Kirk Fell: Height, Walks and Views above Wasdale

Kirk Fell rises steeply above Wasdale Head, its broad summit standing between Great Gable and the high ground towards Pillar. At 802 metres, it belongs firmly among the bigger Western Fells, though its famous neighbour often takes the attention. Walkers who give Kirk Fell its own day find a spacious top, demanding approaches and a particularly close view of Great Gable's western face.

A broad summit above Wasdale Head

From Wasdale Head, Kirk Fell presents a substantial, steep-sided front. Its outline is less sharply sculpted than Great Gable's, but the rise from the valley floor gives it considerable presence. Above those steep flanks, the ground opens into a broad summit area with two distinct tops. The western top is the higher, reaching 802 metres (2,631 feet), with the main summit recorded at grid reference NY194104.

The contrast between the enclosing slopes and the space above is central to Kirk Fell's character. This is not a narrow summit perch: there is room to appreciate the surrounding ridges and valleys as separate features. Great Gable dominates the eastern outlook, while Pillar and the Scafell massif help place the fell within the wider mountain landscape. In clear weather, the views reward attention to the nearer crags as much as the distant skyline.

Kirk Fell in the Western Fells

Kirk Fell appears in Alfred Wainwright's The Western Fells, the seventh book of his Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells. It ranks 34th in height among the 214 Wainwrights. Its position on the divide between Wasdale and Ennerdale makes it part of a high-level landscape linking several of the western Lake District's best-known summits.

Black Sail Pass lies to the west, separating Kirk Fell from the ridge towards Pillar, while Beck Head forms the eastern saddle beneath Great Gable. These passes explain much about the fell's shape and its place in longer walks. Beyond the immediate slopes are Green Gable, Brandreth and Haystacks, all part of the surrounding Western Fells. Kirk Fell is best understood in this company: a substantial summit between valleys, rather than an isolated outlier.

Walking character and fell-running history

Kirk Fell has a reputation for steep walking, particularly on the direct slope above Wasdale Head. Other approaches involve the neighbouring passes, but none makes this a casual valley-side outing. Loose ground, rocky sections and the height gained are important considerations when choosing a walk. The broad summit also calls for careful navigation in cloud; its openness should not be mistaken for an obvious line across the fell.

Its place in fell-running is well established. Kirk Fell is one of the 42 summits on the Bob Graham Round, the celebrated circuit beginning and ending in Keswick. On the usual clockwise round, it comes between Pillar and Great Gable. For walkers, that same position offers scope for ambitious linked outings, although Kirk Fell alone provides a substantial mountain day.

Where Kirk Fell stands

Summit at grid reference NY194104 · open full map

The real Kirk Fell

Walking Kirk Fell

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

• Lake District Walk: Kirk Fell and Great Gable (walklakes.co.uk)
• Kirk Fell walk - walks from Wasdale - Lake District walks (andrewswalks.co.uk)
• Kirk Fell, Pillar, Scoat Fell, Steeple and Red Pike (walkingenglishman.com)

Weather on Kirk Fell

Conditions estimated at summit height (802 m) via Open-Meteo. For a walker's forecast, use the Mountain Weather Information Service.

Kirk Fell on your wall

A painting of Kirk Fell brings a familiar part of Wasdale into the home: the broad top, steep flanks and close company of Great Gable. As a print or canvas, it can recall a summit day or the view that first drew your eye from Wasdale Head.

Own “Sunlit Ridge Below Kirk Fell” — our painting of Kirk Fell → or browse all Fells & Mountains artwork

Neighbouring Wainwrights in The Western Fells

• Haystacks 597 m
• Great Gable 899 m
• Green Gable 800 m
• Brandreth 715 m

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