Wainwright — Far Eastern FellsAlso a Birkett

Place Fell

Place Fell at 657m (2,156ft) is the great ridge fell on the eastern shore of Ullswater, its long summit ridge giving one of the finest views of the lake in all Lakeland.

657 m

Height

~3–4 h

Typical time

Bonus Birketts

See routes & download GPX → Parking & buses →

Home › Fells › Place Fell

Written and walked by Lee McCoy

657 mWainwright — Far Eastern Fells✓ summit is also a Birkett+5 bonus Birketts within 3 km Straightforward in cloud

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

Modelled guidance for the 657 m summit. Always check the Met Office mountain forecast and MWIS before you set off.

On the summit today (Fri 11 Sep): 11° to 8°C, gusts to 31 mph, 1.1 mm of rain forecast.

Fri 11 Sep

🌦️

11° / 8°

💨 31 mph

🌧 1.1 mm (100%)

Sat 12 Sep

🌧️

14° / 8°

💨 46 mph

🌧 16.4 mm (100%)

Sun 13 Sep

🌦️

12° / 8°

💨 22 mph

🌧 0.1 mm (62%)

Mon 14 Sep

🌧️

14° / 8°

💨 32 mph

🌧 7.0 mm (100%)

Tue 15 Sep

🌦️

14° / 8°

💨 35 mph

🌧 4.4 mm (89%)

Wed 16 Sep

🌦️

10° / 8°

💨 32 mph

🌧 1.0 mm (78%)

Thu 17 Sep

🌦️

10° / 8°

💨 37 mph

🌧 4.2 mm (92%)

Forecast snapshot from 11 Sep 2026, 08:30 UTC — refreshed nightly and updated live in your browser. Temperatures and gusts adjusted to the 657 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

Place Fell at a glance

Place Fell

Place Fell at 657m (2,156ft) is the great ridge fell on the eastern shore of Ullswater, its long summit ridge giving one of the finest views of the lake in all Lakeland. Wainwright praised it warmly, describing the view across Ullswater to Helvellyn and the Eastern Fells as among the most beautiful lake views from any fell. The traverse of the full ridge from Sandwick to Patterdale is an excellent walk, with the option of catching the Ullswater steamer back. The eastern face drops to the secluded valley of Boredale, a rewarding quieter descent.

Field notes

Walking up to Beda Fell I was convinced I wasn't going to do this one. My knees were shot, my watch was saying it's more than 30c and my water with the hydration salts wasn't, at this stage, wasn't agreeing with me. But as I was making my way down Hause Crag and Chapel in the Hause, I could see that the path up was well-maintained so I wouldn't have to bush-whack or other-think my ascent. So I turned right and put the pain to the back of my mind. I would be lying if I didn't have moments of regret as I ascended. My watch said it averaged around a 17 degrees incline which was acceptable, there were no challenging aspects but that view? Wow. Looking over the Knight and onto Ullswater was a delight. But my knees were still hurting regardless. It was frightfully hot and I only had my spare Lucozade to go. I scanned for a new, shorter route down. There weren't any so I turned around and escaped.

Routes up Place Fell

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

Angletarn Pikes and the Martindale round

22.2 km · ~6.7 hr · Hard

A long, quiet circuit of the Far Eastern fells above Patterdale — over Rest Dodd and out to the remote peak of The Nab, then back across Brock Crags to the twin tops of Angletarn Pikes, and home over Beda Fell and Place Fell. Twenty-two kilometres and six summits in some of the emptiest country in the National Park.

Brock Crags, Angletarn Pikes, Beda Fell & Place Fell

19.7 km · ~5.7 hr · Hard

A big, varied Far Eastern round above Patterdale and the quiet Boredale and Bannerdale valleys — over Brock Crags to lovely Angle Tarn (one of the prettiest sheets of water in the Lakes), along the grassy whaleback of Beda Fell, and up characterful Place Fell for its superb view down Ullswater. Nearly 20 km and a proper day out, but rarely hard underfoot.

