Kirk Fell
802m (2631ft)
The Western Fells, The Lake District, Cumbria, England
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See Kirk Fell and the surrounding tops on our free-to-access 'Google Style' Peak Bagging Maps:
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Vital Statistics:
| Length: | 7.5ml (12km) |
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| Ascent: | 3,289ft (1,002m) |
| Time: | 6 hrs |
| Grade: |  (Moderate) |
Route Summary:
Honister Pass - Honister Hause - Grey Knotts - Brandreth - Green Gable - Windy Gap - Great Gable - Westmorland Cairn - Beck Head - Beckhead Tarn - Kirk Fell (East Top) - Kirk Fell - Moses' Trod - Wainwright's Coast to Coast Walk - Honister Pass
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Vital Statistics:
| Length: | 7.75ml (12.5km) |
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| Ascent: | 4,808ft (1,465m) |
| Time: | 7.75hrs |
| Grade: |  (Hard) |
Route Summary:
Wasdale Head - Kirk Fell - Kirk Fell (East Top) - Black Sail Pass - Looking Stead (Pillar) - High Level Route - Robinson's Cairn - Pillar - Wind Gap - Black Crag (Pillar) - Scoat Fell (Little Scoat Fell) - Steeple - Red Pike (Wasdale) - Dore Head - Mosedale Beck - Wasdale Head - Wast Water.
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Vital Statistics:
| Length: | 8.5ml (13.5km) |
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| Ascent: | 4,260ft (1,298m) |
| Time: | 7.25hrs |
| Grade: | (Hard) |
Route Summary:
Honister Pass - Honister Hause - Green Crag (Buttermere) - Black Beck - Blackbeck Tarn - Innominate Tarn - Hay Stacks (Haystacks) - Scarth Gap - Ennerdale - River Liza - Black Sail Hut (Youth Hostel) - Black Sail Path - Kirk Fell - Kirk Fell (East Top) - Beckhead Tarn - Beck Head - Great Gable - Westmorland Cairn - Windy Gap - Green Gable - Gillercomb Head - Brandreth - Grey Knotts - Honister Hause.
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Vital Statistics:
| Length: | 9ml (14.5km) |
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| Ascent: | 3,965ft (1,208m) |
| Time: | 7½ hrs |
| Grade: | (Hard) |
Route Summary:
Honister Pass - Honister Hause - Grey Knotts - Brandreth - Blackmoor Pols - Base Brown - Mitchell Cove - Green Gable - Windy Gap - Great Gable - Westmorland Cairn - Beck Head - Beckhead Tarn - Kirk Fell (East Top) - Kirk Fell - Moses' Trod - Wainwright's Coast to Coast Walk - Honister Pass
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Vital Statistics:
| Length: | 11.25ml (18km) |
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| Ascent: | 5,819ft (1,773m) |
| Time: | 10 hrs |
| Grade: |  (Very Hard) |
Route Summary:
Wasdale Head - Moses' Trod - Lingmell Beck - Gable Beck Bridge - Sty Head - Great Gable - Westmorland Cairn - Beck Head - Beckhead Tarn - Kirk Fell (East Top) - Kirk Fell - Black Sail Pass - Looking Stead (Pillar) - High Level Route - Robinson's Cairn - Pillar - Wind Gap - Black Crag (Pillar) - Scoat Fell (Little Scoat Fell) - Steeple - Red Pike (Wasdale) - Dore Head - Mosedale Beck - Wasdale Head - Wast Water.
