⛰️ Mardale Ill Bell

📖 Key Information

Mardale Ill Bell at 760m (2,495ft) is the southern end of the High Street massif above Mardale Head, a rocky summit with fine views of Haweswater and the Kentmere Horseshoe. Wainwright noted its excellent position at the junction of the High Street and Ill Bell ridges, with outstanding views south to the Ill Bell range and across to the Troutbeck valley. The Nan Bield Pass below is one of the great Lakeland mountain passes, connecting Mardale and Kentmere. Most naturally combined with Ill Bell and Froswick for the superb Kentmere Horseshoe.

🎯 Bonus Birketts 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.

🦶 My hikes over Mardale Ill Bell (Strava)

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🅿️ Potential parking

Positions are approximate — zoom the map to confirm. Lakeland car parks fill before 9am on fine weekends.

🚌 Buses 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.

🌦️ 7-day summit forecast

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Other fells in this region

• Baystones (Wansfell)
• Beda Fell (Beda Head)
• Branstree
• Froswick
• Gray Crag
• Grey Crag (Sleddale Fell)
• Harter Fell (Mardale)
• Hartsop Above How (Gill Crag - Hartsop Above How)
• Hartsop Dodd
• High Hartsop Dodd
• High Raise (High Street)
• High Street
• Ill Bell
• Kentmere Pike
• Kidsty Pike
• Little Hart Crag (Little Hart Crag - West Top)
• Loadpot Hill
• Middle Dodd
• Rampsgill Head
• Rest Dodd
• Sallows
• Selside Pike
• Shipman Knotts
• Sour Howes
• Steel Knotts (Pikeawassa - Steel Knotts)
• Stony Cove Pike (Caudale Moor)
• Tarn Crag (Sleddale)
• The Knott (High Street)
• The Nab
• Thornthwaite Crag
• Troutbeck Tongue
• Wether Hill
• Yoke