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674 m · Wainwright — Northern Fells · Birketts to bag nearby, parking, buses, my hikes and live summit weather.

Bakestall - a stony summit cairn on grass, green lowland plain stretching beyond and a steep fellside falling away to the right
Wainwright — Northern FellsAlso a Birkett

Bakestall

Bakestall at 673m (2,208ft) is the north-eastern satellite of Skiddaw, a broad grassy summit with the best views of the Back o' Skiddaw plateau and north towards the Solway.

674 m
Height
~3–4 h
Typical time
+11
Bonus Birketts
See routes & download GPX →

Home › Fells › Bakestall

Written and walked by Lee McCoy · Last reviewed

674 mWainwright — Northern Fells✓ summit is also a Birkett+11 bonus Birketts within 3 km Straightforward in cloud

Is it worth going? — Today’s conditions & 7-day summit forecast

Modelled guidance for the 674 m summit. Always check the Met Office mountain forecast and MWIS before you set off.

On the summit today (Tue 28 Jul): 15° to 13°C, gusts to 34 mph, 5.8 mm of rain forecast.

Tue 28 Jul
🌧️
15° / 13°
💨 34 mph
🌧 5.8 mm (77%)
Wed 29 Jul
🌧️
14° / 10°
💨 26 mph
🌧 14.3 mm (79%)
Thu 30 Jul
🌧️
13° / 5°
💨 31 mph
🌧 1.9 mm (76%)
Fri 31 Jul
🌤️
14° / 1°
💨 24 mph
🌧 0.0 mm (69%)
Sat 1 Aug
🌦️
14° / 3°
💨 15 mph
🌧 2.7 mm (63%)
Sun 2 Aug
☁️
15° / 2°
💨 17 mph
🌧 0.0 mm (25%)
Mon 3 Aug
🌦️
14° / 5°
💨 15 mph
🌧 0.4 mm (20%)

Forecast snapshot from 28 Jul 2026, 04:58 UTC — refreshed nightly and updated live in your browser. Temperatures and gusts adjusted to the 674 m summit altitude via Open-Meteo. Summit conditions are always harsher than the valley — check the professional mountain forecasts before you go.

Pro mountain forecasts: MWIS · Met Office mountain forecast

About the walk

Key information

Bakestall

Bakestall - a stony summit cairn on grass, green lowland plain stretching beyond and a steep fellside falling away to the right
© Lee McCoy

Bakestall at 673m (2,208ft) is the north-eastern satellite of Skiddaw, a broad grassy summit with the best views of the Back o' Skiddaw plateau and north towards the Solway. Wainwright included it as a separate fell, noting its relatively featureless character is offset by the unusual perspective it gives of Skiddaw's less-visited northern flanks. The ascent from Dash Farm via Dead Crags passes the fine waterfall of Dash Falls. Combined naturally with Skiddaw for those who wish to complete the full northern Skiddaw group.

🗒️ My notes
Like many Bakestall appears to be a fell that is only visited by those bagging Wainwrights or others wanting a bit more of a less-trodden path up to Skiddaw. If I'm being totally honest, this is one of my favourite spots in all of Lakeland. I expect its because it faces north, away from the crowds. It has a different feeling to those forgotten far-east fells. It's more "does anybody come here". The Cumbria Way passes its foot and I'd wager nobody on that route has ever thought of taking a detour to summit it on their way as the track up can get boggy (especially at the foot) and the Cumbria Way is well maintained at that point - all the way to Skiddaw Ho. This is the circular route you can see I took below. I'd certainly go out of my way to visit Bakestall again, and hopefully bag Broad End properly as when I tried my GPS was all over the place and I was walking around like an idiot trying to find it. At least I got the views over Basenthwaite Lake and the Solway Firth.

Routes up Bakestall

Hand-mapped, with GPX to download — full maps further down.

Birketts North of Skiddaw
23 km · ~7 hr
Lonscale Fell, Skiddaw Lesser Man, Skiddaw and Bakestall in the sun!
19.3 km · ~5.7 hr
Classifications & hill data
Wainwright
Northern
Birkett
Fellranger
Synge
674 m
Height
2,211 ft
In feet
NY 2662 3074
Grid ref

Map & nearby Birketts

Free mapping: OpenTopoMap / OpenStreetMap (switch layers top-right). Parking positions are approximate.

Nearest parking: Peter House Farm, Bassenthwaite (roadside), about 2.3 km from the summit (straight line). Full parking, toilets and bus details are below.

Birketts near Bakestall (within 3 km)

These Birkett tops are not Wainwright summits — detour to them on this walk and they are pure profit. Distances are straight-line; allow extra for terrain.

