Middle Fell

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582 mWainwright — Western Fells+1 bonus Birkett within 3 km Fewer traps in Clag

Middle Fell at 582m (1,909ft) is a small, craggy summit above Wasdale overlooking Wast Water, its top giving fine views of the lake and the Wastwater Screes. The ascent from Greendale is short and pleasant.

Summit conditions on Middle Fell

On the summit on Tuesday 27 October: 11° to 5°C, gusts to 68 mph, 9.7 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

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

The Met Office 2 km model’s gust of 52 mph times our exposure factor of 1.15. The summit line above gives Open-Meteo’s highest gust for the whole day, 68 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

9.7 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 1 °C, no ice or snow forecast; cloud: a clear-top reading of 21 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 Middle Fell

Choose the way up before the car park: these three 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	Very Long Day Out	The Greendale Horseshoe	Middle Fell, Haycock Seatallan and Buckbarrow
Starts from	Overbeck Bridge	Greendale	Low Greendale Car Park
Distance and climb	26.63 km, 1,810 m of climb	8.56 km, 789 m of climb	17.8 km, 1,298 m of climb
Time, fast to steady	~8¼–11¼ h	~3–4¼ h	~5½–7¾ h
Scrambling	Graded scramble: Stirrup Crag, at Yewbarrow's north end (km 2.9–3.2). Yewbarrow: The north end drops in a steep set of ledges and chimneys — a genuine scramble that catches people out, especially as a descent.	Not mentioned in the route’s notes	Not mentioned in the route’s notes
Exposure	Moderate	Not assessed	Not assessed
Navigation	Hard	Hard	Hard
Steepest stretch	Climb of about 49% at 1.2 km (Severe)	Climb of about 38% at 3.6 km (Severe)	Climb of about 38% at 5.6 km (Severe)
After the summit	Over Seatallan, Glade How and Buckbarrow	Over Seatallan, Glade How and Buckbarrow	Over Haycock, Little Gowder Crag, Caw Fell, Seatallan, Glade How and Buckbarrow
Walked or planned	Planned: drawn, not yet walked	Planned: drawn, not yet walked	Planned: drawn, not yet walked
Car park at the start	Overbeck Bridge, Wastwater (NT, paid)	Greendale (layby) (free)	Greendale (layby) (free)
Bus to the start	Not measured	Not measured	Not measured

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 →

Is Middle Fell a hard walk?

Short, steep, and with one rule that matters more than the effort: go up and down at the ends of the ridge, never off its sides. Middle Fell is steep on every flank and the Wast Water side falls away in tier upon tier of crag above Greendale; the western face is rough scree and boulders. It is a small fell that does not forgive a shortcut.

Taken by itself from Greendale it is a half day with a first-class view of the Scafells. Our mapped rounds put it in longer company — 17.8 km with 1298 m of ascent with Haycock, Seatallan and Buckbarrow, which we grade hard for length. In mist the thing to get right is picking the correct end of the ridge to descend by.

How we check →

Conditions and 7-day summit forecast

Modelled for the 582 m summit (Open-Meteo). Check the Met Office mountain forecast and MWIS before you set off.

Full 7-day forecast

Tue 27 Oct

11° / 5°

68 mph

9.7 mm (100%)

Wed 28 Oct

9° / 6°

43 mph

4.7 mm (100%)

Thu 29 Oct

9° / 7°

27 mph

1.2 mm (26%)

Fri 30 Oct

9° / 6°

27 mph

0.0 mm (31%)

Sat 31 Oct

10° / 3°

7 mph

0.0 mm (25%)

Sun 1 Nov

8° / 1°

7 mph

0.0 mm (12%)

Mon 2 Nov

7° / 1°

17 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 Middle Fell

Parking

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

Overbeck Bridge, Wastwater (NT, paid) — 0.1 km from the start of Very Long Day Out (straight line)

Approx 20 spaces. By Overbeck Bridge on the lakeshore road. 'Very Long Day Out' and 'Wastwater Shore (the Screes view)' start here. Added from the 5 August 2026 OSM candidate review. Small NT pay-and-display car park at the foot of Yewbarrow on the lakeshore road. Fees: £7 up to 2 hours; £8 up to 4 hours; £9.50 all day. Charges apply at all times (NT, checked August 2026). Free for NT members (checked August 2026). No overnight parking (National Trust, checked August 2026).

Directions Something changed here?

Greendale (layby) — at the start of The Greendale Horseshoe and Middle Fell, Haycock Seatallan and Buckbarrow

Walking base for Middle Fell, Haycock, Little Gowder Crag and Caw Fell — the 'Middle Fell, Haycock Seatallan and Buckbarrow' route starts 22 m away. Free (OSM-tagged). Unpaved surface (OSM-tagged).

