Brae Fell: Height, Walks and Northern Fells Views

Brae Fell is a rounded, grassy Wainwright on the northern edge of the Lakeland fells. At 586m, it belongs to the open uplands north of Skiddaw, where broad slopes replace the craggy outlines familiar from the central Lakes. Its appeal is straightforward: spacious walking, an outlook towards the Solway Firth and a natural place in a day linking the neighbouring Northern Fells.

A rounded summit above the northern lowlands

Brae Fell rises to 586m (1,923ft), with its summit at grid reference NY288351. Its broad, rounded shape is characteristic of this part of the Northern Fells: grass-covered slopes and open ridges, rather than the sharp arêtes and steep rock faces found elsewhere in Lakeland. A cairn marks the summit, but the surrounding ground has little of the architectural drama of a rocky pike.

The position matters more than the height. Brae Fell stands near the northern margin of the uplands, looking out across the Cumbrian lowlands towards the Solway Firth and southern Scotland. In clear weather, that outward view gives the summit much of its character. Turn back towards the higher fells and the outlook becomes a study of rounded ridges and overlapping slopes rather than distant water.

Brae Fell in Wainwright’s Northern Fells

Brae Fell appears in Book Five of Alfred Wainwright’s A Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells, The Northern Fells. It ranks 135th by height among the 214 Wainwrights. Although Skiddaw and Blencathra are the best-known names in the book, its coverage also takes in the extensive, less rugged country to their north.

Great Sca Fell, Meal Fell, Longlands Fell and Knott are neighbouring Wainwrights. Together, these names help place Brae Fell within a connected expanse of upland rather than as an isolated summit. Great Sca Fell lies inland to the south, while Brae Fell occupies an outward-facing position nearer the lowlands. That relationship helps explain why a comparatively modest summit can offer such an open northern outlook.

Walking character and neighbouring summits

Brae Fell is often included in walks that collect several of the nearby Wainwrights. The attraction is the continuity of the terrain: broad fell slopes connect a group of distinct tops without the scrambling associated with Lakeland’s sharper ridges. Longlands is a familiar starting area for walks into this group of fells.

Gentle outlines should not be mistaken for sheltered conditions. This is open upland, exposed to wind, and the rounded terrain can make navigation less obvious in mist. Brae Fell rewards walkers who enjoy that quieter form of fell country, where changing light, distant horizons and the relationship between neighbouring summits provide the interest.

Where Brae Fell stands

Summit at grid reference NY288351 · open full map

The real Brae Fell

Walking Brae Fell

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

• Guide links to be curated.

Weather on Brae Fell

Conditions estimated at summit height (586 m) via Open-Meteo. For a walker's forecast, use the Mountain Weather Information Service.

Brae Fell on your wall

A painting of Brae Fell brings attention to the quieter shapes of the northern Lakes: a rounded summit, open slopes and a long horizon. As a print or canvas at home, it can recall a familiar fell day without needing a dramatic crag to tell the story.

Own “Vibrant Brae Fell Stone Cairn” — our painting of Brae Fell → or browse all Fells & Mountains artwork

Neighbouring Wainwrights in The Northern Fells

• Great Sca Fell 651 m
• Meal Fell 549 m
• Longlands Fell 483 m
• Knott 710 m

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