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509 m · Wainwright — Far Eastern Fells · Birketts to bag nearby, parking, buses, my hikes and live summit weather.

Wainwright — Far Eastern FellsAlso a Birkett

Beda Fell (Beda Head)

Beda Fell at 509m (1,670ft) is a long, smooth ridge above Martindale, its summit giving outstanding views of Ullswater and the northern Eastern Fells.

509 m
Height
~2.5–3 h
Typical time
+8
Bonus Birketts
See routes & download GPX →

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509 mWainwright — Far Eastern Fells✓ summit is also a Birkett+8 bonus Birketts within 3 km Straightforward in cloud

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

Modelled guidance for the 509 m summit. Always check the Met Office mountain forecast and MWIS before you set off.

On the summit today (Tue 28 Jul): 16° to 14°C, gusts to 33 mph, 4.9 mm of rain forecast.

Tue 28 Jul
🌦️
16° / 14°
💨 33 mph
🌧 4.9 mm (100%)
Wed 29 Jul
🌧️
16° / 13°
💨 26 mph
🌧 2.6 mm (100%)
Thu 30 Jul
🌦️
14° / 6°
💨 29 mph
🌧 0.7 mm (78%)
Fri 31 Jul
🌤️
15° / 4°
💨 24 mph
🌧 0.0 mm (78%)
Sat 1 Aug
🌦️
15° / 7°
💨 12 mph
🌧 5.1 mm (54%)
Sun 2 Aug
☁️
16° / 5°
💨 18 mph
🌧 0.0 mm (24%)
Mon 3 Aug
🌦️
17° / 6°
💨 12 mph
🌧 0.2 mm (23%)

Forecast snapshot from 28 Jul 2026, 04:58 UTC — refreshed nightly and updated live in your browser. Temperatures and gusts adjusted to the 509 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

Beda Fell (Beda Head)

Beda Fell (Beda Head), a Lake District fell
Photo: Mick Knapton, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Beda Fell at 509m (1,670ft) is a long, smooth ridge above Martindale, its summit giving outstanding views of Ullswater and the northern Eastern Fells. Wainwright described the traverse of Beda Fell and the ridge to Winter Crag as one of the finest Ullswater ridge walks for its views of the lake. The ascent from Martindale is pleasant and straightforward. Often combined with Angletarn Pikes and The Nab for a fine Martindale circuit. The Ullswater views are exceptional.

Routes up Beda Fell (Beda Head)

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

Angletarn Pikes and the Martindale round
22.2 km · ~6.7 hr · Hard
A long, quiet circuit of the Far Eastern fells above Patterdale — over Rest Dodd and out to the remote peak of The Nab, then back across Brock Crags to the twin tops of Angletarn Pikes, and home over Beda Fell and Place Fell. Twenty-two kilometres and six summits in some of the emptiest country in the National Park.
Brock Crags, Angletarn Pikes, Beda Fell & Place Fell
19.7 km · ~5.7 hr · Hard
A big, varied Far Eastern round above Patterdale and the quiet Boredale and Bannerdale valleys — over Brock Crags to lovely Angle Tarn (one of the prettiest sheets of water in the Lakes), along the grassy whaleback of Beda Fell, and up characterful Place Fell for its superb view down Ullswater. Nearly 20 km and a proper day out, but rarely hard underfoot.
Classifications & hill data
Wainwright
Far Eastern
Birkett
Fellranger
Synge
509 m
Height
1,670 ft
In feet
NY 4288 1716
Grid ref

Map & nearby Birketts

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

Nearest parking: Martindale, St Peter's church (free, limited), about 1.9 km from the summit (straight line). Full parking, toilets and bus details are below.

Birketts near Beda Fell (Beda Head) (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.

1.4 km EBrownthwaite Crag444 m · Far Eastern
1.7 km ESEGowk Hill471 m · Far Eastern
1.7 km NWHigh Dodd501 m · Far Eastern
1.8 km NNWSleet Fell378 m · Far Eastern
2.5 km WThe Knight552 m · Eastern
2.6 km NWLow Birk Fell373 m · Far Eastern
2.8 km WNWBirk Fell (Bleaberry Knott - Birk Fell)512 m · Far Eastern
2.9 km SERed Crag711 m · Far Eastern

Routes over Beda Fell (Beda Head)

Angletarn Pikes and the Martindale roundPlanned
22.23 km · ~1349 m ascent · loop · ~6.5–9 h · Hard
Summits: Rest DoddThe NabBrock Crags (Wainwright)Angletarn Pikes (Angletarn Pikes North Top)Beda Fell (Beda Head)Place Fell

✎️ This is the antidote to Helvellyn on an August Saturday. The Nab is one of the least-visited Wainwrights precisely because of the deer forest, and the reward for the boggy trudge out to it is a summit almost nobody stands on. Angletarn Pikes and its tarn are the prettiest thing in the Far Eastern fells.

