Gowbarrow Fell - looking down over heather, a felled plantation and the wooded shore to Ullswater, with the Pennines a dark line on the horizon under broken cloud

Gowbarrow Fell (Wainwright summit)

Written and walked by Lee McCoy · Summited August 2023

Home › Fells › Gowbarrow Fell (Wainwright summit)

481 mWainwright — Eastern Fells+8 bonus Birketts within 3 km Fewer traps in Clag

Gowbarrow Fell at 481m (1,579ft) rises above the wooded western shores of Ullswater, its open summit giving excellent views of the lake — particularly the middle reach from Howtown to Pooley Bridge.

Summit conditions on Gowbarrow Fell (Wainwright summit)

On the summit on Tuesday 27 October: 12° to 6°C, gusts to 40 mph, 18.3 mm of rain forecast over the whole day, midnight to midnight.

Against our lines, Tuesday 27 October: wind, cold and cloud from the Met Office UKV 2 km model (daylight hours, as in the verdict above); rain from the summit line’s forecast (the whole day). A tile is large when this top is past its line.

Wind on the top

Past the line

43 mph, our estimate for the open top in the worst daylight hour

The Met Office 2 km model’s gust of 41 mph times our exposure factor of 1.05. The summit line above gives Open-Meteo’s highest gust for the whole day, 40 mph, before any exposure factor.

The line Our line: 25 mph, where our wind Scale begins its 25–35 band: “balance affected; buffeting on exposed ground”. MWIS (opens in new tab) describes what wind does to a walker across a range rather than at a line: from about 20–25 mph it starts to affect your balance.

Estimated: it is not calibrated against summit readings, and the two forecasts can disagree by more than a band.

Rain, and the becks

Past the line

18.3 mm of rain over the whole day, midnight to midnight

The same figure as the summit line above and the 7-day forecast.

The line Our line: 6 mm in the day, where our scorer counts a day as soaking. We read rainfall, never river levels: becks in spate.

Open-Meteo’s forecast. It says nothing about rain already in the ground.

Also checked cold: feels like 4 °C, no ice or snow forecast; cloud: a clear-top reading of 60 out of 100, over our in-cloud line of 20. Under a line is not the same as fine: it means only that these figures are under the lines we use.

Not in these tiles Lightning, river levels, snow or ice already lying, and the ground under your feet. A tile cannot see them, so an empty space here never means they are absent.

Snow figures with a second opinion: Powered by Met Office data

Full 7-day summit forecast ↓

Wainwrights are scored for walking conditions each morning from the Met Office’s UK forecast model, read for each summit through Open-Meteo; the forecast figures are Open-Meteo’s, worked out for the summit’s height. How we check →

Weather data by Open-Meteo.com (opens in new tab)

Routes up Gowbarrow Fell (Wainwright summit)

Choose the way up before the car park: these five routes start from two places, and the last two rows give the parking and bus at each route’s own start. Full maps further down.

