Lake District
Armboth Fell (Birkett)
479M
1572FT
About Armboth Fell (Birkett)
Armboth Fell is a modest, often overlooked summit situated between Thirlmere and Watendlath. While the terrain is notoriously boggy, the rocky top offers a quiet perspective of the Helvellyn range across the water. It is best visited as part of a loop connecting to nearby High Tove.
Key Statistics
Rank
461st Highest in Region
Parent Range
Central Fells
Prominence
?
29.9
Nearest Town
St. John's Castlerigg and Wythburn
Geology
Armboth Fell is built from hard volcanic rock called andesite, some of which contains garnet crystals, formed by ancient lava flows of the Birker Fell Andesite Formation.
Classifications
Find It
OS Grid Reference
NY296159
Latitude
54.5341°N
Longitude
3.0883°W
Did You Know?
- •The name 'Armboth' likely stems from the Old Norse Erne-buth, meaning 'eagle's hut,' suggesting that white-tailed eagles once nested in the crags overlooking the valley.
- •The fell sits on a broad, peat-covered plateau that serves as a vital catchment area for the Thirlmere reservoir, which provides water to the city of Manchester.
- •Geologically, the area is part of the Lincomb Tarns Formation, consisting of volcaniclastic sandstone and tuff dating back to the Ordovician period.
- •Before the valley was flooded in the 1880s, the Armboth estate was a significant local landmark, but the manor house was demolished to prevent water contamination.
- •Navigation here is less about following a path and more about choosing which specific bog you’d prefer to sink into, as the plateau is famously one of the wettest underfoot in the Lake District.