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

Wainwright — Western FellsAlso a Birkett

Gavel Fell

Gavel Fell at 526m (1,726ft) is a broad, heathery summit between Ennerdale and Loweswater, giving wide views of the western fells.

524 m
Height
~3.5–4.5 h
Typical time
+19
Bonus Birketts
See routes & download GPX →

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524 mWainwright — Western Fells✓ summit is also a Birkett+19 bonus Birketts within 3 km Straightforward in cloud

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

Modelled guidance for the 524 m summit. Always check the Met Office mountain forecast and MWIS before you set off.

On the summit today (Tue 28 Jul): 15° to 14°C, gusts to 33 mph, 1.9 mm of rain forecast.

Tue 28 Jul
🌦️
15° / 14°
💨 33 mph
🌧 1.9 mm (99%)
Wed 29 Jul
🌧️
14° / 12°
💨 27 mph
🌧 13.2 mm (100%)
Thu 30 Jul
🌦️
13° / 5°
💨 28 mph
🌧 2.8 mm (87%)
Fri 31 Jul
🌤️
14° / 3°
💨 22 mph
🌧 0.0 mm (86%)
Sat 1 Aug
🌦️
15° / 6°
💨 15 mph
🌧 1.2 mm (82%)
Sun 2 Aug
🌤️
16° / 5°
💨 16 mph
🌧 0.0 mm (35%)
Mon 3 Aug
🌦️
16° / 5°
💨 17 mph
🌧 0.4 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 524 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

Gavel Fell

Gavel Fell, a Lake District fell
Photo: Mick Knapton at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Gavel Fell at 526m (1,726ft) is a broad, heathery summit between Ennerdale and Loweswater, giving wide views of the western fells. Wainwright included it as part of the Loweswater/Ennerdale fell group, noting its open, spacious character. The ascent from Loweswater or Ennerdale is across pleasant moorland. Combined naturally with Blake Fell and Hen Comb for a circuit of the western fells.

Routes up Gavel Fell

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

Around Loweswater
19.1 km · ~5.5 hr
Blake Fell, Gavel Fell, Hen Comb
14 km · ~4 hr
Classifications & hill data
Wainwright
Western
Birkett
Fellranger
Synge
524 m
Height
1,719 ft
In feet
NY 1165 1850
Grid ref

Map & nearby Birketts

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

Nearest parking: Maggie's Bridge, Loweswater (NT, free), about 3.1 km from the summit (straight line). Full parking, toilets and bus details are below.

Birketts near Gavel 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.

0.6 km NEGavel Fell - High Nook (Gavel Fell North Top)488 m · North Western
0.8 km WNWHigh Pen475 m · North Western
1.1 km SBanna Fell455 m · Western
1.3 km SSEFloutern Cop451 m · Western
1.3 km WNWLow Pen435 m · North Western
1.6 km WGodworth365 m · Western
1.7 km ENELittle Dodd (Loweswater)362 m · North Western
1.8 km NCarling Knott544 m · North Western
1.9 km NNWSharp Knott482 m · North Western
2.1 km NLoweswater End - Carling Knott519 m · Western
2.2 km SHerdus562 m · Western
2.2 km WKelton Fell311 m · Western
2.2 km WNWMurton Fell (Knock Murton)446 m · North Western
2.6 km NWHigh Hows (Lamplugh)313 m · Western
2.7 km SBrown How (Ennerdale)330 m · Western
2.7 km SEGale Fell518 m · Western
2.8 km ENEMellbreak North Top509 m · North Western
2.9 km NWOwsen Fell409 m · Western
3.0 km SBowness Knott333 m · Western

Routes over Gavel Fell

Around LoweswaterLive
19.13 km · ~1019 m ascent · loop · ~5.5–7.5 h
Summits: Darling FellSmithy FellFellbarrow - Mosser FellBurnbank FellBlake FellGavel Fell

⬇️ Download GPX

Full route guide ↗

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

Blake Fell, Gavel Fell, Hen CombLive
14.03 km · ~732 m ascent · loop · ~4–5.5 h
Summits: Burnbank FellBlake FellGavel FellHen CombLittle Dodd (Loweswater)