Compared	Gowbarrow Fell and Little Mell Fell	Aira Force & Gowbarrow Fell	Birketts by Gowbarrow	Swineside Knott & Gowbarrow	The Mell Fells & Gowbarrow Fell
Starts from	Aira Force (NT, paid)	Aira Force (NT, paid)	Aira Force (NT, paid)	Aira Force (NT, paid)	The Hause
Distance and climb	15.11 km, 713 m of climb	6.88 km, 341 m of climb	12.03 km, 591 m of climb	13.27 km, 657 m of climb	15.78 km, 776 m of climb
Time, fast to steady	~4–5¾ h	~1¾–2¾ h	~3¼–4¾ h	~3¾–5 h	~4¼–6 h
Scrambling	Not mentioned in the route’s notes	Not mentioned in the route’s notes	Not mentioned in the route’s notes	Hands for a few steps: Airy Crag's top (about km 9.2).	Not mentioned in the route’s notes
Exposure	Easy	Not assessed	Not assessed	Not assessed	Not assessed
Navigation	Moderate	Moderate	Hard	Moderate	Moderate
Steepest stretch	Climb of about 24% at 2.3 km (Moderate)	Climb of about 27% at 2.2 km (Hard)	Descent of about 27% at 9.8 km (Hard)	Climb of about 29% at 3.0 km (Hard)	Climb of about 26% at 4.1 km (Hard)
After the summit	Over Little Mell Fell	No further tops	Over Great Meldrum, Little Meldrum and Watermillock Fell (Little Mell Fell South Top)	No further tops	No further tops
Walked or planned	Walked by Lee, August 2023	Walked in part; km 3.9–6.4 from the map	Walked in part; km 0.8–2.7, km 3.4–5.8, km 7.9–8.7 from the map	Planned: drawn, not yet walked	Planned: drawn, not yet walked
Car park at the start	Aira Force (NT, paid)	Aira Force (NT, paid)	Aira Force (NT, paid)	Aira Force (NT, paid)	Roadside parking for Watermillock Fell (free)
Bus to the start	508, 470 m walk from Matterdale, opposite Aira Force. The UB1 and UB2 run until 1 November 2026, the last day of their season.	508 at the start. The UB1 and UB2 run until 1 November 2026, the last day of their season.	508 at the start. The UB1 and UB2 run until 1 November 2026, the last day of their season.	508 at the start. The UB1 and UB2 run until 1 November 2026, the last day of their season.	UB1, 1.0 km walk from Horrockwood, opposite The Quiet Site. The UB2 runs until 1 November 2026, the last day of its season.

Times run from fast to steady pace (Naismith’s rule). Scrambling quotes each route’s own notes; “not mentioned” means they do not say, not that the ground has none. Each route’s page has its map, stages and GPX.

Distance, climb and the steepest stretch are measured from each route’s GPX track; the other grades are set on the ground, judged from the map or estimated from OpenStreetMap, and each route page says which. How we check →

How difficult is the Gowbarrow Fell walk?

Easy to moderate — 481 m (1,579 ft), on good paths with one steady climb (it reaches about 31% above the falls); most walkers manage it comfortably. The classic circuit climbs from the Aira Force woods and returns along the terrace path above Ullswater, one of the finest easy balcony walks in the district. Aira Force itself plunges some 65 ft through a steep, narrow gorge with sheer sides, slippery rock and stone steps, and few natural viewing points or barriers.

How we check →

Conditions and 7-day summit forecast

Modelled for the 481 m summit (Open-Meteo). Check the Met Office mountain forecast and MWIS before you set off.

Full 7-day forecast

Tue 27 Oct

12° / 6°

40 mph

18.3 mm (100%)

Wed 28 Oct

10° / 7°

34 mph

7.4 mm (100%)

Thu 29 Oct

9° / 8°

25 mph

0.0 mm (33%)

Fri 30 Oct

10° / 7°

28 mph

0.0 mm (23%)

Sat 31 Oct

11° / 4°

14 mph

0.3 mm (18%)

Sun 1 Nov

8° / 3°

11 mph

0.0 mm (10%)

Mon 2 Nov

8° / -1°

14 mph

0.0 mm (0%)

Taken 27 October 2026, 08:13 UTC; the live forecast replaces it when it loads. Weather data by Open-Meteo.com (opens in new tab)

Pro mountain forecasts: MWIS · Met Office mountain forecast

Parking & buses for Gowbarrow Fell (Wainwright summit)

Parking

Where do you park for Gowbarrow Fell?

The National Trust Aira Force car parks on the Ullswater road are the usual start (paid, free for NT members) — they fill by mid-morning in season. Park Brow, the smaller NT car park above, is handier for the fell itself. The Ullswater Steamer to Aira Force pier is the car-free option.

Route starts first, then the car parks nearest the summit, which are not always a way up.