Finishing of the Far Eastern Fells

22.5 km · ~6.6 hr

Rest Dodd, The Nab, Brock Crags and the Angletarn Pikes — six tops in 22.5 km with 1,279 m of climbing. Severe for both length and steepness and hard for navigation and exposure: about 6.6 hours and a full day out.

Place Fell and The Knight

7.1 km · ~2.3 hr

Straight up from Ullswater to Place Fell and The Knight — 7.1 km and 514 m, with a stage averaging 16%. Easy for length but severe for steepness and hard for exposure. About 2.3 hours.

Classifications & hill data

Wainwright

Far Eastern

Birkett

Fellranger

Synge

Nuttall

Marilyn

657 m

Height

2,156 ft

In feet

NY 4053 1694

Grid ref

Getting there

🅿️ Patterdale Hotel Car Park (Patterdale Hotel, paid)

Walking base for Place Fell, The Knight, Arnison Crag and Birks — the 'Place Fell and The Knight' route starts 23 m away. Also serves 'St Sunday Crag'. Fees: pay and display (LDNPA directory, checked Aug 2026). Unpaved surface (OSM-tagged).

🅿️ Ullswater Steamers Glenridding Pier car park (paid)

Walking base for Glenridding Dodd, Heron Pike (Glenridding), Sheffield Pike and Catstye Cam — the 'Glenridding Dodd, Sheffield Pike, Catstye Cam, Birkhouse Moor' route starts 373 m away. Also serves 'Helvellyn via Striding Edge & Swirral Edge'. Fees: Pay-and-display; contactless card/cash machine in the main car park near the pier house entrance ('just at the bottom of the ramp'). Tariff amounts not published on the operator's site. Car parking charges apply while using the EV charger.

🚌 Stagecoach 508 “Ullswater Bus”

Penrith – Pooley Bridge – Aira Force – Glenridding – Patterdale (summer services continue over Kirkstone Pass to Troutbeck and Windermere)

Full parking & bus details ↓

Right now on the summit

🌦️ 11°low 8°C

Gusts31 mph

Full 7-day summit forecast →

The short answers

Is Place Fell a Wainwright?

Place Fell is a Wainwright. It is also on the Birkett list, the Synge list, the Nuttall list, the Fellranger list and the Marilyn list.

Where do you park for Place Fell?

The nearest car park we hold is Patterdale Hotel Car Park (Patterdale Hotel, paid), about 1.4 km from the summit in a straight line. The next is Ullswater Steamers Glenridding Pier car park (paid), 1.6 km out. We only look within 2.5 km, measured straight-line: over longer distances a road may cross a pass and the drive bears no relation to the line.

My hikes over Place Fell (Strava)

1 logged hike pass over this summit:

Finishing of the Far Eastern Fells (opens in new tab) — 23.1 km · 1463 m ascent · 6h 01m moving · 14 Aug 2026

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

Parking & buses for Place Fell

Best parking to hike Place Fell

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

Patterdale Hotel Car Park (Patterdale Hotel, paid) — 1.4 km from summit (straight line)

Directions Something changed here?

Ullswater Steamers Glenridding Pier car park (paid) — 1.6 km from summit (straight line)

Directions Something changed here?

Glenridding (paid) — 1.7 km from summit (straight line)

Main Helvellyn-from-the-east base: Striding Edge, Catstye Cam, Birkhouse Moor; also Sheffield Pike, Glenridding Dodd.

Directions Something changed here?

🚺 Glenridding Village Car Park (~219 m straight line)🚺 Public toilets (~74 m straight line)☕ Let It Brew☕ Fairlight Cafe & Restaurant☕ Fellbites🍺 Travellers Rest🏪 Catstycam.com

Seasonal Car park — 1.7 km from summit (straight line)

Walking base for Arnison Crag, Birks, St Sunday Crag and Gavel Pike — the 'St Sunday Crag' route starts 464 m away. Also serves 'Place Fell and The Knight'. Fee not verified — check signage on arrival.

Directions Something changed here?

Glenridding Dodd car park — 1.8 km from summit (straight line)

Directions Something changed here?

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.

