Mardale Ill Bell
760m (2494ft)
The Far Eastern Fells, The Lake District, Cumbria, England
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Mardale Ill Bell is classified as:
Walk c276 High Street and Harter Fell from Mardale Head
An easy scramble to unsurpassed views
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Vital Statistics for walk c276:
7¼
miles
(11.5 km)
2745
feet
(837 m)
5½
Hours
7
Hard
Route outline for walk c276:
Mardale Head - Haweswater Reservoir - The Rigg - Dudderwick - Swine Crag (Riggindale) - Heron Crag (Riggindale) - Rough Crag (Riggindale) - Caspel Gate - Riggindale Crag - Long Stile - High Street - Mardale Ill Bell - Nan Bield Pass - Harter Fell (Mardale) - Adam Seat - Gatescarth Pass - Mardale Head
Walk c362 Branstree and High Street from Mardale Head
Stunning Haweswater
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Vital Statistics for walk c362:
11¼
miles
(18 km)
3436
feet
(1047 m)
7½
Hours
7
Hard
Route outline for walk c362:
Mardale Head - Haweswater Reservoir - Rowantreethwaite Beck - Old Corpse Road - Selside Pike - Branstree (North East Top) - Branstree (Artlecrag Pike) - Gatescarth Pass - Adam Seat - Harter Fell (Mardale) - Nan Bield Pass - Mardale Ill Bell - High Street - Riggindale Crag - Caspel Gate - Rough Crag (Riggindale) - Eagle Crag (Riggindale) - Heron Crag (Riggindale) - Swine Crag (Riggindale) - Dudderwick - The Rigg - Mardale Head
Walk c257 The Kentmere Skyline from Kentmere
A classic lakeland horseshoe walk
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Vital Statistics for walk c257:
11½
miles
(18.5 km)
3378
feet
(1030 m)
7½
Hours
7
Hard
Route outline for walk c257:
Kentmere - Garburn Pass - Yoke - Ill Bell - Froswick - Thornthwaite Crag - Mardale Ill Bell - Nan Bield Pass - Harter Fell (Mardale) - Kentmere Pike - Brookstones - Kentmere
Walk c251 The Mardale Head Horizon from Mardale Head
Stunning Haweswater
Download walk c251:
Vital Statistics for walk c251:
12½
miles
(20 km)
3814
feet
(1162 m)
8½
Hours
8
Hard
Route outline for walk c251:
Mardale Head - Haweswater - Rowantreethwaite Beck - Old Corpse Road - Selside Pike - Branstree (North East Top) - Branstree (Artlecrag Pike) - Gatescarth Pass - Adam Seat - Harter Fell (Mardale) - Nan Bield Pass - Mardale Ill Bell - High Street - Riggindale - Rampsgill Head - Wainwright's Coast to Coast Walk - Kidsty Pike - Kidsty Howes - Bowderthaite Bridge - The Rigg - Mardale Head
Walk c114 High Street from Mardale Head
Superb high level route with great views
Download walk c114:
Vital Statistics for walk c114:
14½
miles
(23 km)
3364
feet
(1025 m)
8½
Hours
8
Hard
Route outline for walk c114:
Mardale Head (Haweswater Reservoir) - Small Water - Nan Bield Pass - Mardale Ill Bell - High Street - Straits of Riggindale - The Knott - Rampsgill Head - Kidsty Pike - High Raise (Mardale) - Raven Howe - Red Crag - Keasgill Head - Wether Hill (South Top) - Wether Hill - Bampton Common - Low Kop - Measand Beck - Haweswater Reservoir - Wainwright's Coast to Coast Walk - Bowderthwaite Bridge - The Rigg - Mardale Head
See Mardale Ill Bell and the surrounding tops on our free-to-access 'Google Style' Peak Bagging Maps:
See Mardale Ill Bell and the surrounding tops on our downloadable Peak Bagging Maps in PDF format:
NB: Whether you print off a copy or download it to your phone, these PDF Peak Baggers Maps might prove incredibly useful when your are up there on the tops and you cannot get a phone signal.
*This version is marked with the walk routes you need to follow to Walk all 214 Wainwrights in just 59 walks.
You can find Mardale Ill Bell & all the walks that climb it on these unique free-to-access Interactive Walk Planning Maps:
1:25,000 scale OS Explorer Maps (orange/yellow covers):
1:50,000 scale OS Landranger Map (pink/magenta covers):
Fellow go4awalkers who have already walked, climbed, summited & bagged Mardale Ill Bell
Pete George walked up on September 27th, 2025 [from/via/route] Mardale [with] Roco [weather] Chilly & foggy on tops, pleasant down below
James Hughes climbed it on September 18th, 2024 [from/via/route] c251 The Mardale Head Horizon from Mardale Head [weather] Beautiful clear warm day. - Walked in reverse. Climbed from Kidsty Pike. Tired after walk preceding day. Included Adam's Seat. Descent from Selside Pike boggy on Old Corpse Road. Poor expensive pint of Mary Jane at Haweswater Hotel.
Christine Shepherd bagged it during August, 2004 [from/via/route] Kentmere [with] Rebecca and Will [weather] Dull & Damp with rain on the descent. - Visited the summit again with Garry & Jonathan on 8.2.08 from Mardale Head. Then on my own on 24.5.10 in glorious sunshine as part of the Mardale Head Horizon walk c251 & 24.2.11 with my daughter Hannah in very misty conditions from Kentmere. Bagged again with Jenny 07-09-2019. Did The Kentmere Horseshoe solo on 6.3.22.
Steve Cookson hiked it on March 23rd, 2022 [with] Gillie [weather] Misty
Martyn Howarth summited on August 15th, 2023 [from/via/route] From Kentmere Institute, as part of the Kentmere Horseshoe. [with] Tilly Howarth. [weather] Gorgeous August day, after some dreadful weather the days before! - Tough 14.5 mile walk - 3600ft of ascent! Brilliant effort by 14 yr old Tilly!
Adrian Howard conquered it on June 12th, 2023 [from/via/route] From Mardale Head - Small water - Nan Bield Pass - Mardale Ill Bell - High Street - Kidsty Pike - kidsty Howes - Mardale Head
Paul Macey scaled on July 24th, 2018 [from/via/route] From Brothers Water using walks c251 & c204
Angeline Grieveson walked up on December 3rd, 2022 [with] Dotty & Paul
Martyn Atherton climbed it on June 18th, 2022 [from/via/route] c362 Selside Pike, Branstree (Artlecrag pike), Harter Fell (Mardale), Mardale III Bell, Rough Crag (Riggendale) & High Street [with] Self [weather] Very Sunny & Warm - Fantastic Route 7 hrs
Chris Faulkner bagged it on March 13th, 2022 [from/via/route] Troutbeck [with] Michelle Chandler [weather] Bright & blustery. - Yoke with Ill Bell, Froswick & Thornthwaite Crag
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. . . [see more walk reports]
Mardale Ill Bell (left) Nan Bield Pass and Harter Fell (Mardale)(right) with Kentmere Reservoir below from the summit of Yoke
Yoke, Ill Bell, Froswick and the shoulder of Lingmell End (Mardale Ill Bell) above Kentmere Reservoir from Harter Fell (Mardale)
Rough Crag beyond Blea Water from above Blea Water Crag between High Street and Mardale Ill Bell
Mardale Ill Bell, High Street and Rough Crag (Riggindale) above Blea Tarn from Nan Bield Pass
Harter Fell (left) and Mardale Ill Bell (in cloud) seen from above Haweswater Reservoir near Rowantreethwaite Beck
Send us your photographs and pictures on, of, or from Mardale Ill Bell
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