Barf

About Barf

Rising steeply above the A66 and Bassenthwaite Lake, Barf is famous for its craggy face and the whitewashed Bishop's Rock. While the direct scramble up Slape Crags is notoriously loose and unstable, the woodland path via Beckstones Gill offers a far more sensible route with superb lakeside views.

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Did You Know?

• •First let's get the name out of the way. Yes, its called Barf. No, its not that kind of Barf. Technically, it's a derivative of the Old English ‘beorg,’ a word for a hill or mound that shares a root with ‘burgh.’ Essentially, it’s just a bit of ancient geography that hasn't aged particularly well in modern English.
• •The 'Bishop of Barf' is a pillar of Skiddaw slate on the lower slopes. Local legend says it marks the spot where a drunken Bishop of Derry fell to his death in 1783 after betting he could ride his horse to the summit. It’s a bit of a tall tale—the real Bishop actually died years later in Italy—but the tradition of whitewashing the rock continues today, ensuring he remains a bright, cautionary landmark from the road below.
• •At the base of the fell lies a smaller white stone known as the 'Clerk'. According to the same legend, this local official met a similar fate while dutifully following the Bishop up the hillside. This smaller rock is said to mark the Clerk's final resting place—the spot where he was buried after the fall. If there’s a moral to the story here, it’s a simple one: never follow a drunk bishop up a hill.
• •The fell's eastern face is part of the Skiddaw Group of rocks, characterized by highly weathered slate that has created the deep, scree-filled gullies visible from the valley floor.
• •Attempting the 'direct' route up the front of the fell is a classic Lake District mistake; the scree is so mobile you’ll likely find yourself performing a vertical treadmill routine while the cars on the A66 move significantly faster than you.