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

Holme Fell - two walkers on a path through heathery rocky knolls, hazy fells stretching across the horizon beyond
Wainwright — Southern FellsAlso a Birkett

Holme Fell

Holme Fell at 317m (1,040ft) is a delightful, craggy little summit above Yewdale near Coniston, its rocky outcrops of Uskdale Gap and Ivy Crag providing surprisingly varied and interesting walking for such a modest height.

316 m
Height
~2–2.5 h
Typical time
+11
Bonus Birketts
See routes & download GPX →

Home › Fells › Holme Fell

Written and walked by Lee McCoy · Last reviewed

316 mWainwright — Southern Fells✓ summit is also a Birkett+11 bonus Birketts within 3 km Straightforward in cloud

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

Modelled guidance for the 316 m summit. Always check the Met Office mountain forecast and MWIS before you set off.

On the summit today (Tue 28 Jul): 18° to 16°C, gusts to 36 mph, 3.0 mm of rain forecast.

Tue 28 Jul
🌦️
18° / 16°
💨 36 mph
🌧 3.0 mm (100%)
Wed 29 Jul
🌦️
18° / 14°
💨 26 mph
🌧 1.5 mm (100%)
Thu 30 Jul
🌦️
15° / 8°
💨 28 mph
🌧 1.2 mm (78%)
Fri 31 Jul
🌤️
16° / 3°
💨 23 mph
🌧 0.0 mm (78%)
Sat 1 Aug
🌦️
16° / 5°
💨 15 mph
🌧 2.1 mm (54%)
Sun 2 Aug
☁️
18° / 9°
💨 18 mph
🌧 0.0 mm (24%)
Mon 3 Aug
🌦️
20° / 9°
💨 12 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 316 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

Holme Fell

Holme Fell - two walkers on a path through heathery rocky knolls, hazy fells stretching across the horizon beyond
© Lee McCoy

Holme Fell at 317m (1,040ft) is a delightful, craggy little summit above Yewdale near Coniston, its rocky outcrops of Uskdale Gap and Ivy Crag providing surprisingly varied and interesting walking for such a modest height. Wainwright was clearly fond of it, describing it as a place of character with excellent views of the Coniston Fells. The ascent from Hodge Close quarry is short but entertaining, weaving through rocky knolls and heathery ledges. The views across Tarn Hows to the Langdale Pikes and Coniston Fells are outstanding — among the best views from any low fell in Lakeland.

Routes up Holme Fell

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

Holme Fell and Black Fell
13.7 km · ~3.8 hr
Classifications & hill data
Wainwright
Southern
Birkett
Fellranger
Synge
Marilyn
316 m
Height
1,037 ft
In feet
NY 3150 0060
Grid ref

Map & nearby Birketts

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

Nearest parking: Tilberthwaite (free), about 0.9 km from the summit (straight line). Full parking, toilets and bus details are below.

Birketts near Holme 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 SWBrackeny Crag364 m · Southern
1.5 km WNWBlake Rigg (Tilberthwaite)423 m · Southern
1.6 km WNWHaystacks (Tilberthwaite)423 m · Southern
1.8 km WNWHawk Rigg441 m · Southern
1.8 km SWLow Wythow372 m · Southern
1.8 km NWHigh Fell (Hawk Rigg)428 m · Southern
2.0 km NWGreat Intake - Low Fell408 m · Southern
2.2 km SWHigh Wythow410 m · Southern
2.3 km WNWBirk Fell Man - Birk Fell528 m · Southern
2.3 km SWLong Crag - Yewdale Fells421 m · Southern
2.5 km SWKitty Crag435 m · Southern

Routes over Holme Fell

Holme Fell and Black FellRevised
13.74 km · ~604 m ascent · loop · ~3.5–5 h
Summits: Holme FellBlack Fell