Aira Force (NT, paid) — 0.3 km from the start of Gowbarrow Fell and Little Mell Fell, Aira Force & Gowbarrow Fell, Birketts by Gowbarrow and Swineside Knott & Gowbarrow (straight line)

The main National Trust car park at Aira Force, beside the toilets. Fees: pay and display (LDNP directory, checked August 2026). Toilets open 10am-3pm; accessible toilet 24hrs (LDNP directory, checked August 2026).

Typically full before 09:00 on fine weekends, Apr-Oct — Lee McCoy, local observation, 9 August 2026.

Directions Something changed here?

If it is full: Park Brow (NT, paid) (0.8 km); Round How (layby) (0.9 km) a few spaces only; A592, Gowbarrow Park shore (verge, middle) (1.0 km, 59 m up) a few spaces only; A592, Gowbarrow Park shore (verge, east) (1.5 km, 78 m up) a few spaces only

Aira Force Car Park (~53 m straight line) — Free · Accessible Aira Force Tearooms

Roadside parking for Watermillock Fell (free) — at the start of The Mell Fells & Gowbarrow Fell

0.2 km from Watermillock Fell. Added from the 5 August 2026 OSM candidate review.

Directions Something changed here?

High Cascades (NT, paid) — 1.3 km from summit (straight line)

Walking base for Low How, High Brow, Randerside and Great Dodd — the 'Birketts above Ullswater' route starts 21 m away. Fees: £6 for 2 hours; £8 for 4 hours; £9.50 all day. Compacted surface (OSM-tagged). Free for NT members (checked August 2026).

Directions Something changed here?

4 more places to park near Gowbarrow Fell (Wainwright summit)

Bracken How car park — 1.5 km from summit (straight line)

Nearest fells: Bracken How (1.3 km), Gowbarrow Fell (Wainwright summit) (1.5 km), Round How (1.6 km). Compacted surface (OSM-tagged). Fee not verified — check signage on arrival.

Directions Something changed here?

Bracken How, north car park — 1.5 km from summit (straight line)

In Dockray, beside the A5091 bridge over Aira Beck. The 'Birketts above Ullswater' and 'Swineside Knott & Gowbarrow' routes pass within 15 m. Compacted surface (OSM-tagged). Fee not verified — check signage on arrival.

Directions Something changed here?

Bracken How car park (free) — 1.5 km from summit (straight line)

Nearest fells: Bracken How (1.5 km), Gowbarrow Fell (Wainwright summit) (1.5 km), Round How (1.8 km). Free (OSM-tagged).

Directions Something changed here?

A592, Gowbarrow Park shore (verge, middle) — 1.5 km from summit (straight line)

Beside the A592 on the Ullswater shore, east of Aira Force. The 'Aira Force & Gowbarrow Fell' route starts 1.0 km away on foot, at the Aira Force car park. Free (OSM-tagged). Compacted surface (OSM-tagged).

Directions Something changed here?

Positions are approximate.

Vehicles are left at their owner’s risk: we list places people park and cannot vouch for any of them. Take valuables with you and leave nothing on show.

Buses

The 508, 509, UB1 and UB2 stop at Matterdale, opposite Aira Force, a 170 m walk from the start of Swineside Knott & Gowbarrow — a route we rate Hard overall (hardest: steepness). The UB1 and UB2 run until 1 November 2026, the last day of their season. The last bus is 18:02 towards Penrith (508) and 17:15 towards Martindale (UB1) and 15:15 towards Lowther (UB2), every day. Checked against the operator’s timetable, 7 September 2026; that timetable runs to 1 November 2026. Times here are a guide, not a promise — leave yourself more than the minute.

Stagecoach 508 “Ullswater Bus”

Penrith – Pooley Bridge – Aira Force – Glenridding – Patterdale (summer services continue over Kirkstone Pass to Troutbeck and Windermere)

Catch it from: Penrith · Windermere (summer only)

The key route from Penrith for the Eastern and Far Eastern fells: Helvellyn from Glenridding, Place Fell, the Hartsop fells. The summer Kirkstone extension drops you at the pass for Red Screes and Caudale Moor.

