Lake District
Beacon Fell
255M
836FT
About Beacon Fell
Rising above the southern shores of Coniston Water, this rugged little peak punches well above its weight. A classic Wainwright Outlying Fell, its rocky, heather-clad summit provides a grandstand view over the length of the lake towards the Coniston Old Man and the higher fells of the Southern Lake District.
Key Statistics
Rank
841st Highest in Region
Parent Range
Southern Fells
Prominence
?
129
Nearest Town
High Nibthwaite
Geology
You are walking on the Bannisdale Formation, made of alternating layers of hardened mud and silt. These fine-grained rocks form the solid foundation of this fell.
Classifications
Nearby Fells
Find It
Latitude
54.3069°N
Longitude
3.1110°W
Did You Know?
- •The name stems from the hill's historical use as a signal station; a beacon was maintained here for centuries to relay warnings of coastal invasion or to mark national celebrations across the fells.
- •Alfred Wainwright held this small fell in high regard, dedicating a chapter to it in his Outlying Fells of Lakeland and describing the summit as a miniature mountain of great charm.
- •The summit offers a perfect bird's-eye view of Peel Island in Coniston Water, famously immortalised as 'Wild Cat Island' in Arthur Ransome’s Swallows and Amazons series.
- •The topography is dominated by 'knots'—distinctive rocky outcrops of Silurian slate—and small, unnamed pools that give the hill the rugged character of a much higher mountain.
- •Given its complex network of minor paths and crags, it is a rare example of a hill where you can feel genuinely lost while remaining less than a mile from a main road.