Vehicles are left entirely at their owner’s risk. We list places people park; we cannot vouch for any of them. Judge it on the day: take valuables with you, leave nothing on show, and if a spot feels wrong when you get there, park somewhere else.

Getting to Place Fell by bus

The 508 stops at Hartsop, in road end, 20 m from the start of Finishing of the Far Eastern Fells. The last bus is 17:44 towards Penrith (508) and 15:50 towards Keswick (509), every day. Checked against the operator’s timetable, 7 September 2026. Times here are a guide, not a promise — leave yourself more than the minute.

Stagecoach 508 “Ullswater Bus”

Penrith – Pooley Bridge – Aira Force – Glenridding – Patterdale (summer services continue over Kirkstone Pass to Troutbeck and Windermere)

Catch it from: Penrith · Windermere (summer only)

The key route from Penrith for the Eastern and Far Eastern fells: Helvellyn from Glenridding, Place Fell, the Hartsop fells. The summer Kirkstone extension drops you at the pass for Red Screes and Caudale Moor.

Rural routes change seasonally — confirm on stagecoachbus.com (opens in new tab) or Traveline before relying on a last bus.

Hazards on Place Fell

Hazard & Incident Information for Place Fell

Hazard: Moderate

A craggy, much-loved fell rising abruptly above Ullswater opposite Patterdale, presenting an intimidating jumble of crags and steep scree on its western face while its top is gently rolling, boggy moorland dotted with rocky outcrops. The paths thread cleverly through the crags by rakes and gullies, so navigation needs care, and the multi-path junction at Boredale Hause is a well-known place to go astray. Patterdale Mountain Rescue Team covers this ground.

The crag-and-scree western face above Ullswater: The Ullswater side is steep, rocky and broken; the path only works by weaving through rakes and gullies. Stray off it in cloud and you can quickly be among crags and steep scree. Keep to the established line and don't shortcut down the face.
Boredale Hause (confusing path junction): Several paths meet at Boredale Hause and it is a notorious spot for taking the wrong one, especially in mist. Know which path you want before you arrive, and use a compass — the stone-pitched Steel Edge path is the reliable line down to Patterdale.
The boggy, outcrop-dotted summit in cloud: The rolling top has rocky knolls, bog and little to navigate by, and there is virtually no shelter. In poor visibility stick to the path and take a bearing for your chosen descent.

Who should attempt this fell: Place Fell is a rewarding fell, but it earns its 'moderate' through navigation rather than difficulty: keep to the path that threads the western crags, and be especially careful at Boredale Hause, where it's easy to take the wrong line — the stone-pitched Steel Edge path is the dependable descent. Carry map and compass for the featureless top, and dress for an exposed hill with no shelter.

Most common causes: Walkers straying onto the steep crags/scree of the western face in cloud · Taking the wrong path at the Boredale Hause junction · Navigation errors on the featureless, boggy summit · Exposure with no shelter in bad weather

Local Mountain Rescue: Patterdale Mountain Rescue Team (opens in new tab) · 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 (opens in new tab)

Navigating Place 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 Place Fell compares with all 214 — the Clag Index: navigating in cloud. A relative, deliberately cautious guide; the site can’t navigate for you.

Map & nearby Birketts

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

Nearest parking: Patterdale Hotel Car Park (Patterdale Hotel, paid), about 1.4 km from the summit (straight line). Full parking, toilets and bus details are below.

Birketts near Place 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.

0.7 km NThe Knight552 m · Far Eastern

1.3 km NNWBirk Fell (Bleaberry Knott)512 m · Far Eastern

1.6 km NEHigh Dodd501 m · Far Eastern

2.2 km NNELow Birk Fell373 m · Far Eastern

2.6 km NESleet Fell378 m · Far Eastern

Routes over Place Fell

Angletarn Pikes and the Martindale roundPlanned

22.23 km · ~1349 m ascent · loop · ~6.5–9 h · Hard

Summits: Rest Dodd The Nab Brock Crags (Wainwright)Angletarn Pikes (Angletarn Pikes North Top)Beda Fell (Beda Head)Place Fell

✎️ This is the antidote to Helvellyn on an August Saturday. The Nab is one of the least-visited Wainwrights precisely because of the deer forest, and the reward for the boggy trudge out to it is a summit almost nobody stands on. Angletarn Pikes and its tarn are the prettiest thing in the Far Eastern fells.

