Gowbarrow Fell: Height, Walks and Ullswater Views

Gowbarrow Fell rises above Ullswater’s northern shore, bringing open fell, rocky knolls and wooded lower slopes into a relatively compact landscape. At 481.2m, it is one of the lower Eastern Fells, but height is only part of its appeal. Walkers come for the changing views across the lake and the chance to combine a Wainwright summit with the woodland and waterfalls around Aira Force.

A rocky fell above Ullswater

Gowbarrow Fell stands west of Watermillock, overlooking the northern side of Ullswater. Its shape is broad and irregular rather than a single sharp peak: rough grassland, bracken and rocky outcrops spread across the upper fell, while woodland softens parts of the lower slopes. The highest point, Airy Crag, carries a triangulation pillar at grid reference NY407218.

The summit reaches 481.2 metres, or 1,579 feet. Ullswater is central to the fell’s character, although the outlook changes considerably between the summit and the slopes facing the water. The southern side gives the lake more prominence, with the higher fells beyond providing a strong contrast to Gowbarrow’s modest height. It is worth thinking of this as a fell of several viewpoints rather than judging it by the highest point alone.

Gowbarrow in the Eastern Fells

Gowbarrow appears in The Eastern Fells, the first volume of Alfred Wainwright’s seven-volume guide to the Lakeland fells. It ranks 181st by height among the 214 Wainwrights. Its comparatively low elevation places it well below the high ground of Helvellyn, but it offers a distinct part of the same region: the meeting of open fell country and Ullswater’s wooded shore.

Little Mell Fell and Great Mell Fell are nearby Wainwrights, while Glenridding Dodd and Arnison Crag belong to the wider Ullswater setting. These names help place Gowbarrow geographically; they should not be read as a continuous ridge walk. Gowbarrow is commonly walked as a circuit associated with Aira Force, making it a different proposition from the longer high-level outings on the main Eastern Fells ridges.

Aira Force and the lakeshore connection

Aira Force lies on Gowbarrow’s lower western side, where Aira Beck drops through a wooded ravine. The waterfall and surrounding National Trust land are among Ullswater’s best-known attractions. The contrast is part of the pleasure here: enclosed woodland and moving water below, then rougher, more open ground on the fell above.

The nearby shore at Glencoyne Bay also has a well-established literary association. William and Dorothy Wordsworth encountered daffodils beside Ullswater in April 1802, an experience connected with William’s later poem I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud. That association belongs to the lakeshore rather than Gowbarrow’s summit, but it forms part of the landscape surrounding the fell.

Where Gowbarrow Fell stands

Summit at grid reference NY407218 · open full map

The real Gowbarrow Fell

Walking Gowbarrow Fell

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

• Walk to Aira Force via Gowbarrow Park with the best ... (hikingphotographer.uk)
• Aira Force and Gowbarrow Fell (pawsexplorenorth.co.uk)
• Aira Force, High Cascades, and Gowbarrow Fell Circular (alltrails.com)

Weather on Gowbarrow Fell

Conditions estimated at summit height (481 m) via Open-Meteo. For a walker's forecast, use the Mountain Weather Information Service.

Gowbarrow Fell on your wall

A painting of Gowbarrow Fell can bring back more than the summit: the broken outline of its crags, the wooded shore and Ullswater opening below. In a print or canvas at home, those familiar shapes offer a quiet reminder of time on the fell.

Own “Vibrant Sunlight on Gowbarrow Fell” — our painting of Gowbarrow Fell → or browse all Fells & Mountains artwork

Neighbouring Wainwrights in The Eastern Fells

• Little Mell Fell 505 m
• Great Mell Fell 537 m
• Glenridding Dodd 442 m
• Arnison Crag 433 m

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