Carrock Fell: 662.3m Height, Walks and Summit Views

Carrock Fell brings a rougher edge to the Northern Fells. Above Mosedale, its craggy eastern slopes stand apart from the smoother, grassy outlines often associated with the Caldbeck fells. At 662.3m, it offers a rewarding summit with the remains of an ancient hillfort and wide views across the country east of Lakeland. Walkers value both its rocky character and its natural pairing with High Pike.

A rocky edge to the Northern Fells

Carrock Fell stands on the eastern side of the Northern Fells, north of Blencathra and above the valley of Mosedale. Its broken eastern face gives it a distinctive presence from the lower ground: this is a fell of exposed rock, scree and heather, rather than an uninterrupted sweep of grass. Behind that rough frontage, broader upland terrain connects it with the Caldbeck fells.

The summit reaches 662.3m, or 2,173ft, at grid reference NY341336. Its position near the edge of the massif opens views eastwards across the Eden Valley towards the Pennines, while Blencathra is a prominent presence to the south. The contrast between enclosed Lakeland valleys and the more open country beyond is a large part of the appeal. There is as much interest in looking out from the district as in looking back into it.

Summit ramparts and distinctive geology

The remains of a hillfort are Carrock Fell’s best-known historic feature. A substantial stone enclosure follows the summit area, adding a human history to ground that otherwise feels predominantly shaped by weather and geology. The surviving ramparts are worth noticing alongside the views. Their precise date and purpose have been debated, so a simple description of the remains is more reliable than a confident story about who occupied them.

The fell also has a distinctive geological identity. It forms part of the Carrock Fell Complex, an intrusion of igneous rocks that includes gabbro. This sets it apart from much of the Skiddaw Group sedimentary terrain nearby. Mining is another important strand of the surrounding landscape’s history: Carrock Mine, in the country between Carrock Fell and High Pike, was worked for tungsten ore.

Carrock Fell in Wainwright’s Northern Fells

Carrock Fell appears in Book Five, The Northern Fells, of Alfred Wainwright’s pictorial guides. It ranks 105th by height among the 214 Wainwrights. High Pike is a common walking companion, linked by the broad upland ground to the west and north-west. Bowscale Fell lies across Mosedale to the south, helping place Carrock within the wider group east of the central northern uplands.

Walks commonly approach from the Mosedale side or include High Pike in a longer circuit. The eastern slopes are steep and rough, and the more open ground above can be confusing in mist. A dedicated route guide and an appropriate map remain useful companions, even on a fell whose summit is clearly visible from below.

Where Carrock Fell stands

Summit at grid reference NY341336 · open full map

The real Carrock Fell

Walking Carrock Fell

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

• Lake District Walk: Carrock Fell and High Pike (walklakes.co.uk)
• Carrock Fell (andrewswalks.co.uk)
• Carrock Fell (where2walk.co.uk)

Weather on Carrock Fell

Conditions estimated at summit height (662 m) via Open-Meteo. For a walker's forecast, use the Mountain Weather Information Service.

Carrock Fell on your wall

A painting of Carrock Fell can bring home something particular about the northern Lakes: the broken rock above Mosedale, the heather and the open country beyond. As a print or canvas, it offers a familiar point of connection with a fell that rewards a closer look.

Own “Carrock Fell Ridge in Sunlight” — our painting of Carrock Fell → or browse all Fells & Mountains artwork

Neighbouring Wainwrights in The Northern Fells

• Bowscale Fell 702 m
• High Pike (Caldbeck) 658 m
• Bannerdale Crags 684 m
• Souther Fell 522 m

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