Lake District
Yew Bank
499M
1637FT
About Yew Bank
Tucked away in the quiet southwest corner of the Lake District near Boot, this rugged Birkett offers an intimate perspective of lower Eskdale. A subsidiary shoulder of Hesk Fell, it provides pathless, grassy terrain and a superb front-row view across the valley to the craggy profile of Harter Fell.
Key Statistics
Rank
421st Highest in Region
Parent Range
Southern Fells
Prominence
?
31m
Nearest Town
Eskdale
Geology
You are walking across a rugged foundation of ancient lava flows and hardened volcanic ash. These diverse layers form the solid, rocky heart of Yew Bank.
Find It
OS Grid Reference
NY231030
Latitude
54.4173°N
Longitude
3.1851°W
Did You Know?
- •The name likely derives from the Old English 'iw', suggesting that yew trees once flourished on these slopes or were a notable feature of the lower banks overlooking the valley.
- •Author Bill Birkett included this 499m summit in his survey of the Lakeland fells, marking it as a distinct peak despite its proximity to the higher Hesk Fell.
- •The summit offers a clear, unobstructed line of sight to the Scafell massif in the north, while the Duddon Estuary is often visible to the south on clear days.
- •Most walkers approach the hill from the village of Boot, crossing the Eskdale Valley to negotiate the often damp and trackless slopes near Crosby Gill.
- •Sitting at exactly 499 metres, the hill is a single, teasing metre short of the 500m mark, a height that would have seen it classified as a 'Hill' in many metric-based systems.