Lake District
Birker Fell - White How
444M
1456FT
About Birker Fell - White How
Rising from the rugged, undulating plateau of Birker Fell, this modest summit offers a sense of isolation far greater than its height suggests. Characterised by rocky outcrops and sprawling moorland, it provides an exceptional vantage point for surveying the granite crags of Eskdale and the high Scafell range to the north.
Key Statistics
Rank
520th Highest in Region
Parent Range
Southern Fells
Prominence
?
30.9
Nearest Town
Ulpha
Geology
You are walking across layers of hardened volcanic ash and small stones. These rocks formed from explosive eruptions that created the rugged terrain beneath your boots.
Find It
Latitude
54.3663°N
Longitude
3.2251°W
Did You Know?
- •The name derives from the Old Norse 'haugr', meaning a hill or burial mound. 'White How' likely refers to the pale, bleached grasses or light-coloured granite outcrops that distinguish this rise from the surrounding dark peat and heather.
- •Though omitted from Alfred Wainwright’s seven volumes, the fell is included in Bill Birkett’s 'Complete Lakeland Fells' and Tim Synge’s 'The Lakeland Summits', marking it as a destination for those seeking the quieter corners of the Southern Fells.
- •The summit offers a superb perspective of Devoke Water to the west; as the Lake District's largest tarn, it sits like a silver mirror amidst the desolate moorland of the Birker plateau.
- •The approach from the Birker Fell road requires careful navigation through a complex landscape of 'tumps' and hidden hollows where established paths are almost non-existent.
- •On a clear day, the view extends beyond the Cumbrian coast to the silhouette of the Isle of Man, providing a sharp contrast to the jagged inland skyline of Bowfell and Crinkle Crags.
- •Navigation on this plateau is a stern test of map-reading skills, as the terrain consists of a bewildering series of near-identical rocky hillocks designed specifically to lead the unwary into the nearest peat bog.