Rural routes change seasonally — confirm on stagecoachbus.com (opens in new tab) or Traveline before relying on a last bus.

Getting there across the Lake District: Buses · Parking map · By train · By boat

Hazards on Gowbarrow Fell (Wainwright summit)

Hazard & Incident Information for Gowbarrow Fell (Wainwright summit)

Checked by Lee McCoy, 14 June 2026. Draws on published material from Patterdale Mountain Rescue Team. Editorial background, not a live callout feed.

Hazard: Moderate

A modest, very popular fell above Ullswater, usually climbed via the honeypot waterfall of Aira Force. The fell itself is gentle, but the Aira Force gorge is steep, narrow and slippery, with big unguarded drops where crowds — including children — gather by the falls, and the open fell's paths can be muddy and lost in bracken. The western flank drops steeply to Aira Beck. Patterdale Mountain Rescue Team covers this ground.

Aira Force gorge & waterfall: Aira Force plunges some 65 ft through a steep, narrow gorge with sheer sides, slippery rock and stone steps, and few natural viewing points or barriers. It's a busy honeypot — keep children and dogs close, stay behind railings and back from wet edges, and don't clamber for a better view of the falls.
Steep ground above Aira Beck and by Yew Crag: The fell's western side drops steeply to Aira Beck. Yew Crag is on the south-east side above Ullswater; our Aira Force round passes it on the way down, after the summit. Keep to the paths and back from the steep edges above the gorge, the beck and the lake.
Bracken-obscured, muddy paths (navigation): On the open fell the path, though signed, can be muddy and hidden by bracken, and easy to lose in cloud. Navigate with a map, watch your footing on ground hidden by bracken, and keep to the line.

Who should attempt this fell: Gowbarrow is an easy, family-friendly fell, but the Aira Force gorge is genuinely dangerous ground — keep children and dogs close, stay behind barriers and back from the slippery edges, and resist scrambling for waterfall views. On the open fell keep to the path through the bracken, mind the steep western edges, and take care on wet rock and steps.

What to watch for: Slips and falls in the steep, slippery Aira Force gorge, especially among casual visitors and children · Falls on the steep ground above Aira Beck or near Yew Crag · Navigation errors on bracken-obscured paths in cloud · Wet, slippery rock and steps by the waterfall

Local Mountain Rescue: Patterdale Mountain Rescue Team (opens in new tab)

Safety: 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 (opens in new tab)

Navigating in cloud

Fewer traps in cloud

Of the three things our terrain model measures, the highest reading here is the amount of near-level ground around the summit. This top is in the lowest of the index’s four bands, and a low band never means “safe”: 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 Gowbarrow Fell (Wainwright summit) compares with all 214: the Clag Index (experimental).

If you need Mountain Rescue

Dial 999 or 112 and ask for the Police, then Mountain Rescue.

Before you call, have ready: where you are (a grid reference if you can – the OS Locate app shows yours on your phone), what has happened, how many of you there are, and your mobile number.

Then stay where you are until the rescue team contacts you.

If you cannot make a voice call because of a hearing or speech impairment, emergency SMS works only if you have registered first: text “register” to 999.

From Mountain Rescue England and Wales’s guidance on calling them out (opens in new tab) (read 26 October 2026).

Map, GPX and nearby Birketts

Free mapping: OpenTopoMap / OpenStreetMap, with SRTM elevation data (switch layers top-right).

Parking, toilets and buses: Parking & buses ↑.

Birketts within 3 km of Gowbarrow Fell (Wainwright summit)

These Birkett tops are not Wainwright summits. Distances are straight lines: check the ground and access on a map before adding one.