1.0 km NWCockup505 m · Northern
1.0 km SSWBroad End832 m · Northern
1.4 km SEHare Crag538 m · Northern
1.7 km NNEWhite Hause464 m · Northern
1.8 km ENELittle Calva642 m · Northern
2.0 km SSWSkiddaw Middle Top929 m · Northern
2.2 km SSWSkiddaw South Top926 m · Northern
2.3 km SSESale How666 m · Northern
2.6 km WWatches333 m · Northern
2.7 km NEBurn Tod595 m · Northern
2.9 km NNWOrthwaite Bank348 m · Northern

Routes over Bakestall

Birketts North of SkiddawPlanned
23.02 km · ~1434 m ascent · loop · ~7–9.5 h
Summits: BakestallSkiddawSkiddaw Middle TopSkiddaw South TopSale HowHare CragGreat CalvaFrozen FellLittle Calva

⬇️ Download GPX

Full route guide ↗

✎️ Planned route — drawn but not personally walked or checked yet.

A planned line is a suggestion, not a guarantee — conditions change. Navigate independently and carry a map & compass.

Lonscale Fell, Skiddaw Lesser Man, Skiddaw and Bakestall in the sun!Revised
19.25 km · ~1116 m ascent · loop · ~5.5–7.5 h
Summits: Lonscale FellLonscale Pike (Lonscale Fell East Top)Jenkin HillSkiddaw Lesser ManSkiddaw Little ManSkiddaw South TopSkiddaw Middle TopSkiddawBroad EndBakestall

⬇️ Download GPX

Full route guide ↗

A planned line is a suggestion, not a guarantee — conditions change. Navigate independently and carry a map & compass.

The View from Bakestall

A computed 360° skyline — every visible named top labelled by distance and bearing, from the terrain model in perfect clarity, not photographed. Drag to pan; reveal the far four-nations horizon.

drag to pan · arrow keys
Computed 360-degree skyline from Bakestall27 labelled tops shown (15 distant behind the far-horizon toggle). Theoretical visibility in perfect clarity; computed from terrain, not photographed.eye levelNNEESESSWWNWHelvellyn · 17 kmBlencathra · 6 kmGreat Dodd · 13 kmGategill Fell Top · 6 kmKnowe Crags · 6 kmRampsgill Head · 25 kmJenkin Hill · 3 kmKnott · 4 kmBowscale Fell · 7 kmBannerdale Crags · 7 kmCarrock Fell · 8 kmGreat Sca Fell · 4 kmCross Fell · 42 km · clear daysSkiddaw · 2 kmSkiddaw Little Man · 3 kmCriffel · 44 km · clear daysGreat Calva · 2 kmBrae Fell · 5 kmGreat Cockup · 3 kmWisp Hill · 70 km · clear daysCalkin Rig · 57 km · clear daysBengairn · 55 km · clear daysGreen How · 7 kmWatch Hill · 12 kmBainloch Hill · 46 km · clear daysWhite Hill · 57 km · clear daysKillyleoch Hill · 64 km · clear daysCatstye Cam · 17 kmAtkinson Pike · 6 kmStybarrow Dodd · 14 kmHigh Street · 26 kmSeat Sandal · 21 kmSkiddaw Middle Top · 2 kmSkiddaw Lesser Man · 3 kmLittle Calva · 2 kmLittle Sca Fell · 4 kmMungrisdale Common · 5 kmBinsey · 6 kmFaulds Brow · 10 kmMickle Fell · 54 km · clear daysCaermote Hill · 10 kmClints Crags · 12 kmGrange Fell · 51 km · clear daysGoatfell [Goat Fell] · 169 km · a handful of days a yearMerrick · 100 km · a rare clear dayBroad Law · 94 km · a rare clear dayThe Cheviot · 110 km · a rare clear dayCairnsmore of Fleet · 85 km · a rare clear dayWindlestraw Law · 113 km · a rare clear dayTinto · 108 km · a rare clear dayGreen Lowther · 89 km · a rare clear dayCairn Table · 108 km · a rare clear dayCairnharrow · 78 km · a rare clear dayCauldcleuch Head · 72 km · a rare clear dayWether Hill · 85 km · a rare clear dayDun Rig · 101 km · a rare clear dayPeel Fell · 78 km · a rare clear dayBlackwood Hill · 71 km · a rare clear day
What you can see from Bakestall, by direction
  • North-east: Knott (4 km), Great Sca Fell (4 km)
  • East: Great Calva (2 km), Bowscale Fell (7 km), Bannerdale Crags (7 km), Tarn Crags Top (7 km), Carrock Fell (8 km), Cross Fell (42 km)
  • South-east: Sale How (2 km), Lonscale Fell (4 km), Lonscale Pike (4 km), Knowe Crags (6 km), Gategill Fell Top (6 km), Atkinson Pike (6 km), Blencathra (6 km), Clough Head (11 km), Little Dodd (12 km), Great Dodd (13 km), Randerside (13 km), Watson's Dodd (13 km), Stybarrow Dodd (14 km), Hart Side (14 km), Birkett Fell (15 km), Raise (15 km), White Side (16 km), Helvellyn Lower Man (17 km), Catstye Cam (17 km), Helvellyn (17 km), Rest Dodd (24 km), The Knott (25 km), Rampsgill Head (25 km), High Street (26 km)
  • South: Skiddaw North Top (2 km), Skiddaw (2 km), Skiddaw Middle Top (2 km), Skiddaw Little Man (3 km), Skiddaw Lesser Man (3 km), Jenkin Hill (3 km), Seat Sandal (21 km)
  • North-west: Criffel (44 km)