⬇️ 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 Holme 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 Holme Fell36 labelled tops shown (4 distant behind the far-horizon toggle). Theoretical visibility in perfect clarity; computed from terrain, not photographed.eye levelNNEESESSWWNWHelvellyn · 15 kmFairfield · 12 kmKnowe Crags · 26 kmThe Old Man of Coniston · 5 kmBrim Fell · 5 kmDove Crag · 12 kmThornthwaite Crag · 15 kmGlaramara · 12 kmRed Screes · 12 kmIll Bell · 14 kmSergeant Man · 9 kmHarrison Stickle · 8 kmUllscarf · 12 kmPike of Blisco · 6 kmTarn Crag · 19 kmLittle Hart Crag · 12 kmSteel Fell · 11 kmBlake Rigg · 4 kmWhite Howe · 21 kmSallows · 13 kmWetherlam · 3 kmCastle How · 7 kmBrunt Knott · 17 kmIngleborough · 50 km · clear daysWhernside · 46 km · clear daysWard's Stone · 50 km · clear daysThe Calf · 35 km · clear daysBirk Fell Man · 2 kmTop o' Selside · 9 kmCarron Crag · 6 kmBurney · 16 kmKitty Crag · 3 kmBlake Rigg · 2 kmHigh Wythow · 2 kmGreat Knoutberry Hill · 49 km · clear daysFair Snape Fell · 60 km · clear daysDollywaggon Pike · 13 kmHart Crag · 12 kmStony Cove Pike · 14 kmMardale Ill Bell · 16 kmCombe Head · 12 kmYoke · 14 kmPavey Ark · 8 kmGrey Crag · 19 kmWrynose Fell · 5 kmHigh Fell · 2 kmnameless · 18 kmLong Crag · 2 kmGreat Intake · 2 kmLow Light Haw · 11 kmBlawith Knott · 13 kmHampsfell · 23 kmBuckden Pike · 68 km · clear daysWhite Hill · 55 km · clear daysSnowdon · 162 km · a handful of days a yearCadair Berwyn · 170 km · a handful of days a yearWinter Hill · 92 km · a rare clear dayBillinge Hill · 101 km · a rare clear day
What you can see from Holme Fell, by direction
  • North: Blea Rigg (7 km), Sergeant Man (9 km), Tarn Crag (9 km), Codale Head (9 km), Steel Fell (11 km), Seat Sandal (11 km), Ullscarf (12 km), Fairfield (12 km), Dollywaggon Pike (13 km), High Crag (13 km), Helvellyn (15 km), Helvellyn Lower Man (15 km), Knowe Crags (26 km)
  • North-east: High Pike (10 km), Great Rigg (11 km), Dove Crag (12 km), Red Screes (12 km), Hart Crag (12 km), Little Hart Crag (12 km), Yoke (14 km), Stony Cove Pike (14 km), Ill Bell (14 km), Froswick (14 km), Thornthwaite Crag (15 km), Mardale Ill Bell (16 km), Tarn Crag (19 km)
  • East: Shipman Knotts (17 km), Goat Scar (17 km), Grey Crag (19 km)
  • South-west: Brim Fell (5 km), The Old Man of Coniston (5 km)
  • North-west: Wrynose Fell (5 km), Pike of Blisco (6 km), Thorn Crag (7 km), Loft Crag (8 km), Harrison Stickle (8 km), Pavey Ark (8 km), Looking Steads (12 km), Glaramara (12 km), Combe Head (12 km)

On the clearest days the far horizon adds: Snowdon (162 km, Wales), Carnedd Llewelyn (150 km, Wales), Moel Siabod (158 km, Wales), Cadair Berwyn (170 km, Wales), Creigiau Gleision (151 km, Wales), Y Garn (157 km, Wales), Winter Hill (92 km, England), Elidir Fawr (156 km, Wales).

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.

Holme Fell 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 Holme Fell

On a clear day — computed sightlines, curvature- and refraction-corrected.
42Wainwrights in view+2 marginal
162 kmFurthest sightlineSnowdon (Yr Wyddfa) · possible under favourable refraction
—Sea in viewnone from here

On the clearest days the view reaches across to Wales.

Far horizons
  • Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa) WalesSSW · 162 km clear
  • Carnedd Llewelyn WalesSSW · 147 km clear
  • Ingleborough Yorkshire DalesESE · 50 km clear
  • Whernside Yorkshire DalesESE · 46 km clear
All 42 Wainwrights in clear view (nearest first)

Wetherlam, Black Fell, Lingmoor Fell (Brown How), Brim Fell, The Old Man of Coniston (Coniston Old Man), Loughrigg Fell, Pike of Blisco, Blea Rigg, Loft Crag, Harrison Stickle, Nab Scar, Pike of Stickle, Pavey Ark, Heron Pike (Rydal), Sergeant Man, Tarn Crag (Easedale), Stone Arthur, Low Pike, Baystones (Wansfell), High Pike (Scandale), Great Rigg, Seat Sandal, Dove Crag, Red Screes, Sour Howes, Ullscarf, Hart Crag, Little Hart Crag (Little Hart Crag - West Top), Fairfield, Glaramara, Sallows, Dollywaggon Pike, Yoke, Stony Cove Pike (Caudale Moor), Ill Bell, Froswick, Helvellyn, Thornthwaite Crag, Mardale Ill Bell, Shipman Knotts, Tarn Crag (Sleddale), Grey Crag (Sleddale Fell)

How Holme 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 Holme Fell

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

Tilberthwaite (free) — 0.9 km from summit (straight line)
Quarry car park for Wetherlam and the Tilberthwaite fells.
Directions
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.

Buses to Holme 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 Holme Fell (Strava)

1 logged hike pass over this summit:

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

Navigating Holme Fell in cloud

Straightforward

A rough, rocky summit ringed by crags, with no single obvious way off in poor visibility. 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 Holme 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 Holme Fell

Maps & guidebooks for Holme Fell

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