0.9 km NEGreat Meldrum437 m · Eastern

0.9 km SGreen Hill - Gowbarrow Park439 m · Eastern

1.7 km WSWBracken How373 m · Eastern

1.7 km NELittle Meldrum404 m · Eastern

1.9 km WSWRound How387 m · Eastern

2.3 km NEWatermillock Fell (Little Mell Fell South Top)424 m · Eastern

2.8 km SLow Birk Fell373 m · Far Eastern

2.9 km WSWCommon Fell552 m · Eastern

Routes over Gowbarrow Fell (Wainwright summit)

Aira Force & Gowbarrow Fell

Summits: Gowbarrow Fell (Wainwright summit)

Download GPX Walked in part, August 2023 · km 3.9–6.4 from the map

Picked for its light in: April, October

Warnings: Aira Force plunges some 65 ft through a steep, narrow gorge with sheer sides, slippery rock and stone steps, and few natural viewing points or barriers. It's a busy honeypot — keep children and dogs close, stay behind railings and back from wet edges, and don't clamber for a better view of the falls.

Route guide: Aira Force & Gowbarrow Fell →

Birketts by Gowbarrow

Summits: Green Hill - Gowbarrow ParkGowbarrow Fell (Wainwright summit)Great Meldrum Little Meldrum Watermillock Fell (Little Mell Fell South Top)

Download GPX Walked in part, August 2023 · km 0.8–2.7, km 3.4–5.8, km 7.9–8.7 from the map

Warnings: Access: The summits of Little Meldrum and Watermillock Fell (Little Mell Fell South Top) lie outside mapped CRoW open-access land. That layer records no CRoW right of access; public rights of way were not checked — it is not a statement that access is forbidden, and permissive access is not recorded in that layer. This line is computed rather than walked, so treat the access on it as unchecked — how we work this out. Aira Force plunges some 65 ft through a steep, narrow gorge with sheer sides, slippery rock and stone steps, and few natural viewing points or barriers. It's a busy honeypot — keep children and dogs close, stay behind railings and back from wet edges, and don't clamber for a better view of the falls.

Route guide: Birketts by Gowbarrow →

Gowbarrow Fell and Little Mell Fell

Summits: Gowbarrow Fell (Wainwright summit)Little Mell Fell

Download GPX Walked by Lee, August 2023

Route guide: Gowbarrow Fell and Little Mell Fell →

Swineside Knott & Gowbarrow

Summits: Brown Hills Swineside Knott Common FellGowbarrow Fell (Wainwright summit)

Download GPX Planned route · not yet walked

Best season: Any season in good visibility — this is a route for the views, so pick a clear day. The higher moorland can be wet and rough underfoot.

Route guide: Swineside Knott & Gowbarrow →

The Mell Fells & Gowbarrow Fell

Summits: Little Mell Fell Great Mell FellGowbarrow Fell (Wainwright summit)

Download GPX Planned route · not yet walked

Route guide: The Mell Fells & Gowbarrow Fell →

Every line here is a guide, not a guarantee — conditions change. Navigate for yourself and carry a map and compass. How to use this guide.

On the hill: terrain and water on Gowbarrow Fell (Wainwright summit)

The path beneath your boots

The gentle path around Gowbarrow didn’t happen by accident. Fix the Fells has repaired it since 2013 — around 570 ranger-days and £114,000 over five years, plus 233 volunteer-days and monthly drain-clearing — rebuilding boggy, widening sections as buried aggregate paths, with stone pitching on the steeper pulls, to protect fragile ground where Grass of Parnassus (Cumbria’s county flower) still grows.

Notice underfoot: the neat stone cross-drains that take water across the path, not down it — please don’t block them, and leave stray stones where they are; they belong in the path.

Fix the Fells built and maintains this path. How a fell path is made → · Give back (opens in new tab)

Path-repair data © Fix the Fells (National Trust / Lake District National Park). Source (opens in new tab).