⬇️ Download GPX

Best season: Late spring to autumn. The ground between Rest Dodd and The Nab is notoriously boggy and the navigation is committing in cloud — save this one for a clear day with dry ground underfoot.

⚠️ Warnings: The Nab sits in the Martindale deer forest — England’s oldest deer herd. Access is by a permissive route only; keep to it, keep dogs on a lead, and do not wander. During the autumn rut the estate asks walkers to stay away entirely. Check before you go. The ground either side of The Nab is genuinely boggy — peat hags and wet channels that swallow the path. Expect wet feet and slow going, and do not judge your timings by the distance alone. A big day: over 22 km and 1,350 m of ascent, with navigation graded hard. The high ground is broad, rolling and short of landmarks — in cloud this is a compass-and-pacing exercise. Long, remote and thinly walked. You will not meet many people, which is the joy of it and also the point — carry what you need to get yourself out.

Full route guide ↗

🥾 Walked in part — Lee walked this ground in August 2026; km 0.2–1.4, km 15.9–18.0 of this line are from the map.

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

Brock Crags, Angletarn Pikes, Beda Fell & Place FellPlanned

19.71 km · ~1070 m ascent · loop · ~5.5–7.5 h · Hard

Summits: Brock Crags (Wainwright)Angletarn Pikes (Angletarn Pikes North Top)Beda Fell (Beda Head)Place Fell

✎️ A grand tour of the quieter Far Eastern fells, with Angle Tarn and the Ullswater view from Place Fell as the highlights — a long but rewarding round.

⬇️ Download GPX

Best season: Year-round in good conditions, best in clear weather for the Ullswater and High Street views. A long day — the ridges and cols are boggy in places and slow when wet.

⚠️ Warnings: A long day (nearly 20 km, over 1,000 m of ascent) — start early, carry food, water and layers, and keep an eye on the time and the light. Boggy in places, especially along the Beda Fell ridge and the cols — slow when wet. The higher, quieter ground can be confusing in mist — carry map and compass. Livestock on the lower fells and valleys; keep dogs under close control.

Full route guide ↗

🥾 Walked in part — Lee walked this ground in August 2026; km 8.2–12.2, km 13.7–15.9 of this line are from the map.

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

Finishing of the Far Eastern FellsPlanned

22.5 km · ~1279 m ascent · linear · ~6.5–9 h

Summits: Rest Dodd The Nab Brock Crags (Wainwright)Angletarn Pikes (Angletarn Pikes North Top)Beda Fell (Beda Head)Place Fell

⬇️ Download GPX

Full route guide ↗

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

Place Fell and The KnightPlanned

7.12 km · ~514 m ascent · loop · ~2–3 h

Summits: Place FellThe Knight

✎️ Much better as a one-way day than an out-and-back: take the Ullswater Steamer from Glenridding to Howtown and walk back over the top, with Ullswater below you the whole way. Same fell, twice the walk. Sail first and walk back, so a slow descent can’t become a missed boat. (Seasonal timetable; checked 4 Aug 2026.)

⬇️ Download GPX

Full route guide ↗

✎️ Planned route — drawn but not personally walked or checked yet.

