Lake District
Cockup
505M
1657FT
About Cockup
Rising above Bassenthwaite Village, this grassy Birkett is a modest satellite of the Uldale Fells. Often overshadowed by its larger neighbor, Great Cockup, it offers a quieter vantage point. The summit provides a clear, framed perspective of Skiddaw’s massive northern flanks and the shimmering stretch of Bassenthwaite Lake below.
Key Statistics
Rank
412th Highest in Region
Parent Range
Northern Fells
Prominence
?
5m
Nearest Town
Bassenthwaite
Geology
You are walking across the Kirk Stile Formation, a sturdy landscape shaped from ancient layers of hardened mud and silt.
Find It
Latitude
54.6725°N
Longitude
3.1501°W
Did You Know?
- •The name derives from the Old Norse 'cocc-hop', which translates to a small valley or hollow frequented by woodcock.
- •While omitted from Alfred Wainwright’s pictorial guides, the hill is championed by Bill Birkett, who notes the steep, grassy approach from the south as an excellent way to access the quieter 'Back o' Skiddaw' fells.
- •It is frequently climbed as part of a horseshoe including Meal Fell and Great Cockup, linked by the pass of Trusmadoor—a distinctive, narrow cleft between the hills used for centuries by local farmers.
- •The summit offers a particularly fine view of the Vale of Embleton and the distant, dark profile of the forest-clad Dodd rising above the water.
- •It remains one of the few summits in the Lake District where a walker can accurately describe their entire afternoon as a total Cockup without causing any alarm to the local authorities.