Water & shelter on the way up

On the Aira Force & Gowbarrow Fell route:

possible water source (1 m off the line) possible water source (19 m off the line) Aira Force - Park Brow Foot (124 m from the start, straight line) Park Brow Foot - Aira Force (127 m from the start, straight line)

On the Birketts by Gowbarrow route:

possible water source (2 m off the line) possible water source (74 m off the line) Aira Force - Park Brow Foot (183 m from the start, straight line) Park Brow Foot - Aira Force (185 m from the start, straight line)

On the Gowbarrow Fell and Little Mell Fell route:

possible water source (1 m off the line) possible water source (43 m off the line) Aira Force - Park Brow Foot (149 m from the start, straight line) Park Brow Foot - Aira Force (152 m from the start, straight line)

On the Swineside Knott & Gowbarrow route:

possible water source (25 m off the line) possible water source (59 m off the line) Aira Force - Park Brow Foot (90 m from the start, straight line) Park Brow Foot - Aira Force (94 m from the start, straight line)

Treat water from the fell before you drink it. A mapped point is not proof the water is drinkable, so carry your own or use a supply you know is safe. Never drink untreated from a beck, stream or tarn — even clear-looking hill water can carry giardia or cryptosporidium from livestock upstream and leave you seriously ill. Use a treatment method suited to what might be in the water, and follow the device’s own instructions. Boiling and ordinary filters do not make water with dissolved metals or chemicals safe: where that is possible, choose another source.

About Gowbarrow Fell (Wainwright summit)

Wainwright described it as a fell of great charm, its lower slopes of woodland, waterfalls (including Aira Force) and open parkland giving way to heathery moorland above. The ascent from Aira Force combines the famous waterfall with the summit in a short, rewarding circuit. Wordsworth saw daffodils here — it was a famous view then and remains so today.

My Strava hikes over Gowbarrow Fell (Wainwright summit)

1 logged hike pass over this summit:

A couple more Wainwrights with the kids. (opens in new tab) — 14.5 km · 666 m ascent · 4h 02m moving · 28 August 2023

Data from Strava.

Classifications & hill data

Selected lists

481 m

Height

1,579 ft

In feet

NY 4076 2182

Grid ref

This is the summit’s grid reference. If you call from anywhere else, give your own position, not this one.

The summit is also a Birkett.

Lists, height and summit position from the Database of British and Irish Hills; the feet are converted from its metres and the grid reference from that position. How we check →

The view from Gowbarrow Fell (Wainwright summit)

The 360° skyline from Gowbarrow Fell (Wainwright summit)

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

The skyline as a list, by direction

South-east: High Raise (9 km), Low Raise (9 km), Kidsty Pike (10 km)
South: Gavel Pike (9 km), Rampsgill Head (10 km), High Street (11 km), Hart Crag (11 km), Dove Crag (12 km), Stony Cove Pike (12 km), Thornthwaite Crag (12 km)
South-west: Birkett Fell (5 km), Hart Side (5 km), Stybarrow Dodd (7 km), Raise (8 km), Catstye Cam (8 km), White Side (9 km), St Sunday Crag (9 km), Helvellyn (9 km), Helvellyn Lower Man (9 km), Nethermost Pike (10 km), High Crag (10 km), Dollywaggon Pike (11 km), Cofa Pike (11 km), Fairfield (11 km), Seat Sandal (12 km), Wetherlam (24 km)
West: Randerside (6 km), Great Dodd (7 km), Clough Head (7 km), Watson's Dodd (8 km), Skiddaw Lesser Man (15 km)
North-west: Blencathra (10 km), Gategill Fell Top (10 km), Atkinson Pike (11 km), Knowe Crags (11 km), Skiddaw Little Man (15 km), Skiddaw South Top (16 km), Skiddaw Middle Top (16 km), Skiddaw (16 km), Skiddaw North Top (16 km)

On the clearest days the far horizon adds: Tinto (121 km, Scotland), Wisp Hill (78 km, Scotland), Roan Fell (71 km, Scotland), Cauldcleuch Head (79 km, Scotland), Dun Rig (111 km, Scotland), Pikethaw Hill (76 km, Scotland), Peel Fell (81 km, England), Blackwood Hill (75 km, Scotland).

