Lake District
Low Birk Fell
373M
1224FT
About Low Birk Fell
Overlooking the eastern shore of Ullswater, this craggy outlier of Place Fell offers some of the finest low-level perspectives in the Far Eastern Fells. While often bypassed for higher summits, its rocky top provides an intimate vantage point over the lake's middle reach and the village of Glenridding.
Key Statistics
Rank
646th Highest in Region
Parent Range
Far Eastern Fells
Prominence
?
15m
Nearest Town
Dockray
Geology
You are walking on the Birker Fell Andesite Formation, a resilient volcanic rock formed from ancient flows of cooling lava.
Classifications
Find It
OS Grid Reference
NY410190
Latitude
54.5632°N
Longitude
2.9130°W
Did You Know?
- •The name derives from the Old Norse word 'björk', meaning birch tree, likely referring to the woodland that historically colonised the sheltered crags above the lake shore.
- •Although omitted from Wainwright’s Pictorial Guides, it is classified as a Birkett, representing one of the 541 fells featured in Bill Birkett's 'Complete Peaks' of the Lake District.
- •The summit offers a distinctive view directly across the water to the steep-sided valley of Glenridding and the sharp, triangular profile of Catstycam.
- •Most walkers pass directly beneath the fell while following the popular lakeside path between Howtown and Patterdale, but the ascent to the cairn requires a sharp, trackless climb through thick bracken.
- •Despite the name suggesting a gentle incline, the 'Low' prefix refers to its height relative to neighbouring Place Fell rather than any lack of exertion required to tackle its awkward, heather-choked slopes.