Birks Fell

About Birks Fell

Rising above Upper Wharfedale near Hubberholme, this broad ridge offers a classic Yorkshire Dales experience. Often tackled alongside Horse Head Moor, its sprawling summit plateau features the surprisingly large Birks Tarn. The terrain is a mix of limestone and peat hags, providing expansive views towards Ingleborough, Whernside, and Pen-y-ghent.

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Did You Know?

• •The name 'Birks' is derived from the Old Norse word for birch trees, which once covered the lower slopes of the fell before the landscape was cleared for grazing.
• •Until a GPS resurvey in 2006, Birks Fell was thought to be lower than its neighbour Horse Head Moor; the discovery that it stands at 610 metres officially promoted it to Marilyn status.
• •Birks Tarn, located on the high ridge a mile from the summit, is one of the largest tarns in the Yorkshire Dales, maintained by a layer of impermeable rock that prevents the water from draining through the porous limestone.
• •The eastern slopes were a site of active lead mining for over a century, and the remains of stone buildings used in the metal extraction process can still be seen dotting the hillside.
• •The trig point provides a grandstand view across the deep trough of Wharfedale, looking directly at the steep-sided profile of Buckden Pike and the long plateau of Great Whernside.
• •The fell suffered the indignity of being officially demoted for decades due to a 19th-century metric conversion error, only reclaiming its rightful height and status once modern satellite mapping intervened.