Computed from Copernicus GLO-30 terrain; distant tops from the Database of British and Irish Hills v18.4 (opens in new tab) (CC BY 4.0). See how we compute the view · and the summit intervisibility report below.

Sunrise and sunset on Gowbarrow Fell (Wainwright summit)

Gowbarrow Fell (Wainwright summit) sits close to the flat-horizon case. Even on its longest wait of the modelled year (at midwinter) first light is only 15 minutes after almanac sunrise, so the published sunrise time is a fair guide here.

Midsummer. The filled shape is the skyline as seen from the summit; the line is the sun’s path. Where they meet is first light — everything left of that point is the wait.

Times for 2026, in Lakeland clock time (GMT in winter, BST in summer) — and model outputs rather than observations.
	First light	Almanac sunrise	Difference
Midsummer	04:36 BST ±5.0 min	04:36	—
Equinox	06:16 GMT ±5.0 min	06:15	+1 min
Midwinter	08:48 GMT ±5.0 min	08:33	+15 min

A low, open northern horizon — the ground falls away northwards (mean 0.08°).

Last light — when the sun leaves Gowbarrow Fell (Wainwright summit)

Gowbarrow Fell (Wainwright summit) loses the sun early. Its earliest evening of the modelled year falls on 1 January, when last light is 29 minutes before almanac sunset — 15:28 against 15:57. The sun goes down to the south-west from here (223.4°), and the skyline on that bearing stands at 2.72°.

The evening of the same three days. A negative difference means a ridge takes the sun before the valley loses it.
	Last light	Almanac sunset	Difference
Midsummer	21:44 BST ±5.0 min	21:52	-8 min
Equinox	18:15 GMT ±5.0 min	18:26	-11 min
Midwinter	15:20 GMT ±5.0 min	15:48	-28 min

These are daylight figures, not a descent plan: the light goes on fading for a good while after the sun leaves, and going down in it is a decision about your own ground and party, not about this table.

Gowbarrow Fell (Wainwright summit) is one of our picked Lake District viewpoints — what you can see from it, when the light is best, and where to park.

What you can see from Gowbarrow Fell (Wainwright summit)

On a clear day — computed sightlines, curvature- and refraction-corrected.

57Wainwrights in view+2 marginal

32 kmFurthest sightlineGreat Dun Fell

—Sea in viewnone from here

Far horizons

Great Dun Fell North PenninesENE · 32 km clear
Cross Fell North PenninesENE · 30 km clear

All 57 Wainwrights in clear view (nearest first)

Little Mell Fell, Hallin Fell, Great Mell Fell, Place Fell, Bonscale Pike, Steel Knotts (Pikeawassa - Steel Knotts), Beda Fell (Beda Head), Glenridding Dodd, Hart Side, Sheffield Pike, Arthur's Pike, Loadpot Hill, Great Dodd, Wether Hill, Arnison Crag, Stybarrow Dodd, The Nab, Birkhouse Moor, Clough Head, Watson's Dodd, Raise, Birks, Catstye Cam, Rest Dodd, White Side, Souther Fell, St Sunday Crag, High Raise (High Street), Helvellyn, Rampsgill Head, The Knott (High Street), Nethermost Pike, Kidsty Pike, Hartsop Above How (Gill Crag - Hartsop Above How), Bannerdale Crags, Blencathra - Hallsfell Top, Gray Crag, Dollywaggon Pike, Fairfield, High Street, Hart Crag, Bowscale Fell, Dove Crag, Stony Cove Pike (Caudale Moor), Thornthwaite Crag, Little Hart Crag (Little Hart Crag - West Top), Seat Sandal, Lonscale Fell, Carrock Fell, Skiddaw Little Man, High Pike (Caldbeck), Skiddaw, Dodd (Skiddaw), Barf, Lord's Seat, Broom Fell, Ling Fell

How the view from Gowbarrow Fell (Wainwright summit) compares with all 214 — the View Report: every Wainwright ranked by what you can see from the top.

