Low Fell: Height, Walks and Views above Loweswater

Low Fell stands above Loweswater at the quieter edge of the Western Fells, where modest height gives little warning of the views. Its grassy ridge looks towards Crummock Water, Mellbreak and the higher western summits, with open farmland close below. At 422.5 metres, it is one of the lower Wainwrights, but its position makes it much more than a fell to collect.

A low ridge with a wide outlook

Low Fell rises between Loweswater and the Vale of Lorton, forming the southern part of the upland ridge shared with Fellbarrow. Its outline is gentler than those of the larger fells around Crummock Water: grassy slopes, rounded shoulders and small rocky outcrops rather than a dominating wall of crag. The contrast between this modest foreground and the higher ground beyond is central to its character.

The views are the main attraction. From the ridge and its southern viewpoints, Crummock Water draws the eye into the western valleys, with Mellbreak standing prominently beside it. Grasmoor provides a much larger backdrop across the valley, while Loweswater and its surrounding fields give the outlook a more intimate scale. Different parts of the ridge reveal different arrangements of lake, farmland and fell; the highest point is not the only place worth pausing.

Low Fell in the Western Fells

Alfred Wainwright included Low Fell in The Western Fells, the seventh book of his Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells. Its measured height is 422.5 metres, or 1,386 feet, placing it 197th among the 214 Wainwrights by height. The summit grid reference is NY137226.

Within that western group, Low Fell represents the lower, more pastoral margins of Lakeland rather than its high central ridges. That setting is part of its appeal: the surrounding landscape remains recognisably mountainous, but the immediate slopes sit close to farms, woodland and the valley floor. Its relatively low elevation should not be confused with a lack of exposure, particularly when wind and cloud reach the ridge.

Walking connections and neighbouring fells

Fellbarrow is the natural companion to Low Fell, and the two are commonly combined in one walk. Their connecting upland makes a coherent outing, with changing views as the ridge turns between the Lorton and Loweswater sides. Thackthwaite, below the eastern slopes, is a familiar starting point for walks on this pair.

Other nearby Wainwrights include Mellbreak, Hen Comb and Burnbank Fell, each belonging to the wider landscape around Loweswater and Crummock Water. They are neighbours in the view rather than all being part of the same ridge. Low Fell’s particular strength is this vantage point among them: a comparatively low summit from which the relationships between the western lakes, valleys and fells become clear.

Where Low Fell stands

Summit at grid reference NY137226 · open full map

The real Low Fell

Walking Low Fell

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

• Low Fell (walklakes.co.uk)
• Low Fell Route One (wainwrightroutes.co.uk)
• Best routes • Low Fell - OS Maps (osmaps.com)

Weather on Low Fell

Conditions estimated at summit height (422 m) via Open-Meteo. For a walker's forecast, use the Mountain Weather Information Service.

Low Fell on your wall

A painting of Low Fell can bring home that familiar balance of open ridge, valley fields and higher fells beyond. For anyone who knows its views towards Crummock Water, it is a way to keep a particular corner of the western Lakes close.

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

Neighbouring Wainwrights in The Western Fells

• Fellbarrow 416 m
• Mellbreak 511 m
• Hen Comb 506 m
• Burnbank Fell 475 m

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