Lake District
Birk Hill
501M
1644FT
About Birk Hill
Tucked away in the quiet Uldale Fells near Caldbeck, this grassy Synge summit offers a peaceful alternative to the crowded central peaks. Its 501-metre height provides a fine vantage point over the Solway Plain towards the Scottish hills, serving as a modest but rewarding northern outpost of the Skiddaw massif.
Key Statistics
Rank
418th Highest in Region
Parent Range
Northern Fells
Prominence
?
5m
Nearest Town
Caldbeck
Geology
You are walking on andesite, a durable type of volcanic rock. This foundation belongs to the Eycott Volcanic Group, created by ancient eruptions.
Classifications
Find It
Latitude
54.7095°N
Longitude
3.0755°W
Did You Know?
- •The name derives from the Old Norse 'birki', meaning a place where birch trees grow, reflecting the historic woodland that once occupied these lower northern slopes.
- •It is classified as a 'Synge' summit, featuring in Tim Synge’s 'The Lakeland Fells', a guide written to provide a more comprehensive list of Lake District tops than the traditional Wainwrights.
- •The summit offers an expansive northern view that stretches across the Solway Firth to the distinctive silhouette of Criffel in the Southern Uplands of Scotland.
- •Walkers often approach from the village of Fell Side, linking the hill with the nearby heights of Great Sca Fell and Knott for a rounded circuit of the Uldale Fells.
- •On this quiet northern fringe of the Lakes, the odds of encountering a Herdwick sheep are significantly higher than meeting another person, which is exactly why many walkers come here.