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Vital Statistics:
| Length: | 18.75ml (30km) |
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| Ascent: | 7,309ft (2,408m) |
| Time: | 14.75hrs |
| Grade: | (Very Hard) |
Route Summary:
Bowness Knott Car Park Ennerdale - Low Gillerthwaite Field Centre - High Gillerthwaite Yourth Hostel - Red Pike (Buttermere) - High Stile - High Crag (Buttermere) - Seat (Buttermere) - Scarth Gap - Hay Stacks (Haystacks) - Innominate Tarn - Blackbeck Tarn - Black Beck - Green Crag (Buttermere) - Great Round How - Brandreth - Gillercomb Head - Green Gable - Windy Gap - Great Gable - Westmorland Cairn - Beck Head - Beckhead Tarn - Kirk Fell (East Top) - Kirk Fell - Black Sail Pass - Looking Stead (Pillar) - High Level Route - Robinson's Cairn - Pillar - Wind Gap - Black Crag (Pillar) - High Beck - Low Beck - Ennerdale.
Fellow go4awalkers who have already walked, climbed, summited & bagged Kirk Fell
James Hughes walked up on August 10th, 2025 [from/via/route] c417 Base Brown, Great Gable & Kirk Fell from Honister [weather] Warmish, sometimes overcast, sometimes sunny. - Stomp up to Grey Knotts from Honister - didn't feel too bad as started at decent height. Easy yomp over to Brandreth before hitting the path to descend to Base Brown. Good views then steepish ascent back to Green Gable. Good vista of Great Gable & Moses Trod below. Hard trek up Great Gable on rocky terrain. Topped & then overshot after the memorial to return to path down to Kirk Fell. Took one of the false boulder paths cited by Wainwright which ended in scree Sunday. The error of my ways became more apparent looking back as the scree looks quite severe. Had actually ascended Great Gable before from Kirk Fell col which was easier, although easy to understand how it would be hard in the mist. Another there & back on Kirk Fell - big flat top. Return via Moses Trod back to tramway track. Pint of Wainwright Amber Ale at Borrowdale Hotel. Average.
Doug Martin climbed it on August 1st, 2016 [from/via/route] Straight up the nose from Wasdale Inn [with] Solo [weather] One of those rare days - ideal for walking with some sunshine, cool breeze. - Was making excellent time on the up until I hit the scree - sticks would have come in handy. Great feeling of exhilaration on reaching top & shelter. The off down to Black Sail pass not as bad as I'd been led to believe. Kept looking across to Dore Head at base of Red Pike & Yewbarrow thinking I must be mad & coming down it at end of day confirmed I was. Met up with John & Alex for dinner at Netherwasdale. They were camping - I was knackered.
Geoff Hand bagged it on September 3rd, 2024 [from/via/route] Walk C417 Great Gable & Kirk Fell from Honister. Set off from Honister & climbed Grey Knotts, from there onto Glamara. We then climbed towards Green Gable but went South to pick up Brown Base. We retraced our steps, climbed green gable & onto Gt Gable. Leaving Gt Gable in cloud we found the path down to Beck Head. When reached there the cloud had lifted off Kirk fell so we went for it. Came back by Moses's trod & the dismantled tramway to Honister. [with] Tess, my Jack Russell [weather] Started off quite sunny, however cloud moved in & covered Gt Gable. A bit drisly towards the end. - A really tough walk, one I would think twice about in the future. Very pleased with my navigation of Gt Gable as it was spot on! According to my garmin I didn't quite hit the top of Grey Knots & Brandreth. I find this incredible as I did a lot of tramping around to make sure I hit the tops today. So I'm claiming them anyway. NB I've also done them both before.
Christine Shepherd hiked it on June 4th, 2007 [from/via/route] Walked from Honister Slate mine using walk c151 Climbed again on 23.08.2021 from Wasdale, the first fell in a long day's walking using walk c240. [with] On my own [weather] Hot & hazy - Followed the walk route over Kirk fell but didn't climb Great Gable on this occasion as my husband was waiting for me at Honister. On my second visit I descended via the scree slope. An exciting descent but not for the faint hearted. Climbed for a third time on 8.6.23 using walk c417, in gorgeous sunshine with a pleasant breeze.