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

On the hill: terrain and water on Place Fell

Water & shelter on the way up

On the Angletarn Pikes and the Martindale round route:

🚌 Road End (467 m)

On the Brock Crags, Angletarn Pikes, Beda Fell & Place Fell route:

🛖 map (42 m)🛖 map (55 m)

On the Finishing of the Far Eastern Fells route:

🛖 map (9 m)🛖 map (94 m)🚌 Road End (44 m)🚌 Patterdale Hotel (E bound) (63 m)🚌 Patterdale Hotel (W bound) (93 m)🚌 Cow Bridge car park (233 m)⛺ Patterdale Youth Hostel (428 m)⛺ Patterdale Youth Hostel camp site (454 m)

On the Place Fell and The Knight route:

🛖 map (97 m)🚺 map (103 m)🚌 Patterdale Hotel (E bound) (50 m)🚌 Patterdale Hotel (W bound) (81 m)🚌 Youth Hostel (N bound) (411 m)🚌 Youth Hostel (S bound) (418 m)⛺ Patterdale Youth Hostel (437 m)⛺ Patterdale Youth Hostel camp site (464 m)

The view from Place Fell

The 360° skyline from Place 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

What you can see from Place Fell, by direction

East: Red Crag (5 km)
South-east: The Knott (5 km), High Raise (6 km), Rampsgill Head (6 km), Low Raise (6 km), High Street (7 km)
South: Caudale Moor (7 km), Stony Cove Pike (7 km), Thornthwaite Crag (7 km), Red Screes (8 km), Ill Bell (10 km), Yoke (11 km)
South-west: St Sunday Crag (5 km), Nethermost Pike (7 km), Hart Crag (7 km), High Crag (7 km), Fairfield (7 km), Dollywaggon Pike (7 km), Dove Crag (7 km), Crinkle Crags South Top (20 km)
West: Green Side (6 km), Catstye Cam (6 km), Raise (6 km), Stybarrow Dodd (6 km), Helvellyn (7 km), White Side (7 km), Helvellyn Lower Man (7 km)
North-west: Birkett Fell (5 km), Great Dodd (7 km), Blencathra (14 km), Gategill Fell Top (14 km), Knowe Crags (14 km), Atkinson Pike (14 km), Skiddaw Lesser Man (17 km), Skiddaw Little Man (18 km), Skiddaw South Top (19 km), Skiddaw Middle Top (19 km), Skiddaw (19 km), Skiddaw North Top (19 km), Broad End (19 km)

On the clearest days the far horizon adds: Broad Law (110 km, Scotland), The Cheviot (115 km, England), White Coomb (101 km, Scotland), Ettrick Pen (93 km, Scotland), Wisp Hill (82 km, Scotland), Cauldcleuch Head (84 km, Scotland), Roan Fell (76 km, Scotland), Dun Rig (116 km, Scotland).

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 (opens in new tab) (CC BY 4.0). See how we compute the view · and the summit intervisibility report below.

Sunrise and sunset on Place Fell

Place Fell sits close to the flat-horizon case. Even on its longest wait of the modelled year (on 1 December) first light is only 12 minutes after almanac sunrise, so the published sunrise time is a fair guide here.

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	04:33 BST ±5.0 min	04:36	-3 min
Equinox	06:13 GMT ±5.0 min	06:15	-2 min
Midwinter	08:42 GMT ±5.0 min	08:32	+10 min

A low, open northern horizon — the ground falls away northwards (mean -0.21°).

Last light — when the sun leaves Place Fell

The evening here runs close to the flat-horizon case. Even on its earliest evening of the modelled year (on 1 January) last light is only 19 minutes before almanac sunset, so the published sunset time is a fair guide on Place Fell.

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	21:52 BST ±5.0 min	21:52	—
Equinox	18:14 GMT ±5.0 min	18:26	-12 min
Midwinter	15:30 GMT ±5.0 min	15:48	-18 min

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 Place 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. 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 Place Fell

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

56Wainwrights in view+3 marginal

34 kmFurthest sightlineGreat Dun Fell

—Sea in viewnone from here

Far horizons

Great Dun Fell North PenninesENE · 34 km clear
Cross Fell North PenninesENE · 33 km clear

All 56 Wainwrights in clear view (nearest first)