Directions Something changed here?

Overbeck Bridge, 0.7 km SW (layby) — 1.2 km from summit (straight line)

Roadside on the valley road along Wast Water's north-west shore, about 70 m from the water. 'Very Long Day Out' and 'Wastwater Shore (the Screes view)' start at Overbeck Bridge, 0.7 km on foot. Free (OSM-tagged). Unpaved surface (OSM-tagged).

Directions Something changed here?

3 more places to park near Middle Fell

Middle Fell car park — 1.4 km from summit (straight line)

By the valley road along Wast Water's north-west shore, about 70 m from the water. 'Middle Fell, Haycock Seatallan and Buckbarrow' and 'The Greendale Horseshoe' start at Greendale, about 1.1 km west in a straight line. Fee not verified — check signage on arrival.

Directions Something changed here?

Greendale, 1.0 km E (layby) — 1.6 km from summit (straight line)

Roadside on the valley road along Wast Water's north-west shore, about 50 m from the water. 'Middle Fell, Haycock Seatallan and Buckbarrow' and 'The Greendale Horseshoe' start at Greendale, about 0.9 km west in a straight line. Free (OSM-tagged). Unpaved surface (OSM-tagged).

Directions Something changed here?

Greendale, 0.9 km E (layby) — 1.7 km from summit (straight line)

Roadside on the valley road along Wast Water's north-west shore, about 40 m from the water. 'Middle Fell, Haycock Seatallan and Buckbarrow' and 'The Greendale Horseshoe' start at Greendale, about 0.9 km west in a straight line. Unpaved surface (OSM-tagged). Fee not verified — check signage on arrival.

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

We don’t know yet. Wasdale Explorer (seasonal) serves this area, but we don’t hold its stop positions, so we can’t measure the walk from it — and we won’t tell you to drive on the strength of a gap in our own data. The Wasdale Action Group lists it as running Saturdays, Sundays and bank holiday Mondays from the start of May to the end of August (read 30 September 2026): check before you travel.

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

Hazards on Middle Fell

Hazard & Incident Information for Middle Fell

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

Hazard: Moderate

A shapely little fell above the western shore of Wast Water, with a rocky north–south summit ridge and a fine view of the Scafells. It is steep on every side and lined with crags — tier upon tier of rock on the east and south above Wastwater and Greendale — so it must be approached from the ends of the ridge, not its flanks. The western face is rough scree and boulders. Wasdale Mountain Rescue Team covers this ground.

Crag-lined eastern and southern flanks: The Wastwater-facing side falls away in tiers of crag. Don't be tempted to drop straight off the ridge — descend by the established lines at the ends. In cloud keep to the ridge crest and well back from the eastern edge.
Rough western face (scree & boulders): The western flank is rough, with scree and boulders. Generally crag-free but loose and awkward; take care with footing on the steep, stony ground, especially descending or when wet.
Steep ascents/descents & ridge navigation: The climbs at either end are steep and rocky, and the rocky ridge needs care in mist to pick the correct end to descend. Take a bearing and don't shortcut down the crag-lined sides.

Who should attempt this fell: Middle Fell is a small but genuinely steep, crag-girt fell — approach and leave it by the ends of its ridge rather than dropping off the sides, which are lined with rock above Wastwater. Take care on the rough western scree and the steep rocky ground, navigate the ridge carefully in cloud, and treat it as full winter terrain when there is snow or ice.

What to watch for: Walkers descending the crag-lined eastern/southern flanks instead of the ridge ends · Slips on the rough, bouldery western face · Falls on the steep rocky ascents and descents · Navigation errors on the rocky ridge in cloud

Local Mountain Rescue: Wasdale 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 walkable ground near the summit that lies close to steep ground or crag. 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 Middle Fell 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 Middle Fell

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

1.9 km WSWGlade How440 m · Western

Routes over Middle Fell

Middle Fell, Haycock Seatallan and Buckbarrow

Summits: Middle FellHaycock Little Gowder Crag Caw Fell Seatallan Glade How Buckbarrow

Download GPX Planned route · not yet walked

From the hazard notes for Middle Fell · Caw Fell · Seatallan, each with its sources.

Route guide: Middle Fell, Haycock Seatallan and Buckbarrow →

The Greendale Horseshoe

Summits: Middle FellSeatallan Glade How Buckbarrow

A planned line, drawn from the map; not yet walked. From Buckbarrow it comes down to Greendale by the same path as our longer Middle Fell, Haycock, Seatallan and Buckbarrow round.

Download GPX Planned route · not yet walked

From the hazard notes for Middle Fell · Seatallan, each with its sources.