On the clearest days the far horizon adds: Goatfell [Goat Fell] (169 km, Scotland), Merrick (100 km, Scotland), Broad Law (94 km, Scotland), Cairnsmore of Carsphairn (95 km, Scotland), The Cheviot (110 km, England), Cairnsmore of Fleet (85 km, Scotland), Corserine (95 km, Scotland), Windlestraw Law (113 km, Scotland).

Computed from terrain in perfect clarity, not photographed · distances are straight-line.

Computed from Copernicus GLO-30 terrain; distant tops from the Database of British and Irish Hills (CC BY 4.0). See how we compute the view · and the summit intervisibility report below.

What you can see from Bakestall

On a clear day — computed sightlines, curvature- and refraction-corrected.
27Wainwrights in view+3 marginal
101 kmFurthest sightlineMerrick · possible under favourable refraction
1Sea in viewSolway Firth

On the clearest days the view reaches across to Scotland.

Far horizons
  • Merrick ScotlandNW · 101 km clear
  • Criffel ScotlandNW · 45 km distant
  • Great Dun Fell North PenninesE · 44 km distant
  • Cross Fell North PenninesE · 42 km clear
  • Solway Firth bay/estuaryNW · 33 km in view
All 27 Wainwrights in clear view (nearest first)

Skiddaw, Great Calva, Great Cockup, Skiddaw Little Man, Meal Fell, Knott, Lonscale Fell, Longlands Fell, Brae Fell, Binsey, Blencathra - Hallsfell Top, Bowscale Fell, Bannerdale Crags, Carrock Fell, Clough Head, Great Dodd, Watson's Dodd, Stybarrow Dodd, Hart Side, Raise, White Side, Catstye Cam, Helvellyn, Rest Dodd, The Knott (High Street), Rampsgill Head, High Street

How Bakestall’s view compares with all 214 — the View Report: every Wainwright ranked by what you can see from the top.

Sightlines from a bare-earth terrain model (forests and buildings not included), corrected for the Earth’s curvature and average atmospheric refraction. “Distant” sightlines and any over 100 km depend on exceptionally clear air. Modelled from Copernicus GLO-30 open elevation data — a guide to the view, not a guarantee of any single one.

Best parking to hike Bakestall

Where we have the data, each parking spot also shows the nearest public toilets and facilities (cafés, pubs, shops).

Peter House Farm, Bassenthwaite (roadside) — 2.3 km from summit (straight line)
Dash Falls track — Bakestall, Great Calva, Skiddaw the quiet way.
Directions
Dodd Wood (paid) — 4.6 km from summit (straight line)
Forestry car park for Dodd, Carl Side and the Ullock Pike ridge onto Skiddaw.
Directions
🚺 Dodd Wood Car Park (79m) — Free☕ The Old Sawmill Tearoom

Positions are approximate — zoom the map to confirm. Lakeland car parks fill before 9am on fine weekends.

Tip: pan and zoom the interactive map at the top of this page to spot other potential parking near your route.

Water & shelter on the way up

On the Birketts North of Skiddaw route:

🛖 map (4 m)

On the Lonscale Fell, Skiddaw Lesser Man, Skiddaw and Bakestall in the sun! route:

🛖 map (8 m)

On-route facilities © OpenStreetMap contributors, per route — an absent marker doesn’t mean none.

Buses to Bakestall from Penrith / Ambleside / Windermere

No regular bus serves the start points for this fell — this is one for the car (or a long approach from the nearest served valley). The nearest hubs are Penrith (X4/X5 & 508), Ambleside and Windermere (555, 505, 516).

Rural routes change seasonally — confirm on stagecoachbus.com or Traveline before relying on a last bus.

My hikes over Bakestall (Strava)

1 logged hike pass over this summit:

Interactive route maps and photos load here for visitors with JavaScript. Data from Strava.

Navigating Bakestall in cloud

Straightforward

A rough, rocky summit ringed by crags, with no single obvious way off in poor visibility. Navigation here is relatively straightforward even in cloud — but carry map and compass and know how to use them; a low score never means “safe”.

In winter — snow, whiteout, cornices, buried features — every top demands full winter navigation skills whatever its band, and a broad, gentle summit can be the worst place of all. See walking in bad weather and the navigation guide.

How Bakestall compares with all 214 — the Clag Index: navigating in cloud. A relative, deliberately cautious guide; the site can’t navigate for you.

Other fells near Bakestall

Maps & guidebooks for Bakestall

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