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510 m · Wainwright — North Western Fells · Birketts to bag nearby, parking, buses, my hikes and live summit weather.

Broom Fell - a faint grassy path rising to a low summit cairn on the skyline, under flat misty grey cloud
Wainwright — North Western FellsAlso a Birkett

Broom Fell

Broom Fell at 509m (1,670ft) is a grassy summit above Lorton Vale in the north-western corner of the Lake District, giving wide views across Bassenthwaite Lake and north towards the Solway.

510 m
Height
~2.5–3 h
Typical time
+9
Bonus Birketts
See routes & download GPX →

Home › Fells › Broom Fell

Written and walked by Lee McCoy · Last reviewed

510 mWainwright — North Western Fells✓ summit is also a Birkett+9 bonus Birketts within 3 km Straightforward in cloud

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

Modelled guidance for the 510 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 34 mph, 2.9 mm of rain forecast.

Tue 28 Jul
🌦️
16° / 14°
💨 34 mph
🌧 2.9 mm (77%)
Wed 29 Jul
🌧️
16° / 12°
💨 30 mph
🌧 11.0 mm (79%)
Thu 30 Jul
🌧️
13° / 5°
💨 30 mph
🌧 2.5 mm (76%)
Fri 31 Jul
🌤️
15° / 2°
💨 23 mph
🌧 0.0 mm (69%)
Sat 1 Aug
🌦️
15° / 4°
💨 15 mph
🌧 1.5 mm (63%)
Sun 2 Aug
🌤️
16° / 3°
💨 16 mph
🌧 0.0 mm (25%)
Mon 3 Aug
🌦️
16° / 6°
💨 16 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 510 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

Broom Fell

Broom Fell - a faint grassy path rising to a low summit cairn on the skyline, under flat misty grey cloud
© Lee McCoy

Broom Fell at 509m (1,670ft) is a grassy summit above Lorton Vale in the north-western corner of the Lake District, giving wide views across Bassenthwaite Lake and north towards the Solway. Wainwright included it as part of the Lord's Seat group, noting its pleasant, open character. The ascent from Thornthwaite is short and easy. Most naturally combined with Lord's Seat and Graystones for a circuit of the northern North Western Fells.

Routes up Broom Fell

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

Whinlatter Loop
13.6 km · ~3.8 hr
Classifications & hill data
Wainwright
North Western
Birkett
Fellranger
Synge
510 m
Height
1,673 ft
In feet
NY 1954 2705
Grid ref

Map & nearby Birketts

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

Nearest parking: Whinlatter Visitor Centre (paid), about 2.8 km from the summit (straight line). Full parking, toilets and bus details are below.

Birketts near Broom 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 NNWBurthwaite Heights318 m · North Western
1.7 km SEUllister Hill525 m · North Western
1.9 km WSWGraystones455 m · North Western
2.0 km SSETarbarrel Moss493 m · North Western
2.2 km SWhinlatter Top525 m · North Western
2.3 km SESeat How (Thornthwaite)495 m · North Western
2.3 km WSWKirk Fell (Lorton)437 m · Western
2.4 km NRivings335 m · Northern
2.7 km NNELothwaite345 m · Northern

Routes over Broom Fell

Whinlatter LoopRevised
13.56 km · ~671 m ascent · loop · ~3.5–5 h
Summits: GraystonesGraystones (Graystones North Top)Broom FellLord's SeatBarfWhinlatter TopWhinlatter (Brown How - Whinlatter)

