illusion shatters as you approach the head of the valley. The road suddenly narrows and bends, revealing the massive amphitheater of the fells. To your left, the spectacular cascades of the Moss Force waterfall serve as the marker that the real work is about to begin.

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The final 400 metres are a brute force battle against gravity. The road snaps violently skyward, ramping straight up the side of the pass and locking into a sustained pitch that touches an agonising 25% gradient just below the summit crest. There are no flat corners or switchbacks to cheat the incline; it is a straight, breathless fight where you have to dump every remaining gear just to keep the pedals turning. Once you punch through the top, the reward is an instant drop in gradient at the summit marker, followed by a wide-open, fast descent down into the Newlands Valley.

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Guide's Experience

The golden rule of Newlands Pass is simple: do not go too deep at the start. Because you roll out of Buttermere onto such a gentle, flowing false flat, it is incredibly tempting to carry too much speed or click into a bigger gear. Don't do it. The opening mile is a massive deception, and if you burn through your matches early on, the end of this climb will turn into a right battle. Save your energy, keep your heart rate in check, and let the legs warm up smoothly while you can.

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Similarly to The Struggle, the middle section of this climb flattens significantly. While this provides a brief physical break, it triggers a heavy psychological battle. Because the landscape is so exposed, you can see the final wall looming ahead of you from a long way out. It sits there on the horizon, taunting you while you spin through the easier terrain. Adding to the challenge is the natural topography of the fells, which turns the pass into a giant wind tunnel. You can be riding in absolute calm down by the village, but if you hit a fierce Cumbrian headwind blasting down from the summit, it will hit you right in the chest. Combined with the transition onto the 25% ramps, a strong headwind near the top can make the steep finish feel all but impossible.​

 

When that final wall eventually arrives under your wheels, you are in for a pure slugger match against gravity. Simon Warren, author of 100 Greatest Cycling Climbs, perfectly describes this brutal ending by warning that you will be 'breathing out of your ears' by the time you reach the summit crest.

 

There is no denying that the climb from Buttermere is significantly harder than the approach from Braithwaite, but the ultimate reward for tackling it from this side is the incredible descent off the other side. It is a wide, fast, and flowing run down the valley - just make sure you keep your eyes peeled and your hands close to the brakes, as local sheep are notorious for wandering directly onto the tarmac without warning.

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At its heart, Newlands is a wonderfully pure climb. There are no visitor centres, mining buildings, or pubs at the top to distract you. It is essentially just a raw, grey ribbon of tarmac stretching through an otherwise completely untouched ocean of green scenery. It strips cycling back to its absolute basics: you, your bike, and the mountain.

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This climb features in our Fred Whitton Epic & Classic tours.