Lake District
Irton Pike
229M
751FT
About Irton Pike
Rising above the western edge of the Lake District, this humble outlier offers a disproportionately grand perspective. Its lower slopes are cloaked in coniferous forestry, but the small, craggy summit provides an unhindered lookout across the Wasdale giants and the Irish Sea, making it a perfect short excursion from Eskdale Green.
Key Statistics
Rank
890th Highest in Region
Parent Range
Southern Fells
Prominence
?
25m
Nearest Town
Eskdale Green
Geology
You are walking over a rugged foundation of ancient volcanic lava and solid granite. These hard rocks have shaped the craggy landscape of Irton Pike.
Classifications
Find It
OS Grid Reference
NY120015
Latitude
54.4018°N
Longitude
3.3560°W
Did You Know?
- •The name Irton is derived from the Old English 'Ireton', meaning 'the farmstead of the Irishmen,' likely referring to a 10th-century settlement of Hiberno-Norse people on this western coastal fringe.
- •In his book The Outlying Fells of Lakeland, Alfred Wainwright championed this 'tiny top' as a place for quiet reflection, famously urging readers to 'Climb Irton Pike while ye may!'
- •The summit serves as a spectacular natural viewing platform for the Scafell range and Great Gable, which are framed perfectly by the steep-sided V-shape of the Wasdale valley.
- •A popular approach follows an anticlockwise circuit from Irton Road station on the narrow-gauge Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway, allowing for a nostalgic 'steam and hill' day trip.
- •At just 229 metres, the ascent is unlikely to trouble your oxygen levels, but the steady pull through the plantation is just enough to justify the inevitable picnic at the top.