How the skyline, light and sightlines are computed

Computed, not photographed. First light is the first minute the sun’s upper limb clears this summit’s own skyline and last light the last minute it is still clear of it, both solved against the 360° horizon profile behind The View from Gowbarrow Fell (Wainwright summit). Almanac sunrise and sunset are the flat-horizon convention. Every time carries a ± band from the 30 m elevation model — it smooths arêtes and cornices, so nothing here claims better than five minutes.

Sightlines from the Copernicus GLO-30 elevation model, which is a surface model: each 30 m cell holds the top of whatever stands there, trees and buildings included, rather than bare ground. 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.

Places to stay near this fell

Lowthwaite Bed and Breakfast (opens in new tab) guest houseabout 3.9 km
Low Gale (opens in new tab) self-cateringabout 4.4 km

We have not stayed at any of them. We take no bookings or affiliate fees. Distances are straight lines from each route start, never walking times. Properties found via OpenStreetMap (opens in new tab).

Frequently asked questions about Gowbarrow Fell (Wainwright summit)

How difficult is the Gowbarrow Fell walk? Answered above.

How long is the Gowbarrow Fell walk? Answered above: Routes up Gowbarrow Fell (Wainwright summit).

Where do you park for Gowbarrow Fell? Answered above: Parking for Gowbarrow Fell (Wainwright summit).

Is Gowbarrow Fell a Wainwright, and can you combine it with Aira Force?

Yes on both counts. It's an Eastern Fells Wainwright, and combining it with Aira Force is the natural plan — the waterfall woods are the standard way onto the fell, so you get Lakeland's most famous waterfall and a Wainwright summit in one short round. On our Aira Force round OpenStreetMap maps five gates and no stiles. That covers the barriers only: the gorge has stone steps and sheer sides, so keep dogs close there, and on leads for the deer and sheep.

Questions from Google’s “People also ask”. · Last updated 2026-07-20 · Suggest a question or correction (opens in new tab)

Gowbarrow Fell (Wainwright summit)

Summit conditions on Gowbarrow Fell (Wainwright summit)

Wind on the top

Rain, and the becks

Routes up Gowbarrow Fell (Wainwright summit)

How difficult is the Gowbarrow Fell walk?

Conditions and 7-day summit forecast

Parking & buses for Gowbarrow Fell (Wainwright summit)

Parking

Where do you park for Gowbarrow Fell?

Buses

Hazards on Gowbarrow Fell (Wainwright summit)

Hazard & Incident Information for Gowbarrow Fell (Wainwright summit)

Navigating in cloud

If you need Mountain Rescue

Map, GPX and nearby Birketts

Birketts within 3 km of Gowbarrow Fell (Wainwright summit)

Routes over Gowbarrow Fell (Wainwright summit)

On the hill: terrain and water on Gowbarrow Fell (Wainwright summit)

The path beneath your boots

Water & shelter on the way up

About Gowbarrow Fell (Wainwright summit)

My Strava hikes over Gowbarrow Fell (Wainwright summit)

Classifications & hill data

Selected lists

The view from Gowbarrow Fell (Wainwright summit)

The 360° skyline from Gowbarrow Fell (Wainwright summit)

Sunrise and sunset on Gowbarrow Fell (Wainwright summit)

Last light — when the sun leaves Gowbarrow Fell (Wainwright summit)

What you can see from Gowbarrow Fell (Wainwright summit)

Places to stay near this fell

Frequently asked questions about Gowbarrow Fell (Wainwright summit)

Other fells near Gowbarrow Fell (Wainwright summit)