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

Brim Fell, a Lake District fell
Wainwright — Southern FellsAlso a Birkett

Brim Fell

Brim Fell at 796m (2,611ft) is the intermediate summit between the Old Man of Coniston and Swirl How on the main Coniston ridge, a broad, grassy top that most walkers cross without pausing.

796 m
Height
~3.5–4.5 h
Typical time
+8
Bonus Birketts
See routes & download GPX →

Home › Fells › Brim Fell

Written and walked by Lee McCoy · Last reviewed

796 mWainwright — Southern Fells✓ summit is also a Birkett+8 bonus Birketts within 3 km Care needed in cloud

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

Modelled guidance for the 796 m summit. Always check the Met Office mountain forecast and MWIS before you set off.

On the summit today (Tue 28 Jul): 13° to 12°C, gusts to 34 mph, 4.8 mm of rain forecast.

Tue 28 Jul
🌦️
13° / 12°
💨 34 mph
🌧 4.8 mm (100%)
Wed 29 Jul
🌧️
13° / 10°
💨 29 mph
🌧 3.2 mm (100%)
Thu 30 Jul
🌦️
12° / 5°
💨 28 mph
🌧 1.4 mm (78%)
Fri 31 Jul
🌤️
13° / 0°
💨 23 mph
🌧 0.0 mm (78%)
Sat 1 Aug
🌦️
13° / 2°
💨 15 mph
🌧 2.1 mm (54%)
Sun 2 Aug
☁️
15° / 6°
💨 18 mph
🌧 0.0 mm (24%)
Mon 3 Aug
🌦️
15° / 6°
💨 15 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 796 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

Brim Fell

Brim Fell, a Lake District fell
© Lee McCoy

Brim Fell at 796m (2,611ft) is the intermediate summit between the Old Man of Coniston and Swirl How on the main Coniston ridge, a broad, grassy top that most walkers cross without pausing. Wainwright included it as a separate fell, noting its relatively featureless summit belies the quality of the ridge walk it forms part of. The views west to the Duddon estuary and the sea are distinctive from this point. Most naturally combined with the Old Man and Swirl How as part of the Coniston Horseshoe, one of the most satisfying circular walks in the southern fells — a full day's outing taking in over 1,000m of ascent.

Routes up Brim Fell

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

The Coniston Horseshoe
20.8 km · ~6.3 hr
The full Coniston Horseshoe — the grand ~21 km, ~1,280 m round of seven Wainwrights above Coniston: Wetherlam, the steep Prison Band onto Swirl How, Great Carrs, Grey Friar, Brim Fell, the Old Man of Coniston and Dow Crag. The big day out; for the shorter version see the [Coniston Old Man round](/routes/coniston-old-man-round.html).
Coniston Old Man Round
17.4 km · ~5.4 hr · Moderate
A satisfying round of the Coniston fells, and a simpler approach to the Old Man than my longer outing. From Coniston it climbs to the Old Man itself, then follows the high ridge over Brim Fell and Swirl How and back over Wetherlam, with Grey Friar an easy extra along the way. You can extend it further by adding Dow Crag. Big views over the southern fells and the sea, old copper-mine history underfoot, and a proper mountain feel without the biggest mileage.
Classifications & hill data
Wainwright
Southern
Birkett
Fellranger
Synge
Nuttall
796 m
Height
2,612 ft
In feet
SD 2707 9855
Grid ref

Map & nearby Birketts

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

Nearest parking: Walna Scar Road, Coniston (free, rough track), about 2.5 km from the summit (straight line). Full parking, toilets and bus details are below.

Birketts near Brim Fell (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 NGreat How (Swirl Band)775 m · Southern
1.6 km SSWBuck Pike - Seathwaite Fell744 m · Southern
2.2 km SSWBrown Pike682 m · Western
2.5 km EKitty Crag435 m · Southern
2.5 km NNEBlack Sails745 m · Southern
2.8 km ELong Crag - Yewdale Fells421 m · Southern
2.9 km NLittle Carrs692 m · Southern
3.0 km EHigh Wythow410 m · Southern

Routes over Brim Fell

The Coniston HorseshoeRevised
20.8 km · ~1279 m ascent · loop · ~6–8.5 h
Summits: WetherlamSwirl HowGreat CarrsGrey FriarBrim FellThe Old Man of Coniston (Coniston Old Man)Dow CragBuck Pike - Seathwaite FellBrown Pike

✎️ Walked and described first-hand by Lee, Wetherlam-first — the full Coniston round over all the major tops, a long and serious mountain day. The trickiest navigation is the Grey Friar–Calf Cove–Levers Hawse traverse and the Lad Stones ground; carry OS Explorer OL6 and a compass for the clag.