⬇️ Download GPX

Best season: Late spring to autumn. The ground between Rest Dodd and The Nab is notoriously boggy and the navigation is committing in cloud — save this one for a clear day with dry ground underfoot.

⚠️ Warnings: The Nab sits in the Martindale deer forest — England’s oldest deer herd. Access is by a permissive route only; keep to it, keep dogs on a lead, and do not wander. During the autumn rut the estate asks walkers to stay away entirely. Check before you go.; The ground either side of The Nab is genuinely boggy — peat hags and wet channels that swallow the path. Expect wet feet and slow going, and do not judge your timings by the distance alone.; A big day: over 22 km and 1,350 m of ascent, with navigation graded hard. The high ground is broad, rolling and short of landmarks — in cloud this is a compass-and-pacing exercise.; Long, remote and thinly walked. You will not meet many people, which is the joy of it and also the point — carry what you need to get yourself out.

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.

Brock Crags, Angletarn Pikes, Beda Fell & Place FellPlanned
19.71 km · ~1070 m ascent · loop · ~5.5–7.5 h · Hard
Summits: Brock Crags (Wainwright)Angletarn Pikes (Angletarn Pikes North Top)Beda Fell (Beda Head)Place Fell

✎️ A grand tour of the quieter Far Eastern fells, with Angle Tarn and the Ullswater view from Place Fell as the highlights — a long but rewarding round.

⬇️ Download GPX

Best season: Year-round in good conditions, best in clear weather for the Ullswater and High Street views. A long day — the ridges and cols are boggy in places and slow when wet.

⚠️ Warnings: A long day (nearly 20 km, over 1,000 m of ascent) — start early, carry food, water and layers, and keep an eye on the time and the light.; Boggy in places, especially along the Beda Fell ridge and the cols — slow when wet.; The higher, quieter ground can be confusing in mist — carry map and compass.; Livestock on the lower fells and valleys; keep dogs under close control.

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.

The View from Beda Fell (Beda Head)

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 Beda Fell (Beda Head)34 labelled tops shown (7 distant behind the far-horizon toggle). Theoretical visibility in perfect clarity; computed from terrain, not photographed.eye levelNNEESESSWWNWSkiddaw · 21 kmNethermost Pike · 9 kmFairfield · 9 kmBlencathra · 15 kmDollywaggon Pike · 9 kmGreat Dodd · 9 kmStybarrow Dodd · 9 kmSt Sunday Crag · 7 kmHart Crag · 8 kmHigh Raise · 4 kmRampsgill Head · 4 kmDove Crag · 9 kmRed Screes · 9 kmStony Cove Pike · 7 kmThe Knott · 5 kmClough Head · 11 kmRed Crag · 3 kmBowscale Fell · 16 kmGray Crag · 6 kmLoadpot Hill · 3 kmWether Hill · 3 kmCarrock Fell · 19 kmLittle Hart Crag · 8 kmSwarth Fell · 4 kmGreat Mell Fell · 9 kmBonscale Pike · 4 kmLittle Mell Fell · 7 kmPlace Fell · 2 kmGowk Hill · 2 kmSighty Crag · 66 km · clear daysBrownthwaite Crag · 1 kmGreat Meldrum · 5 kmHallin Fell · 3 kmCold Fell · 42 km · clear daysHigh Crag · 9 kmKnowe Crags · 15 kmCaudale Moor · 7 kmRanderside · 9 kmKnott · 21 kmRest Dodd · 4 kmTarn Crags Top · 16 kmHartsop Dodd · 6 kmGowbarrow Fell · 5 kmHartsop Above How · 7 kmThe Nab · 2 kmAngletarn Pikes · 3 kmSteel Knotts · 2 kmDunmallet · 8 kmBroad Law · 110 km · a rare clear dayWisp Hill · 82 km · a rare clear dayRoan Fell · 76 km · a rare clear dayDun Rig · 116 km · a rare clear dayPeel Fell · 85 km · a rare clear dayBlackwood Hill · 80 km · a rare clear dayHods Hill · 102 km · a rare clear day
What you can see from Beda Fell (Beda Head), by direction
  • East: Wether Hill (3 km), Loadpot Hill (3 km)
  • South-east: Red Crag (3 km), High Raise (4 km)
  • South: Rest Dodd (4 km), Rampsgill Head (4 km), The Knott (5 km), Gray Crag (6 km), Stony Cove Pike (7 km), Caudale Moor (7 km), Red Screes (9 km)
  • South-west: Gavel Pike (7 km), St Sunday Crag (7 km), Hart Crag (8 km), Dove Crag (9 km), Cofa Pike (9 km), Fairfield (9 km), Dollywaggon Pike (9 km)
  • West: Hart Side (7 km), Green Side (8 km), Stybarrow Dodd (9 km), Nethermost Pike (9 km), High Crag (9 km), Great Dodd (9 km)
  • North-west: Randerside (9 km), Clough Head (11 km), Blencathra (15 km), Gategill Fell Top (15 km), Bannerdale Crags (15 km), Atkinson Pike (15 km), Knowe Crags (15 km), Bowscale Fell (16 km), Skiddaw Lesser Man (19 km), Skiddaw Little Man (19 km), Skiddaw South Top (20 km), Skiddaw Middle Top (20 km), Skiddaw (21 km), Skiddaw North Top (21 km), Knott (21 km), Broad End (21 km)