Ian Ashton summited on May 13th, 2023 [with] Jph
Martyn Atherton conquered it on September 20th, 2020 [from/via/route] c338 Grey Knotts, Brandreth, Green Gable, Great Gable, Kirk Fell [with] Martyn and Paul [weather] Cloudy at first then very warm & sunny - Great view of the mines
Paul Macey scaled on June 6th, 2022 [from/via/route] C417 in reverse [with] Luke [weather] Cloudy but cloud above summits
Darren Wilson walked up on June 20th, 2021 [from/via/route] Last Wainright walks Red Pike, Scoat Fell, Steeple, Pillar & Kirk Fell [with] Mike [weather] Sunny dry beautiful day out, steep climb up
Christina Lander climbed it on June 4th, 2021 [from/via/route] Wasdale Head - Kirk Fell - Pillar - Yewbarrow - Wasdale Head [with] Dick [weather] A beautiful, sunny day - During our holiday staying at Station House, Troutbeck, Penrith
Kevin Foster bagged it on May 14th, 2021 [from/via/route] Honister Pass (slate mine). [with] By myself. [weather] Low clouds down on tops gradually lifting. - The true summit of Kirk Fell is a short stroll from the East top across a grassy dip. The descent to Black Sail Pass looks a bit daunting but isn't too bad if taken carefully. Again the views are worth it especially of Lingmell , the Scafell massif & Wasdale.
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More Photographs & Pictures of views from, on or of Kirk Fell
*From Left to right: Caw Fell, Seatallan, Red Pike, Pillar, Yewbarrow, Kirk Fell, Great Gable, Lingmell and Sca Fell and Wast Water (foreground) from Illgill Head (NB. Scafell Pike is largely hidden behind Sca Fell)
Yewbarrow (left), Kirk Fell (partially hidden), Great Gable (centre) Lingmell, Scafell Pike (partially hidden) and Illgill Head (right) from across Wast Water
Kirk Fell (foreground), Pillar, Ennerdale, Red Pike (Buttermere), High Stile, High Crag and Crummock Water (far right) from Westmorland Cairn, Great Gable
Looking NE up Wast Water to featuring Yewbarrow (left), Kirk Fell and Great Gable (right) from near Lund Bridge
Our new addition Neela ( 1st time in the Lakes) on Hay Stacks (Haystacks) with Green Gable (left), Windy Gap, Great Gable and Kirk Fell (right) very clear in the background
Innominate Tarn, Hay Stacks with Great Gable, Kirk Fell and Scafell Pike in the distance
Yewbarrow with Kirk Fell, Great Gable and Lingmell beyond from Middle Fell (Wasdale)
Green Gable (left) and Great Gable (centre left) and the shoulder of Kirk Fell from Loft Beck
Snow on Yewbarrow (North Top) left, Red Pike (centre right) and the shoulder or Kirk Fell (right) tower above Wasdale from near Sty Head
Seatallan, Great Scoat Fell, Little Scoat Fell, Red Pike (Wasdale), Yewbarrow, Kirk Fell, Great Gable and Whin Rigg from Irton Pike
Wasdale Head (Yewbarrow, Kirk Fell and Great Gable), Whin Rigg and Eskdale Moor from Irton Pike
Wast Water and Wasdale Head from the lower slopes of Great Gable and Kirk Fell
On the ridge between Great Borne and Starling Dodd with Great Gable and Kirk Fell in the distance
Haycock, Little Scoat Fell, Red Pike (Wasdale), Pillar, Top of Stirrup Crag, Kirk Fell, Great Gable, Great End, Lingmell, Scafell Pike, Sca Fell, Slightside, Harter Fell (Eskdale) and Burnmoor Tarn from the summit of Yewbarrow
Great view of Brandreth, Green Gable, Great Gable (the rounded dome), Kirk Fell, Pillar (the highest point), Black Crag and Steeple from Lingcomb Edge just below the summit of Red Pike (Buttermere)
*Kirk Fell (left), Great Gable (centre) Lingmell, Scafell Pike (partially hidden) and Illgill Head across Wast Water
. . . see all 65 walk photographs & pictures of views from, on or of Kirk Fell
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