⬇️ Download GPX

⚠️ Warnings: Prison Band, the rocky descent from Black Sails to Swirl Hawse, is steep and eroded with the ground falling away both sides — care needed in mist or wind.; Dow Crag's summit sits above a serious east face over Goat's Water — keep slightly left (west) of the top and well back from the gullies and edge, especially in poor visibility.; The Grey Friar → Calf Cove → Levers Hawse leg is largely pathless and the round's hardest navigation — careful map-and-compass work in clag.; The short final climb to Dow Crag from Goat's Hawse has scrambly steps with moderate exposure — stay on the path and away from the edge.

Full route guide ↗

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

Coniston Old Man RoundRevised
17.4 km · ~1148 m ascent · loop · ~5–7 h · Clockwise · Moderate
Summits: The Old Man of Coniston (Coniston Old Man)Brim FellGrey FriarSwirl HowWetherlam

⬇️ Download GPX

Best season: Any season in good conditions; rough and rocky, with old mine workings to keep clear of.

⚠️ Warnings: Disused mine shafts and quarry spoil on the flanks, especially toward the Coppermines valley — keep to the paths.; The high ridge is exposed and the broad tops need care in cloud.

Full route guide ↗

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

The View from Brim Fell

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 Brim Fell36 labelled tops shown (15 distant behind the far-horizon toggle). Theoretical visibility in perfect clarity; computed from terrain, not photographed.eye levelNNEESESSWWNWScafell Pike · 10 kmScafell · 10 kmHelvellyn · 18 kmSkiddaw · 30 km · clear daysGreat End · 11 kmBowfell · 8 kmFairfield · 16 kmBlencathra · 30 kmGreat Dodd · 23 kmHigh Street · 21 kmHaycock · 18 kmDove Crag · 16 kmGreat Carrs · 2 kmGlaramara · 12 kmHarter Fell · 22 kmRed Crag · 24 kmSeatallan · 16 kmTarn Crag · 24 kmBlack Combe · 19 kmThe Old Man of Coniston · 1 kmBuck Pike · 2 kmBrown Pike · 2 kmHarter Fell · 5 kmIngleborough · 53 km · clear daysWhernside · 50 km · clear daysWard's Stone · 51 km · clear daysThe Calf · 40 km · clear daysWhitfell · 12 kmSwinklebank Crag · 24 kmBuck Barrow · 14 kmWhin Rigg · 13 kmStainton Pike · 13 kmGreen Crag · 7 kmBirker Fell · 7 kmKitty Crag · 2 kmDawsonground Crags · 8 kmIll Crag · 10 kmPillar · 17 kmEsk Pike · 10 kmDollywaggon Pike · 16 kmHart Crag · 16 kmHigh Raise · 23 kmSlight Side · 9 kmMardale Ill Bell · 21 kmClough Head · 25 kmLonscale Fell · 29 kmYoke · 19 kmUllock Pike · 30 km · clear daysGreat Yarlside · 27 kmSwirl How · 2 kmCold Pike · 5 kmWhite Howe · 26 kmDemming Crag · 5 kmLittle Mell Fell · 30 kmYoadcastle · 12 kmCrook Crag · 7 kmPen-y-ghent · 62 km · clear daysNab Scar · 12 kmHorsehow Crags · 5 kmBrunt Knott · 22 kmGreat Worm Crag · 8 kmStoneside Hill · 16 kmWhite Combe · 17 kmBaugh Fell · 48 km · clear daysGreat Knoutberry Hill · 53 km · clear daysFair Snape Fell · 61 km · clear daysUlgraves · 24 kmTop o' Selside · 8 kmBigert · 11 kmGummer's How · 16 kmBirch Fell · 16 kmWater Crag · 12 kmBurney · 13 kmStaveley Fell · 17 kmHigh Light Haw · 9 kmScout Scar · 23 kmWhitbarrow · 21 kmFinsthwaite Heights · 14 kmHumphrey Head · 27 kmSnowdon · 159 km · a handful of days a yearAran Fawddwy · 181 km · a handful of days a yearSnaefell · 88 km · a rare clear daySouth Barrule · 104 km · a rare clear daySlieve Croob · 185 km · a handful of days a yearYr Eifl · 178 km · a handful of days a yearPendle Hill · 78 km · a rare clear dayMoel y Gamelin · 152 km · a handful of days a yearDivis · 189 km · a handful of days a yearWhite Coomb · 117 km · a rare clear dayBeneraird · 139 km · a handful of days a yearGreat Whernside · 77 km · a rare clear dayRombalds Moor [Ilkley Moor] · 100 km · a rare clear dayWinter Hill · 92 km · a rare clear dayBillinge Hill · 100 km · a rare clear day
What you can see from Brim Fell, by direction
  • North: Great Carrs (2 km), Crinkle Crags South Top (6 km), Crinkle Crags (7 km), Bowfell (8 km), Esk Pike (10 km), Glaramara (12 km), Helvellyn Lower Man (18 km), Watson's Dodd (22 km), Little Dodd (23 km), Great Dodd (23 km), Knowe Crags (29 km), Skiddaw Lesser Man (29 km), Skiddaw Little Man (29 km), Gategill Fell Top (29 km), Blencathra (30 km), Skiddaw South Top (30 km), Skiddaw Middle Top (30 km), Skiddaw (30 km), Skiddaw North Top (31 km)
  • North-east: Dove Crag (16 km), Fairfield (16 km), Hart Crag (16 km), Dollywaggon Pike (16 km), High Crag (17 km), Nethermost Pike (17 km), Helvellyn (18 km), Thornthwaite Crag (20 km), High Street (21 km), Rampsgill Head (22 km), Kidsty Pike (23 km), High Raise (23 km)
  • North-west: Pike de Bield (9 km), Ill Crag (10 km), Scafell (10 km), Scafell Pike (10 km), Broad Crag (10 km), Great End (11 km), Red Pike (16 km), Pillar (17 km), Haycock (18 km)

