⛰️ Black Sails

📖 Key Information

Black Sails at 745m (2,444ft) is an intermediate top on the ridge between Swirl How and Wetherlam, a rocky summit that sits at the head of Greenburn Beck above Little Langdale. Wainwright included it as a separate fell, noting the fine views it gives across the Coniston Fells and down into the Little Langdale valley. The summit is most naturally reached as part of the Coniston horseshoe circuit via Swirl How. The views north to the Langdale Pikes and east to Wetherlam make it a worthwhile pause on an already excellent ridge walk.

🎯 Bonus Birketts 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.

🦶 My hikes over Black Sails (Strava)

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🅿️ Potential parking

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

🚌 Buses 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.

🌦️ 7-day summit forecast

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Other fells in this region

• Allen Crags
• Black Fell
• Bowfell
• Brim Fell
• Cold Pike
• Crinkle Crags - Long Top (Second Crinkle)
• Dow Crag
• Esk Pike
• Glaramara
• Great Carrs
• Great End
• Green Crag
• Grey Friar
• Hard Knott
• Harter Fell (Eskdale)
• Holme Fell
• Lingmell
• Lingmoor Fell (Brown How)
• Pike of Blisco
• Rossett Pike
• Scafell
• Scafell Pike
• Seathwaite Fell (Wainwright summit)
• Slight Side
• Swirl How
• The Old Man of Coniston (Coniston Old Man)
• Wetherlam