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

Wainwright — Western FellsAlso a Birkett

Middle Fell

Middle Fell at 582m (1,909ft) is a small, craggy summit above Wasdale overlooking Wastwater, its top giving fine views of the lake and the Wastwater Screes.

582 m
Height
~3–4 h
Typical time
+1
Bonus Birkett
See routes & download GPX →

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582 mWainwright — Western Fells✓ summit is also a Birkett+1 bonus Birkett within 3 km Straightforward in cloud

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

Modelled guidance for the 582 m summit. Always check the Met Office mountain forecast and MWIS before you set off.

On the summit today (Tue 28 Jul): 15° to 14°C, gusts to 34 mph, 5.7 mm of rain forecast.

Tue 28 Jul
🌧️
15° / 14°
💨 34 mph
🌧 5.7 mm (99%)
Wed 29 Jul
🌧️
14° / 11°
💨 29 mph
🌧 12.4 mm (100%)
Thu 30 Jul
🌦️
12° / 7°
💨 28 mph
🌧 3.7 mm (87%)
Fri 31 Jul
🌤️
14° / 3°
💨 21 mph
🌧 0.0 mm (86%)
Sat 1 Aug
🌦️
14° / 6°
💨 14 mph
🌧 2.7 mm (82%)
Sun 2 Aug
☁️
15° / 8°
💨 18 mph
🌧 0.0 mm (35%)
Mon 3 Aug
🌦️
15° / 6°
💨 18 mph
🌧 0.4 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 582 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

Middle Fell

Middle Fell at 582m (1,909ft) is a small, craggy summit above Wasdale overlooking Wastwater, its top giving fine views of the lake and the Wastwater Screes. Wainwright noted the excellent Wastwater views from this easily overlooked summit above Nether Wasdale. The ascent from Greendale is short and pleasant. A good short walk giving the finest view of Wastwater from the western shore, with the Screes on Illgill Head forming a dramatic backdrop.

Routes up Middle Fell

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

Middle Fell, Haycock Seatallan and Buckbarrow
17.8 km · ~5.6 hr
Very Long Day Out
26.8 km · ~8.3 hr
Classifications & hill data
Wainwright
Western
Birkett
Fellranger
Synge
HuMP
582 m
Height
1,909 ft
In feet
NY 1507 0722
Grid ref

Map & nearby Birketts

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

Nearest parking: Greendale, Nether Wasdale (roadside, free), about 1.9 km from the summit (straight line). Full parking, toilets and bus details are below.

Birketts near Middle 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.

1.9 km WSWGlade How440 m · Western

Routes over Middle Fell

Middle Fell, Haycock Seatallan and BuckbarrowLive
17.8 km · ~1253 m ascent · loop · ~5.5–7.5 h
Summits: Middle FellHaycockLittle Gowder CragCaw FellSeatallanGlade HowBuckbarrow

⬇️ Download GPX

Full route guide ↗

A planned line is a suggestion, not a guarantee — conditions change. Navigate independently and carry a map & compass.

Very Long Day OutLive
26.76 km · ~1743 m ascent · loop · ~8–11 h
Summits: YewbarrowYewbarrow North Top (Stirrup Crag)Red Pike (Wasdale)Scoat Fell (Little Scoat Fell)SteepleHaycockLittle Gowder CragCaw FellMiddle FellSeatallanGlade HowBuckbarrow

⬇️ 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 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
Computed 360-degree skyline from Middle Fell25 labelled tops shown (8 distant behind the far-horizon toggle). Theoretical visibility in perfect clarity; computed from terrain, not photographed.eye levelNNEESESSWWNWScafell Pike · 6 kmScafell · 6 kmHelvellyn · 21 kmGreat End · 8 kmScoat Fell · 4 kmBlack Crag · 5 kmKirk Fell · 6 kmSwirl How · 14 kmThe Old Man of Coniston · 15 kmHaycock · 4 kmLooking Steads · 10 kmSlight Side · 6 kmDale Head · 11 kmCaw Fell · 4 kmSeatallan · 2 kmBrown Pike · 15 kmIllgill Head · 3 kmBlack Combe · 22 kmWhitfell · 14 kmLittle Gowder Crag · 4 kmHesk Fell · 13 kmYewbarrow · 3 kmGlade How · 2 kmBuckbarrow · 2 kmMuncaster Fell · 10 kmBroad Crag · 7 kmRed Pike · 4 kmGrey Friar · 13 kmWetherlam · 15 kmHarter Fell · 10 kmBuck Barrow · 16 kmGreat How · 6 kmIrton Fell · 5 kmThe Pike · 14 kmRough Crag · 10 kmIrton Pike · 6 kmSnowdon · 162 km · a handful of days a yearSlieve Donard · 172 km · a handful of days a yearAran Fawddwy · 187 km · a handful of days a yearSnaefell · 78 km · a rare clear daySlieve Croob · 173 km · a handful of days a yearYr Eifl · 180 km · a handful of days a yearDivis · 176 km · a handful of days a yearMull Hill · 104 km · a rare clear day
What you can see from Middle Fell, 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 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.

What you can see from Middle Fell

On a clear day — computed sightlines, curvature- and refraction-corrected.
29Wainwrights in view+2 marginal
162 kmFurthest sightlineSnowdon (Yr Wyddfa) · possible under favourable refraction
1Sea in viewIrish Sea

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

Far horizons
  • 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 Middle 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 Middle Fell

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

Greendale, Nether Wasdale (roadside, free) — 1.9 km from summit (straight line)
Free verge parking for Middle Fell, Seatallan and Buckbarrow.
Directions
Overbeck Bridge, Wastwater (NT, free) — 2.1 km from summit (straight line)
Small free NT car park at the foot of Yewbarrow on the lakeshore road.
Directions

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 Middle Fell 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.

Hazard & Incident Information for Middle Fell

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.

Most common causes: 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 · Reviewed 14 Jun 2026

Safety: Hazard guidance compiled from published Mountain Rescue reports and well-documented accident history - editorial background, not a live feed of callouts. 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

Navigating Middle Fell in cloud

Straightforward

Walkable ground sits close to a lethal drop — in cloud it’s easy to walk straight onto steep ground. 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 Middle 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 Middle Fell

Maps & guidebooks for Middle Fell

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