Yoke: Height, Walks and Views on the Kentmere Round

Yoke stands at the southern end of the ridge that runs through Ill Bell and Froswick towards Thornthwaite Crag. At 707m, it marks the beginning of the higher ground above Garburn Pass, with Troutbeck to the west and Kentmere to the east. Often encountered on the Kentmere Horseshoe, it deserves attention in its own right for its contrasting slopes and long views towards Windermere.

A broad summit above two valleys

Yoke rises to 707m (2,320ft), with its summit at grid reference NY437067. Its broad upper slopes give it a less sharply defined outline than neighbouring Ill Bell, but the fell is not uniformly gentle. The eastern side falls steeply into Kentmere, with crags breaking the slope, while the western flank descends towards the Troutbeck valley. This contrast is an important part of its character: open ridge walking above much rougher ground.

Its position near the southern edge of the higher Far Eastern Fells gives the outlook considerable variety. Windermere lies to the south-west, with lower country beyond, while the view north follows the ridge towards Ill Bell. Across Kentmere, the opposite arm of the horseshoe includes Kentmere Pike and Harter Fell. Rather than one isolated summit dominating everything, the view helps explain how the surrounding ridges and valleys fit together.

Yoke in the Far Eastern Fells

Alfred Wainwright included Yoke in The Far Eastern Fells, the second book of his Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells. It ranks 84th by height among the 214 Wainwrights. Its immediate ridge neighbour to the north is Ill Bell, with Froswick farther along the same line of high ground.

To the south, Garburn Pass separates Yoke from the lower fells around Sallows. The pass connects the Troutbeck and Kentmere valleys and is a longstanding crossing between them. Troutbeck Tongue stands lower down within the Troutbeck valley, rather than on Yoke’s summit ridge. Together, these neighbouring fells show the change from the lower southern uplands to the more sustained high ground leading towards High Street.

Its place on the Kentmere Horseshoe

Yoke is best known to many walkers as part of the Kentmere Horseshoe, the substantial circuit of the ridges enclosing the upper Kentmere valley. It belongs to the western arm, alongside Ill Bell and Froswick, and is commonly the first major summit for walkers taking the round clockwise. The full horseshoe is a long mountain day, not simply a short extension of a visit to Yoke.

Walks focused on Yoke are also associated with approaches from Kentmere or Troutbeck through the Garburn Pass area. Its appeal is partly this setting between two distinctive valleys, and partly the ridge itself: broad on Yoke, then more sharply shaped around Ill Bell. Even when it is one summit among several, Yoke provides a clear introduction to the landscape of the western Kentmere skyline.

Where Yoke stands

Summit at grid reference NY437067 · open full map

The real Yoke

Walking Yoke

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

• Guide links to be curated.

Weather on Yoke

Conditions estimated at summit height (707 m) via Open-Meteo. For a walker's forecast, use the Mountain Weather Information Service.

Yoke on your wall

A painting of Yoke can recall more than the summit: the broad climb above Garburn Pass, the drop into Kentmere, or Windermere opening out behind you. A print or canvas brings that familiar fell outline home, keeping a particular day on the ridge in view.

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

Neighbouring Wainwrights in The Far Eastern Fells

• Ill Bell 757 m
• Froswick 720 m
• Troutbeck Tongue 364 m
• Sallows 516 m

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