⬇️ 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 Gavel 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 Gavel Fell35 labelled tops shown (15 distant behind the far-horizon toggle). Theoretical visibility in perfect clarity; computed from terrain, not photographed.eye levelNNEESESSWWNWScafell · 15 kmSkiddaw · 18 kmGreat End · 15 kmCatstye Cam · 23 kmGrasmoor · 6 kmStybarrow Dodd · 23 kmScoat Fell · 8 kmHigh Stile · 6 kmGrisedale Pike · 9 kmWandope · 7 kmHigh Raise · 19 kmDale Head · 11 kmCaw Fell · 8 kmIron Crag · 7 kmLittle Sca Fell · 23 kmGreat Borne · 2 kmCarling Knott · 2 kmLank Rigg · 7 kmLoweswater End · 2 kmGrike · 5 kmGraystones · 10 kmBinsey · 20 kmBlake Fell · 1 kmRosthwaite Fell · 15 kmBengairn · 50 km · clear daysHigh Pen · 1 kmBanna Fell · 1 kmMurton Fell · 2 kmLow Fell · 5 kmSourfoot Fell · 5 kmBlakeley Raise · 7 kmGodworth · 2 kmDent · 10 kmHigh Hows · 3 kmMochrum Fell · 69 km · clear daysPillar · 8 kmRaise · 23 kmCrag Hill · 8 kmKirk Fell · 11 kmRobinson · 9 kmUllscarf · 19 kmWhiteside East Top · 7 kmWhiteless Pike · 6 kmFleetwith Pike · 10 kmHerdus · 2 kmCrag Fell · 4 kmWhoap · 6 kmBroom Fell · 12 kmHen Comb · 2 kmLow Pen · 1 kmFellbarrow · 6 kmDarling Fell · 4 kmSlieve Donard · 171 km · a handful of days a yearMerrick · 96 km · a rare clear daySnaefell · 78 km · a rare clear dayCairnsmore of Carsphairn · 95 km · a rare clear dayCairnsmore of Fleet · 78 km · a rare clear daySlieve Croob · 171 km · a handful of days a yearGreen Lowther · 96 km · a rare clear dayDivis · 172 km · a handful of days a yearBeneraird · 115 km · a rare clear daySighty Crag · 79 km · a rare clear dayAgnew's Hill · 169 km · a handful of days a yearWisp Hill · 85 km · a rare clear dayRoan Fell · 82 km · a rare clear dayPeel Fell · 96 km · a rare clear dayWard Law · 98 km · a rare clear day
What you can see from Gavel Fell, by direction
  • North-east: Whiteside (6 km), Whiteside East Top (7 km), Hopegill Head (8 km), Sand Hill (8 km), Hobcarton Crag (8 km), Grisedale Pike (9 km), Skiddaw South Top (18 km), Skiddaw Middle Top (18 km), Skiddaw (18 km), Skiddaw North Top (18 km), Broad End (18 km), Great Sca Fell (23 km)
  • East: Grasmoor (6 km), Whiteless Pike (6 km), Thirdgill Head Man (7 km), Wandope (7 km), Crag Hill (8 km), Robinson (9 km), Dale Head (11 km), Ullscarf (19 km), Watson's Dodd (22 km), White Side (22 km), Raise (23 km), Stybarrow Dodd (23 km), Catstye Cam (23 km)
  • South-east: Red Pike (5 km), High Stile (6 km), High Stile (6 km), Steeple (8 km), Scoat Fell (8 km), Pillar (8 km), Black Crag (8 km), Kirk Fell (11 km), Kirk Fell East Top (11 km), Great Gable (12 km), Scafell (15 km), Great End (15 km), Low White Stones (19 km), High Raise (19 km)
  • South: Caw Fell (8 km)

On the clearest days the far horizon adds: Slieve Donard (171 km, Ireland), Merrick (96 km, Scotland), Snaefell (78 km, Isle of Man), Cairnsmore of Carsphairn (95 km, Scotland), Cairnsmore of Fleet (78 km, Scotland), Corserine (92 km, Scotland), Lamachan Hill (90 km, Scotland), South Barrule (96 km, Isle of Man).

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 Gavel Fell

On a clear day — computed sightlines, curvature- and refraction-corrected.
45Wainwrights in view+11 marginal
97 kmFurthest sightlineMerrick
1Sea in viewIrish Sea

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

Far horizons
  • Merrick ScotlandNW · 97 km clear
  • Snaefell Isle of ManWSW · 78 km clear
  • Irish Sea open waterWNW · 20 km in view
All 45 Wainwrights in clear view (nearest first)

Blake Fell, Hen Comb, Great Borne, Mellbreak (Mellbreak South Top), Crag Fell, Low Fell, Red Pike (Buttermere), Grike, Fellbarrow - Mosser Fell, Grasmoor, High Stile, Whiteside (Whiteside West Top), Whiteless Pike, Lank Rigg, Wandope, Crag Hill (Eel Crag), Hopegill Head, Pillar, Robinson, Grisedale Pike, Fleetwith Pike, Whinlatter (Brown How - Whinlatter), Graystones (Graystones North Top), Dale Head, Broom Fell, Lord's Seat, Ling Fell, Maiden Moor, Great Gable, Rosthwaite Fell - Bessyboot, Ullock Pike, Long Side, High Seat, Skiddaw, Ullscarf, Binsey, Great Cockup, Watson's Dodd, White Side, Raise, Stybarrow Dodd, Longlands Fell, Catstye Cam, Great Sca Fell, Brae Fell

How Gavel 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 Gavel Fell

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

Maggie's Bridge, Loweswater (NT, free) — 3.1 km from summit (straight line)
Small free car park for Mellbreak, Hen Comb and the Loweswater fells.
Directions
Bowness Knott, Ennerdale (Forestry, paid) — 3.2 km from summit (straight line)
Forestry England car park at the end of the Ennerdale valley road, on the lake's north shore (OS NY 110 154; parking charges apply since 2023) — Great Borne, Starling Dodd, and the long walk-ins to Pillar and Steeple.
Directions

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 Gavel Fell 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.

Navigating Gavel 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 Gavel 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 Gavel Fell

Maps & guidebooks for Gavel Fell

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