Binsey: Height, Walks and Views in the Northern Fells

Binsey stands apart from the main Northern Fells, a rounded, grassy summit north of Bassenthwaite Lake. At 446.7 metres, it is one of the lower Wainwrights, but its isolated position gives it a generous outlook: Skiddaw rises nearby, while the view opens north towards the Solway Firth and Scotland. Walkers value it for a relatively short outing with a sense of space that its modest height scarcely suggests.

A separate summit with a wide outlook

Binsey’s defining feature is its separation from the higher fells. Rather than forming a shoulder of Skiddaw or a summit along a continuous ridge, it rises on its own beyond the north-western edge of the main Northern Fells. Its broad, rounded slopes are predominantly grassy, with none of the extensive crags that shape many better-known Lakeland summits. The result is an approachable-looking fell whose interest lies as much in its position as in its profile.

The summit has a triangulation pillar and a cairn, but it is the surrounding landscape that holds the attention. Bassenthwaite Lake lies to the south, with Skiddaw and the Ullock Pike ridge providing a much higher backdrop. Eastwards are the Uldale fells and the countryside around Over Water. Looking away from the Lake District, the outlook extends across the Cumbrian lowlands towards the Solway Firth, with the Scottish hills visible in clear conditions.

Binsey among the Northern Fells

Alfred Wainwright included Binsey in The Northern Fells, the fifth book of his seven-volume Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells. It is the most north-westerly of the 214 Wainwrights. At 446.7 metres, or 1,466 feet, it ranks 192nd by height: a useful reminder that inclusion in the guide is not simply about altitude.

Nearby Wainwrights include Great Cockup, Bakestall, Ullock Pike and Long Side, though Binsey is not linked to them by a high ridge. That distinction matters when thinking about a day’s walking. Where other Northern Fells lend themselves naturally to rounds taking in several summits, Binsey is commonly treated as a separate outing. It also offers a revealing view back towards the region, showing the contrast between the bulk of Skiddaw and the lower, rounder fells to its north.

A shorter walk, not a lesser viewpoint

A familiar approach begins near Binsey Lodge on the south-eastern side of the fell. Its relatively short ascent makes Binsey a popular choice when there is not time for a longer day on the higher fells. The open summit remains exposed to wind and weather, however, and clear visibility makes a considerable difference to the experience. Binsey’s appeal is straightforward: an individual summit, a broad horizon and an unusually good position from which to see where Lakeland meets the surrounding lowlands.

Where Binsey stands

Summit at grid reference NY225355 · open full map

Walking Binsey

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

• BINSEY - All You SHOULD Know Before You Go 2026 (w (tripadvisor.co.uk)
• Winter walks in the Lake District: Binsey (lakedistricthotels.net)
• Binsey (masarnenramblers.com)

Weather on Binsey

Conditions estimated at summit height (447 m) via Open-Meteo. For a walker's forecast, use the Mountain Weather Information Service.

Binsey on your wall

A painting of Binsey can bring that quieter edge of Lakeland into a room: the rounded fell, open sky and contrast with the higher Northern Fells. For anyone who knows its summit, those simple shapes can carry the memory of a whole afternoon outside.

Own “Sunlit Binsey Summit Trig Pillar” — our painting of Binsey → or browse all Fells & Mountains artwork

Neighbouring Wainwrights in The Northern Fells

• Ullock Pike 690 m
• Long Side 734 m
• Bakestall 674 m
• Great Cockup 526 m

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