On the clearest days the far horizon adds: Broad Law (110 km, Scotland), White Coomb (102 km, Scotland), Ettrick Pen (93 km, Scotland), Wisp Hill (82 km, Scotland), Roan Fell (76 km, Scotland), Cauldcleuch Head (84 km, Scotland), Dun Rig (116 km, Scotland), Calkin Rig (72 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 Beda Fell (Beda Head)

On a clear day — computed sightlines, curvature- and refraction-corrected.
44Wainwrights in view+6 marginal
—Sea in viewnone from here
All 44 Wainwrights in clear view (nearest first)

Steel Knotts (Pikeawassa - Steel Knotts), The Nab, Place Fell, Wether Hill, Hallin Fell, Angletarn Pikes (Angletarn Pikes North Top), Loadpot Hill, Rest Dodd, Brock Crags (Wainwright), Bonscale Pike, High Raise (High Street), Arnison Crag, Rampsgill Head, The Knott (High Street), Arthur's Pike, Kidsty Pike, Gowbarrow Fell (Wainwright summit), Gray Crag, Birks, Hartsop Dodd, Little Mell Fell, St Sunday Crag, Stony Cove Pike (Caudale Moor), Hart Side, Middle Dodd, Hart Crag, Dove Crag, Stybarrow Dodd, Great Mell Fell, Fairfield, Nethermost Pike, Red Screes, Dollywaggon Pike, Great Dodd, Clough Head, Souther Fell, Blencathra - Hallsfell Top, Bannerdale Crags, Bowscale Fell, Lonscale Fell, Carrock Fell, Skiddaw Little Man, Skiddaw, Knott

How Beda Fell (Beda Head)’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 Beda Fell (Beda Head)

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

Martindale, St Peter's church (free, limited) — 1.9 km from summit (straight line)
Quiet side of Ullswater — Hallin Fell, Steel Knotts, Beda Fell, Pikeawassa.
Directions
Patterdale (paid) — 3.9 km from summit (straight line)
For Place Fell, St Sunday Crag, the Grisedale fells.
Directions
🚺 Public toilets (176m) — Free🚺 Public toilets (1579m)🍺 White Lion Inn🍺 Patterdale Hotel

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 Angletarn Pikes and the Martindale round route:

🚌 Road End (467 m)

On the Brock Crags, Angletarn Pikes, Beda Fell & Place Fell route:

🛖 map (42 m)🛖 map (55 m)

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

Buses to Beda Fell (Beda Head) from Penrith / Ambleside / Windermere

Stagecoach 508 “Ullswater Bus”
Penrith – Pooley Bridge – Aira Force – Glenridding – Patterdale (summer services continue over Kirkstone Pass to Troutbeck and Windermere)
Catch it from: Penrith · Windermere (summer only)
The key route from Penrith for the Eastern and Far Eastern fells: Helvellyn from Glenridding, Place Fell, the Hartsop fells. The summer Kirkstone extension drops you at the pass for Red Screes and Caudale Moor.

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

Navigating Beda Fell (Beda Head) in cloud

Straightforward

A broad, gently-sloping top with little to steer by — easy to lose your bearings and hard to relocate in mist. 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 Beda Fell (Beda Head) 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 Beda Fell (Beda Head)

Maps & guidebooks for Beda Fell (Beda Head)

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