Broad End
Broad End at 832m (2,730ft) is the broad north ridge of Skiddaw, a Birkett top giving views across the Solway Firth to Scotland and along the northern fells.
Is it worth going? — Today’s conditions & 7-day summit forecast
Modelled guidance for the 832 m summit. Always check the Met Office mountain forecast and MWIS before you set off.
On the summit today (Sat 12 Sep): 12° to 6°C, gusts to 43 mph, 16.5 mm of rain forecast.
Forecast snapshot from 12 Sep 2026, 18:50 UTC — refreshed nightly and updated live in your browser. Temperatures and gusts adjusted to the 832 m summit altitude via Open-Meteo. Summit conditions are always harsher than the valley — check the professional mountain forecasts before you go.
Broad End at a glance
Broad End
Field notes
This is a Birkett that flummoxed me. I tried to bag it (do I actually claim it as I was so close) on my second trip to Skiddaw and then down along the Cumbria Way. At the time I had no way of really seeing where the Birketts are (hence why I created this website), so I was walking around the flat, featureless mass looking for any sign of a summit marker. How I didn't actually notice what I can now see on the photo I took amazes me. This goes to show that we rely on technology too much and should have used my own eyes. As you can see from my track below, I was too far north by about 50 metres. So at least you can see where it is if you ever venture up here. As with Bakestall, a short distance away, the views are splendid and the footfall light and could be a nice gentle hike up from the parking near Low Melbecks if you want to venture out on a busy summer's day.Routes up Broad End
Hand-mapped, with GPX to download — full maps further down.
Classifications & hill data
The short answers
Is Broad End a Wainwright?
Broad End is not a Wainwright. It is on the Birkett list.
Where do you park for Broad End?
We hold no car park within 2.5 km of the summit, so there is no short walk-in to recommend here. We only look within 2.5 km, measured straight-line: over longer distances a road may cross a pass and the drive bears no relation to the line.
How hard is Broad End?
The shortest way up we hold is Lonscale Fell, Skiddaw Lesser Man, Skiddaw and Bakestall in the sun! — 19.3 km, 1116 m of ascent, about 5.7 hours. On our scale its hardest axis is terrain — Hard.
All axes: terrain: Hard · steepness: Hard · length: Hard · navigation: Moderate · exposure: Easy.
My hikes over Broad End (Strava)
1 logged hike pass over this summit:
- Lonscale Fell, Skiddaw Lesser Man, Skiddaw and Bakestall in the sun! (opens in new tab) — 19.2 km · 980 m ascent · 4h 56m moving · 29 Jun 2025
Interactive route maps and photos load here for visitors with JavaScript. Data from Strava.
Parking & buses for Broad End
Best parking to hike Broad End
Where we have the data, each parking spot also shows the nearest public toilets and facilities (cafés, pubs, shops).
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.
Vehicles are left entirely at their owner’s risk. We list places people park; we cannot vouch for any of them. Judge it on the day: take valuables with you, leave nothing on show, and if a spot feels wrong when you get there, park somewhere else.
Getting to Broad End by bus
The X4 stops at Keswick, opposite The Pheasant. From there it is 2.5 km and 300 m of ascent to the start of Lonscale Fell, Skiddaw Lesser Man, Skiddaw and Bakestall in the sun! — a walk in before the walk. Last bus: Monday to Friday 17:49 towards Keswick (554); Saturday 20:19 towards Keswick (554); Sunday 17:50 towards Keswick (554). Checked against the operator’s timetable, 8 September 2026. Times here are a guide, not a promise — leave yourself more than the minute.
Rural routes change seasonally — confirm on stagecoachbus.com (opens in new tab) or Traveline before relying on a last bus.
Hazards on Broad End
No hazard card for this fell. The usual open-fell rules apply: check the forecast, carry a map and compass, and turn back in cloud if the ground is not what you expected.
Map & nearby Birketts
Skip mapFree mapping: OpenTopoMap / OpenStreetMap (switch layers top-right). Parking positions are approximate.
Nearest parking: Watches, south-west (layby), about 2.6 km from the summit (straight line). Full parking, toilets and bus details are below.
Birketts near Broad End (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.
Routes over Broad End
A planned line is a suggestion, not a guarantee — conditions change. Navigate independently and carry a map & compass. How to use this guide.
On the hill: terrain and water on Broad End
Water & shelter on the way up
On the Lonscale Fell, Skiddaw Lesser Man, Skiddaw and Bakestall in the sun! route:
On-route facilities © OpenStreetMap contributors, per route — an absent marker doesn’t mean none.
Places to stay near this fell
From Underscar: 10 places in Keswick