⬇️ 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 Broom 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 Broom Fell36 labelled tops shown (16 distant behind the far-horizon toggle). Theoretical visibility in perfect clarity; computed from terrain, not photographed.eye levelNNEESESSWWNWHelvellyn · 19 kmSkiddaw · 7 kmRaise · 18 kmSkiddaw Little Man · 7 kmGrasmoor · 7 kmCrag Hill · 7 kmBroad End · 7 kmKnowe Crags · 12 kmGrisedale Pike · 4 kmGlaramara · 17 kmGreat Rigg · 23 kmHigh Raise · 20 kmSand Hill · 5 kmRanderside · 16 kmUllscarf · 18 kmKnott · 12 kmWhiteside · 6 kmScar Crags · 6 kmLittle Sca Fell · 12 kmGreat Borne · 13 kmBlake Fell · 11 kmArthur's Pike · 27 kmGavel Fell · 12 kmLowthwaite Fell · 11 kmLittle Mell Fell · 23 kmCriffel · 42 km · clear daysBurnbank Fell · 10 kmBengairn · 51 km · clear daysShivery Knott · 15 kmGraystones · 2 kmGraystones · 2 kmBinsey · 9 kmSighty Crag · 68 km · clear daysSmithy Fell · 7 kmSale Fell · 3 kmCalkin Rig · 61 km · clear daysSkiddaw South Top · 7 kmCatstye Cam · 19 kmHigh Crag · 20 kmClough Head · 15 kmWhiteside East Top · 5 kmCausey Pike · 7 kmFrozen Fell · 11 kmHeron Pike North Top · 24 kmGreat Mell Fell · 20 kmCrag Fell · 16 kmCarl Side · 6 kmLonglands Fell · 12 kmLadyside Pike · 4 kmOwsen Fell · 11 kmLittle Meldrum · 23 kmLord's Seat · 1 kmLining Crag · 18 kmSwinside · 4 kmFellbarrow · 7 kmLothwaite · 3 kmGreen How · 12 kmCaermote Hill · 10 kmBainloch Hill · 43 km · clear daysClints Crags · 9 kmBengray · 65 km · clear daysGrange Fell · 55 km · clear daysKillyleoch Hill · 64 km · clear daysWhite Hill · 58 km · clear daysSlieve Donard · 181 km · a handful of days a yearMerrick · 96 km · a rare clear daySnaefell · 89 km · a rare clear dayCairnsmore of Carsphairn · 93 km · a rare clear dayCairnsmore of Fleet · 80 km · a rare clear dayTinto · 110 km · a rare clear daySlieve Croob · 180 km · a handful of days a yearGreen Lowther · 90 km · a rare clear dayWhite Coomb · 88 km · a rare clear dayEttrick Pen · 81 km · a rare clear dayCairn Table · 108 km · a rare clear dayCairnharrow · 72 km · a rare clear dayWisp Hill · 75 km · a rare clear dayRoan Fell · 71 km · a rare clear dayPeel Fell · 84 km · a rare clear dayLaw Kneis · 87 km · a rare clear day
What you can see from Broom Fell, by direction
  • North-east: Broad End (7 km), Knott (12 km)
  • East: Skiddaw South Top (7 km), Skiddaw (7 km), Skiddaw Middle Top (7 km), Skiddaw North Top (7 km), Skiddaw Little Man (7 km), Skiddaw Lesser Man (7 km), Lonscale Fell (9 km), Knowe Crags (12 km), Gategill Fell Top (12 km), Clough Head (15 km), Randerside (16 km)
  • South-east: Coldbarrow Fell (17 km), Raise (18 km), White Side (18 km), Ullscarf (18 km), Helvellyn Lower Man (18 km), Helvellyn (19 km), Catstye Cam (19 km), Low White Stones (19 km), High Raise (20 km), Nethermost Pike (20 km), High Crag (20 km), Codale Head (20 km), Dollywaggon Pike (21 km), Thunacar Knott (21 km), Seat Sandal (22 km), Harrison Stickle (22 km), Great Rigg (23 km)
  • South: Grisedale Pike (4 km), Hobcarton Crag (5 km), Sand Hill (5 km), Whiteside East Top (5 km), Eel Crag (6 km), Crag Hill (7 km), Grasmoor (7 km), Glaramara (17 km), Looking Steads (18 km)
  • South-west: Whiteside (6 km)

On the clearest days the far horizon adds: Slieve Donard (181 km, Ireland), Merrick (96 km, Scotland), Snaefell (89 km, Isle of Man), Cairnsmore of Carsphairn (93 km, Scotland), Cairnsmore of Fleet (80 km, Scotland), Corserine (92 km, Scotland), Lamachan Hill (91 km, Scotland), Tinto (110 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 Broom Fell

On a clear day — computed sightlines, curvature- and refraction-corrected.
56Wainwrights in view+12 marginal
98 kmFurthest sightlineMerrick
2Sea in viewIrish Sea, Solway Firth

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

Far horizons
  • Merrick ScotlandNW · 98 km clear
  • Snaefell Isle of ManWSW · 89 km clear
  • Criffel ScotlandNW · 43 km distant
  • Solway Firth bay/estuaryNW · 32 km in view
  • Irish Sea open waterW · 27 km in view
All 56 Wainwrights in clear view (nearest first)

Lord's Seat, Whinlatter (Brown How - Whinlatter), Graystones (Graystones North Top), Sale Fell, Grisedale Pike, Dodd (Skiddaw), Hopegill Head, Ullock Pike, Long Side, Whiteside (Whiteside West Top), Outerside, Carl Side, Scar Crags, Causey Pike, Crag Hill (Eel Crag), Skiddaw, Fellbarrow - Mosser Fell, Grasmoor, Skiddaw Little Man, Low Fell, Latrigg, Lonscale Fell, Binsey, Maiden Moor, Great Cockup, Burnbank Fell, Hen Comb, Meal Fell, Blake Fell, Gavel Fell, Longlands Fell, Knott, Great Sca Fell, Brae Fell, High Seat, Great Borne, High Tove, Great Crag (Stonethwaite), Clough Head, Glaramara, Ullscarf, Helvellyn, High Raise (High White Stones), Nethermost Pike, Great Mell Fell, Dollywaggon Pike, Thunacar Knott, Seat Sandal, Harrison Stickle, Gowbarrow Fell (Wainwright summit), Fairfield, Little Mell Fell, Great Rigg, Stone Arthur, Heron Pike (Rydal), Arthur's Pike

How Broom 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 Broom Fell

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

Whinlatter Visitor Centre (paid) — 2.8 km from summit (straight line)
Forest centre — Lord's Seat, Barf, Whinlatter fells, Grisedale Pike's back route.
Directions
🚺 Whinlatter Forest Park Centre (120m) — Free☕ The Cottage in the Wood☕ Cafe Ambio
Dodd Wood (paid) — 3.9 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.

Buses to Broom Fell from Penrith / Ambleside / Windermere

Stagecoach 77 / 77A “Honister Rambler”
Keswick – Portinscale – Hawse End (Catbells) – Grange – Seatoller – Honister Pass – Buttermere – Lorton – Whinlatter – Keswick (circular)
Catch it from: Keswick (connect via 555 from Windermere/Ambleside or X4/X5 from Penrith)
Seasonal (roughly Easter–October). Brilliant for the North Western fells: Catbells, Dale Head from Honister, the Buttermere fells and Whinlatter.

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

My hikes over Broom Fell (Strava)

1 logged hike pass over this summit:

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

Navigating Broom Fell 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 Broom 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 Broom Fell

Maps & guidebooks for Broom Fell

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