Route guide: The Greendale Horseshoe →

Very Long Day Out

Summits: Yewbarrow Yewbarrow North Top (Stirrup Crag)Red Pike (Wasdale)Scoat Fell (Little Scoat Fell)Steeple Haycock Little Gowder Crag Caw FellMiddle FellSeatallan Glade How Buckbarrow

Download GPX Planned route · not yet walked

Picked for its light in: May, July

Warnings: Middle Fell: The Wast Water-facing side falls away in tiers of crag. Don't be tempted to drop straight off the ridge — descend by the established lines at the ends. In cloud keep to the ridge crest and well back from the eastern edge. The ground here is broad and confusingly similar, and the path forks on the ascent of Red Pike; walkers have taken the wrong line in mist. The link between Red Pike, Little Scoat Fell and Pillar is easy to misjudge. Navigate deliberately by compass and account for the steep drops to the east. Yewbarrow: The north end drops in a steep set of ledges and chimneys — a genuine scramble that catches people out, especially as a descent. Walkers regularly become cragfast here unable to climb down, and falls have caused head and leg injuries. Tackle it only if you are comfortable scrambling on steep rock; if in doubt, avoid the traverse and return the way you came. Scoat Fell (Little Scoat Fell): The short ridge out to Steeple is narrow and exposed, with a steep drop, and becomes serious when banked with snow or iced. Cross it carefully and avoid it in fierce wind; it is the spot most likely to catch you out here. Caw Fell is a long way from any road or car park (Blengdale or Bowness Knott are the usual, distant, starts). A minor injury, navigation slip or late finish becomes serious because you are a long way from a road, and any rescue takes time to reach you. Carry full kit, food, water and a means of calling for help, and leave a generous time margin. Caw Fell: The wide, flat top has little to fix on and the connecting ground (e.g. toward Lank Rigg) is pathless and boggy in places. In cloud, navigate by compass — the ridge wall is a useful handrail, but don't rely on finding a trodden path. Seatallan: The way up is not obvious from below and the path is faint and indistinct in places; the wide, flat summit gives little to navigate by. In cloud, take a compass bearing to find the top and to choose the right line down. Haycock is a long, rough walk from any direction, with narrow paths. A minor injury, navigation error or late finish turns serious here because you are a long way from a road, and any rescue takes time to reach you. Carry full kit, food and water, a means of calling for help, and allow generous daylight. Steeple: The link to the main ridge is a short, narrow crest with steep, rocky drops on both sides. A fall here can be fatal. It is straightforward in dry, calm conditions but genuinely exposed; take care with foot placement, and treat it with great caution in wind, wet or cloud. The steep scree slope off Dore Head (toward Mosedale) is severely eroded, loose and unpleasant — once a scree run, now a notorious leg-breaker. The steep ground beside it has left walkers cragfast. Avoid it as a descent; safer ground exists, and the screes are best left alone. Red Pike (Wasdale): The summit and the ridge northward run along the lip of steep crags dropping into Mosedale. In wind or cloud a slip near the edge is serious. Keep to the western side of the crest and well back from the brink. Steeple: The summit and its ridge are flanked by steep coves dropping toward Ennerdale. A trip near the edge runs into serious ground. Keep to the crest and don't stray onto the steep grass and rock above the coves. Scoat Fell (Little Scoat Fell): The summit slopes gently to the south but breaks into impressive crags on its northern side, above the Ennerdale coves. In cloud or wind keep well back from the northern edge — the easy boulder top gives little warning before the drop.

From the hazard notes for Yewbarrow · Red Pike (Wasdale) · Scoat Fell (Little Scoat Fell) · Steeple · Caw Fell · Middle Fell · Seatallan, each with its sources.

Route guide: Very Long Day Out →

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 Middle Fell

A good short walk giving the finest view of Wast Water from the western shore, with the Screes on Illgill Head forming a dramatic backdrop.

Classifications & hill data

Is Middle Fell a Wainwright?

Middle Fell is a Wainwright. It is also on the Birkett list, the Synge list, the Fellranger list and the HuMP list.

Selected lists

582 m

Height

1,909 ft

In feet

NY 1507 0722

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 Middle Fell

The 360° skyline from Middle 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

