Kirk Fell (Lorton)
Kirk Fell at 437m (1,435ft) — distinct from the famous Kirk Fell above Wasdale — is a Birkett fell above the Lorton Vale between Loweswater and Cockermouth, giving views across the fertile valley and towards the Buttermere fells.
Summit conditions on Kirk Fell (Lorton)
On the summit on Tuesday 27 October: 13° to 7°C, gusts to 60 mph, 6.7 mm of rain forecast over the whole day, midnight to midnight.
The forecast figures are Open-Meteo’s, worked out for the summit’s height. How we check →
Routes up Kirk Fell (Lorton)
Hand-mapped, with GPX to download — full maps further down.
Four tops in the Lorton fells — Kirk Fell, the Graystones pair and Broom Fell — in just 7.6 km with 486 m of climbing and a stage averaging 20%. Easy for length, severe for steepness; about 2¼–3¼ hours.
Distance and climb are measured from the route’s GPX track, and the time from them by Naismith’s rule; the route page says what each grade rests on. How we check →
How hard is Kirk Fell (Lorton)?
The shortest way up we hold is Kirk Fell and Broom Fell — 7.55 km, 486 m of ascent, ~2¼–3¼ h. On our scale its hardest axis is steepness — Severe.
All axes: steepness: Severe · navigation: Hard · length: Easy · terrain: Not assessed · exposure: Not assessed.
These are the route page’s grades, set by the rules on how we grade: length and steepness measured from its GPX track, the others set on the ground, judged from the map or estimated from OpenStreetMap. The route page says which. How we check →
Conditions and 7-day summit forecast
Modelled for the 437 m summit (Open-Meteo). Check the Met Office mountain forecast and MWIS before you set off.
Full 7-day forecast
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)
Parking & buses for Kirk Fell (Lorton)
Parking
Route starts first, then the car parks nearest the summit, which are not always a way up.
2 more places to park near Kirk Fell (Lorton)
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 77 stops at Lorton Winder Hall (near). From there it is 2.5 km and 150 m of ascent to the start of Kirk Fell and Broom Fell — a route we rate Severe overall (hardest: steepness) — a walk in before the walk. And the same back: about 12.5 km in all, with the walk. Seasonal: the 77 does not run all year. 1 November 2026 is its last day. It returns on 22 March 2027. Confirmed with the operator: its last day on 29 August 2026, its return on 16 October 2026. As timetabled from 27 October to 1 November. Towards Keswick (77): Tuesday to Sunday 17:56. Checked against the operator’s timetable, 7 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.
Getting there across the Lake District: Buses · Parking map · By train · By boat
Hazards on Kirk Fell (Lorton)
Notes from the Kirk Fell and Broom Fell route
If you need to get off (the leg from the start): Turn around and descend the steep grass carefully back to the valley tracks.
Quoted from the route page: the note for the leg that reaches Kirk Fell (Lorton).
We have not written a hazard card for this fell yet, and that is not a sign that it is low-hazard. Read the warnings on the route pages that climb it, check the forecast, carry a map and compass, and turn back in cloud if the ground is not what you expected. The National Park Authority’s What to pack page, AdventureSmart’s hill walking kit list and Mountain Rescue England and Wales’s safety page are linked from our what to carry guide.
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
Skip mapFree mapping: OpenTopoMap / OpenStreetMap, with SRTM elevation data (switch layers top-right).
Parking, toilets and buses: Parking & buses ↑.
Birketts within 3 km of Kirk Fell (Lorton)
These Birkett tops are not Wainwright summits. Distances are straight lines: check the ground and access on a map before adding one.
Routes over Kirk Fell (Lorton)
Download GPX Walked in part, May 2025 · km 1.1–2.0, km 4.9–5.7 from the map
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.
About Kirk Fell (Lorton)
Classifications & hill data
Is Kirk Fell (Lorton) a Wainwright?
Kirk Fell (Lorton) is not a Wainwright. It is on the Birkett list and the Synge list.
Selected lists
This is the summit’s grid reference. If you call from anywhere else, give your own position, not this one.
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 →
Places to stay near this fell
- Croftlands Cottages (opens in new tab) guest houseabout 4.7 km
- Embleton Spa Hotel (opens in new tab) hotelabout 4.8 km
- High Swinside Holiday Cottages (opens in new tab)about 1.4 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).