On the clearest days the far horizon adds: Snowdon (159 km, Wales), Carnedd Llewelyn (146 km, Wales), Aran Fawddwy (181 km, Wales), Snaefell (88 km, Isle of Man), Moel Siabod (155 km, Wales), Arenig Fawr (168 km, Wales), South Barrule (104 km, Isle of Man), Slieve Croob (185 km, Ireland).

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 Brim Fell

On a clear day — computed sightlines, curvature- and refraction-corrected.
71Wainwrights in view+25 marginal
159 kmFurthest sightlineSnowdon (Yr Wyddfa) · possible under favourable refraction
2Sea in viewIrish Sea, Morecambe Bay

On the clearest days the view reaches across to Wales and the Isle of Man.

Far horizons
  • Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa) WalesSSW · 159 km clear
  • Carnedd Llewelyn WalesSSW · 143 km clear
  • Snaefell Isle of ManW · 88 km clear
  • Cross Fell North PenninesNE · 55 km clear
  • Ingleborough Yorkshire DalesESE · 53 km clear
  • Whernside Yorkshire DalesESE · 49 km clear
  • Irish Sea open waterSW · 43 km in view
  • Morecambe Bay bay/estuarySSE · 32 km in view
All 71 Wainwrights in clear view (nearest first)

The Old Man of Coniston (Coniston Old Man), Dow Crag, Grey Friar, Great Carrs, Wetherlam, Holme Fell, Cold Pike, Harter Fell (Eskdale), Hard Knott, Green Crag, Black Fell, Slight Side, Pavey Ark, Blea Rigg, Loughrigg Fell, Scafell, Sergeant Man, Tarn Crag (Easedale), Illgill Head, Nab Scar, Glaramara, Heron Pike (Rydal), Whin Rigg (Wasdale), Steel Fell (Dead Pike - Steel Fell), Ullscarf, Low Pike, Yewbarrow, Great Rigg, High Pike (Scandale), Middle Fell, Baystones (Wansfell), Seat Sandal, Dove Crag, Fairfield, Hart Crag, Red Screes, Dollywaggon Pike, Seatallan, Little Hart Crag (Little Hart Crag - West Top), Sour Howes, Middle Dodd, Nethermost Pike, Sallows, Helvellyn, Stony Cove Pike (Caudale Moor), Yoke, Caw Fell, Ill Bell, Froswick, Hartsop Dodd, Thornthwaite Crag, Mardale Ill Bell, High Street, Kentmere Pike, Shipman Knotts, The Knott (High Street), Watson's Dodd, Rest Dodd, Kidsty Pike, High Raise (High Street), Tarn Crag (Sleddale), Grey Crag (Sleddale Fell), Clough Head, Loadpot Hill, Dodd (Skiddaw), Carl Side, Little Mell Fell, Long Side, Ullock Pike, Bannerdale Crags, Binsey