The skyline as a list, by direction

North: Haycock (4 km), Scoat Fell (4 km), Black Crag (5 km)
North-east: Red Pike (4 km), Kirk Fell (6 km), Great Gable (7 km), Dale Head (11 km)
East: Scafell (6 km), Lingmell (6 km), Slight Side (6 km), Scafell Pike (6 km), Broad Crag (7 km), Great End (8 km), Red Beck Top (10 km), Looking Steads (10 km), Glaramara (10 km), Combe Head (11 km), Helvellyn (21 km)
South-east: Illgill Head (3 km), Harter Fell (10 km), Grey Friar (13 km), Little Carrs (13 km), Great Carrs (14 km), Swirl How (14 km), Great How (14 km), Dow Crag (15 km), Black Sails (15 km), Brim Fell (15 km), Wetherlam (15 km), Buck Pike (15 km), Brown Pike (15 km), Walna Scar (15 km), The Old Man of Coniston (15 km)
South: Whitfell (14 km), Burn Moor (15 km), Buck Barrow (16 km), Kinmont Buck Barrow (16 km), Black Combe (22 km)
North-west: Seatallan (2 km), Caw Fell (4 km)

On the clearest days the far horizon adds: Snowdon (162 km, Wales), Slieve Donard (172 km, Ireland), Carnedd Llewelyn (150 km, Wales), Aran Fawddwy (187 km, Wales), Snaefell (78 km, Isle of Man), Moel Siabod (159 km, Wales), Arenig Fawr (173 km, Wales), Mynydd Mawr (164 km, Wales).

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 Middle Fell

Middle Fell waits for the sun. Its longest wait of the modelled year falls on 1 October, when the sun is up for 25 minutes before it clears this skyline — first light 07:41 against an almanac sunrise of 07:16. You are standing in shadow while the valley below is already lit. The sun comes up to the east from here (99.6°), and the skyline on that bearing stands at 3.31°.

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	04:55 BST ±5.0 min	04:38	+17 min
Equinox	06:34 GMT ±5.0 min	06:16	+18 min
Midwinter	08:37 GMT ±5.0 min	08:33	+4 min

The northern horizon stands at about 2.42° from here.

Last light — when the sun leaves Middle Fell

Middle Fell loses the sun early. Its earliest evening of the modelled year falls at midsummer, when last light is 31 minutes before almanac sunset — 21:22 against 21:53. The sun goes down to the north-west from here (308.6°), and the skyline on that bearing stands at 3.11°.

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	21:22 BST ±5.0 min	21:53	-31 min
Equinox	18:32 GMT ±5.0 min	18:27	+5 min
Midwinter	15:57 GMT ±5.0 min	15:50	+7 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.

What you can see from Middle Fell

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

29Wainwrights in view+2 marginal

177 kmFurthest sightlineSlieve Binnian · possible under favourable refraction

1Sea in viewIrish Sea

On the clearest days the view reaches across to Wales, the Isle of Man and Northern Ireland.

Far horizons

Slieve Binnian Northern IrelandW · 177 km clear
Slieve Donard Northern IrelandW · 173 km clear
Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa) WalesSSW · 162 km clear
Carnedd Llewelyn WalesSSW · 147 km clear
Snaefell Isle of ManWSW · 78 km clear
Irish Sea open waterWSW · 34 km in view

All 29 Wainwrights in clear view (nearest first)

Seatallan, Buckbarrow, Yewbarrow, Illgill Head, Haycock, Red Pike (Wasdale), Whin Rigg (Wasdale), Caw Fell, Scoat Fell (Little Scoat Fell), Kirk Fell, Scafell, Lingmell, Slight Side, Scafell Pike, Great Gable, Great End, Seathwaite Fell (Wainwright summit), Hard Knott, Glaramara, Harter Fell (Eskdale), Dale Head, Grey Friar, Great Carrs, Swirl How, Dow Crag, Brim Fell, Wetherlam, The Old Man of Coniston (Coniston Old Man), Helvellyn

How the view from Middle Fell 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 Middle Fell. 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

Church Stile Farm And Holiday Park (opens in new tab) campsiteabout 2.3 km

Also nearby, but not independent

YHA Wasdale Hall (opens in new tab) hostelabout 1.1 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 Middle Fell

Is Middle Fell a hard walk? Answered above.

Questions from Google’s “People also ask”. · Last updated 2026-08-30 · Suggest a question or correction (opens in new tab)

Middle Fell

Summit conditions on Middle Fell

Wind on the top

Rain, and the becks

Routes up Middle Fell

Is Middle Fell a hard walk?

Conditions and 7-day summit forecast

Parking & buses for Middle Fell

Parking

Buses

Hazards on Middle Fell

Hazard & Incident Information for Middle Fell

Navigating in cloud

If you need Mountain Rescue

Map, GPX and nearby Birketts

Birketts within 3 km of Middle Fell

Routes over Middle Fell

About Middle Fell

Classifications & hill data

Is Middle Fell a Wainwright?

Selected lists

The view from Middle Fell

The 360° skyline from Middle Fell

Sunrise and sunset on Middle Fell

Last light — when the sun leaves Middle Fell

What you can see from Middle Fell

Places to stay near this fell

Frequently asked questions about Middle Fell

Other fells near Middle Fell