Brim Fell: Height, Walks and Views in the Coniston Fells

Brim Fell is the broad, rounded summit immediately north of The Old Man of Coniston, standing at 795.9m on the high backbone of the Coniston Fells. It lacks its neighbour’s distinct profile, and many walkers cross it as part of a longer ridge walk. That understated character is part of its appeal: open fell, a substantial summit cairn and a strong sense of the surrounding uplands.

A broad summit on the Coniston ridge

Brim Fell is defined less by a dramatic summit than by its position. Its rounded top forms part of the high ground linking The Old Man of Coniston with Swirl How, with Levers Hawse interrupting the ridge to the north. From the summit, the close relationship between these fells is easy to understand: this is a connected upland landscape rather than a collection of isolated peaks.

The summit stands at 795.9m, or 2,611ft, at grid reference SD270985. A prominent cairn marks the top. Although the summit area is comparatively gentle, the ground falls much more steeply towards the surrounding valleys. Levers Water lies below the eastern side of the ridge, while Seathwaite Tarn occupies the valley to the west.

Brim Fell among the Southern Fells

Brim Fell appears in The Southern Fells, the fourth book of Alfred Wainwright’s Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells. It ranks 37th in height among the 214 Wainwrights. Its inclusion gives this quiet section of the Coniston skyline an identity of its own, even though it is often visited alongside its better-known neighbour.

The Old Man of Coniston, Dow Crag, Swirl How and Great Carrs are neighbouring Wainwrights in the same compact group. Their proximity makes Brim Fell a familiar part of walks combining several summits. Its broad connection with The Old Man is especially characteristic: there is little descent between the two tops, so the transition feels quite different from crossing a deep pass between separate fells.

Views and the appeal of a longer walk

The outlook is particularly good for appreciating the Coniston Fells themselves. The Old Man stands close to the south, Swirl How rises along the ridge to the north, and Dow Crag adds a more angular outline to the western scene. The contrast between rounded summit ground, rocky ridges and the tarn basins below gives the landscape much of its character.

Brim Fell’s appeal is therefore closely tied to the journey across it. Walkers seeking an extended day on the Coniston heights can enjoy its spacious summit without treating it as merely a name to tick off. Despite the gentle shape of the top, this is high, exposed ground where cloud can obscure the ridge and make navigation more demanding.

Where Brim Fell stands

Summit at grid reference SD270985 · open full map

The real Brim Fell

Walking Brim Fell

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

• 2636 Brim Fell (hill-bagging.co.uk)
• Best routes • Brim Fell - OS Maps (osmaps.com)
• Dow Crag & Coniston Old Man walk (lonewalker.net)

Weather on Brim Fell

Conditions estimated at summit height (796 m) via Open-Meteo. For a walker's forecast, use the Mountain Weather Information Service.

Brim Fell on your wall

A painting of Brim Fell can recall the quieter stretches of a Coniston ridge walk: the broad summit, the cairn and the neighbouring fells drawing the eye onwards. As a print or canvas at home, it keeps that familiar high ground in view.

Own “Sunlit Cairn on Brim Fell” — our painting of Brim Fell → or browse all Fells & Mountains artwork

Neighbouring Wainwrights in The Southern Fells

• The Old Man of Coniston 802 m
• Dow Crag 778 m
• Swirl How 802 m
• Great Carrs 785 m

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