How Brim Fell’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 Brim Fell

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

Walna Scar Road, Coniston (free, rough track) — 2.5 km from summit (straight line)
High free car park above Coniston — Old Man, Dow Crag, Brown Pike with a head start.
Directions
🚺 Coniston Bridge (1651m)🚺 Coniston Ruskin Avenue Car Park (1811m)
Coniston village (paid) — 3.3 km from summit (straight line)
Main village car parks — full Coniston round.
Directions
🚺 Coniston Bridge (50m)🚺 Coniston Ruskin Avenue Car Park (121m)☕ Sara's Indian☕ The Green Housekeeper☕ Steam Bistro🍺 The Yewdale Inn🍺 Crown Inn🍺 Sun Hotel Pub🏪 Coniston Gifts & Sports

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 The Coniston Horseshoe route:

🛖 map (7 m)

On the Coniston Old Man Round route:

💧 possible water source (6 m)🚌 The Ruskin Centre (321 m)🚌 John Ruskin School (W bound) (345 m)🚌 The Crown Inn (353 m)🚌 The Crown Hotel (367 m)

💧 Treat water from the fell before you drink it. A mapped point is usually a tap or public supply, but never drink untreated from a beck, stream or tarn — even clear-looking hill water can carry giardia or cryptosporidium from livestock or a carcass upstream and leave you seriously ill. Run it through a filter or purifier (a LifeStraw, Sawyer Squeeze or HydraPak) or bring it to a rolling boil first.

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

Buses to Brim Fell from Penrith / Ambleside / Windermere

Stagecoach 505 “Coniston Rambler”
Windermere – Ambleside – Skelwith Bridge – Hawkshead – Coniston
Catch it from: Windermere · Ambleside
Daily in season (reduced winter service). Best access for the Coniston fells (Old Man, Wetherlam group).

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

My hikes over Brim Fell (Strava)

1 logged hike pass over this summit:

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

Hazard & Incident Information for Brim Fell

Hazard: Moderate

A broad, rounded swell on the main Coniston ridge between the Old Man and Swirl How — gentle and easy along the crest, but with a deceptive eastern face that falls away in crags to Levers Water, ending in the shattered cliffs of Raven Tor. The very smoothness of the top is the trap: in cloud it gives almost no warning before the drop, and the connecting ground is rougher than it looks. Coniston Mountain Rescue Team covers this ground.

  • The eastern crags above Levers Water (Raven Tor): The Coniston-facing side of Brim Fell is all crag, with a spur ending in the broken cliffs of Raven Tor. The rounded grassy top gives little sign of the edge — in mist or wind it is easy to drift east onto steep, dangerous ground. Keep to the crest and well back from the eastern rim.
  • The broad, featureless summit in cloud: Brim Fell's top is a gentle rise with few landmarks, easy to misjudge in mist where the safe ridge and the cragged edge look alike. Take a compass bearing before moving on toward the Old Man or Levers Hawse.
  • Rough connecting ground & loose approaches: North toward Swirl How the ridge narrows at Levers Hawse and climbs the rougher Great How Crags; the steep approaches (such as Gill Cove) are loose and scrambly. Careful footing needed on the rock and scree, especially when wet.
Who should attempt this fell: Along the crest Brim Fell is easy walking, but never forget the cragged eastern face: the rounded top hides the Levers Water drop, so keep back from the edge and navigate by compass in cloud. Treat the rough, loose connecting ground and steep approaches with care, and as full winter terrain when there is snow or ice.

Most common causes: Walkers drifting onto the eastern crags / Raven Tor in poor visibility · Navigation errors off the smooth, featureless summit in cloud · Slips on loose, steep approach ground and rough connecting ridges · Winter ice on the edges and rough sections

Local Mountain Rescue: Coniston Mountain Rescue Team · Reviewed 14 Jun 2026

Safety: Hazard guidance compiled from published Mountain Rescue reports and well-documented accident history - editorial background, not a live feed of callouts. Always check current conditions, carry proper navigation equipment, and seek qualified instruction before heading onto the fells. In an emergency, call 999, ask for Police, then Mountain Rescue.

Report incorrect information

A note on Church Beck (with Red Dell Beck & Levers Water)

Church Beck (with Red Dell Beck & Levers Water) runs below the old Coniston copper mines and carries mine-derived copper and zinc — enough to matter for river life, though the lead and cadmium that would harm a person stay below the drinking limit here. Treat any hill water before drinking (a filter won’t remove dissolved metals); don’t single this beck out as a clean fill-up.

What’s actually in this beck — we mapped every mine-fed one →

Metal-mine water data © Environment Agency (Open Government Licence v3.0).

Navigating Brim Fell in cloud

Care needed

Walkable ground sits close to a lethal drop — in cloud it’s easy to walk straight onto steep ground. Take care in poor visibility — carry map and compass, and know how to use them.

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 Brim Fell 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 Brim Fell

Maps & guidebooks for Brim Fell

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