Angletarn Pikes (Angletarn Pikes North Top), Arnison Crag, Beda Fell (Beda Head), Glenridding Dodd, The Nab, Brock Crags (Wainwright), Steel Knotts (Pikeawassa - Steel Knotts), Sheffield Pike, Hallin Fell, Birkhouse Moor, Rest Dodd, Gowbarrow Fell (Wainwright summit), St Sunday Crag, Wether Hill, Hartsop Dodd, Loadpot Hill, The Knott (High Street), Hart Side, Hartsop Above How (Gill Crag - Hartsop Above How), High Raise (High Street), Rampsgill Head, Gray Crag, Bonscale Pike, Catstye Cam, Raise, High Hartsop Dodd, Stybarrow Dodd, Helvellyn, Nethermost Pike, Arthur's Pike, White Side, Hart Crag, High Street, Fairfield, Dollywaggon Pike, Stony Cove Pike (Caudale Moor), Little Hart Crag (Little Hart Crag - West Top), Dove Crag, Great Dodd, Little Mell Fell, Thornthwaite Crag, Middle Dodd, Red Screes, Great Mell Fell, Clough Head, Ill Bell, Yoke, Souther Fell, Blencathra - Hallsfell Top, Bannerdale Crags, Bowscale Fell, Lonscale Fell, Skiddaw Little Man, Carrock Fell, Skiddaw, High Pike (Caldbeck)

How Place 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.

Places to stay near this fell

Greenbank Farm Bed and Breakfast (opens in new tab) guest house

about 1.8 km from the start, in a straight line

Ranked first despite being the eighth-nearest candidate because it answers more of the 6pm questions than anything else in the radius, and it answers them in its own sentences with prices attached: drying facilities, evening meals from £14.00, packed lunches at £6.00, and the only stated room composition on an independent B&B here. Its family room is a room for three, not four — which is exactly the fact a family of four needs before booking, and the reason a bare family_rooms=yes would have been a worse row than this one.

The farmhouse sits below Arnison Crag and looks across at Place Fell and Angletarn Pikes — the two fells this start's routes climb.

Drying room “We also have drying facilities and a large patio and garden to enjoy the view.”
Family rooms “Family: Room for three with a double and one single bed.”
Evening meal “We offer hearty home-cooked breakfasts and evening meals as well as packed lunches if required.”
Packed lunch “Packed Lunches £6.00”

YHA Helvellyn (opens in new tab) hostel

about 3.2 km from the start, in a straight line

The only bed in this cluster that is already up the hill - 963 ft up the Greenside road - with a shared drying room, free parking on site and meals served in the building. Two things will decide it for a family: dogs cannot come at all unless you are in the Camping & Cabins or have hired the whole hostel, and reception is shut from 10:00 until 17:00, so an early arrival cannot check in.

Worth knowing: “Dogs: Pets are not permitted at YHA Helvellyn, except in our Camping & Cabins accommodation or when hiring the whole hostel through YHA Exclusive Hire. Assistance dogs are welcome - please notify us at the time of booking.”

It began life as accommodation for the lead miners at Greenside, opened to hostellers as "Glenridding", took men only in 1947 and admitted women the year after; mine debris still lies around the building.

Drying room “Free parking on premises Games Group meals Intermittent mobile coverage Licensed bar Minibus parking on premises Mountain view Restaurant Shared drying room Unlimited breakfast Water refill station WiFi”
Family rooms “Private room is offered here”
Evening meal “With tasty breakfasts, packed lunches and evening meals, groups are sure to find something delicious to eat at YHA Helvellyn (see sample menu ).”
Packed lunch “With tasty breakfasts, packed lunches and evening meals, groups are sure to find something delicious to eat at YHA Helvellyn (see sample menu ).”
Parking “Free parking on premises”
Children “Under 12s are not permitted in dorm rooms. Children under 3 can stay with us for free.”

Worth knowing before you book

These places state on their own site that they do not take children.

Patterdale Youth Hostel (YHA Patterdale) (opens in new tab) “Under 12s are not permitted in dorm rooms.”

What each place says about itself, quoted from their own site. We have not stayed at any of them, and there are no prices, no booking and no affiliate links. Distances are straight lines from each route start, never walking times. Properties found via OpenStreetMap (opens in new tab).

Frequently asked questions about Place Fell

Is Place Fell hard to climb?

It's a steep but straightforward climb with no scrambling — a rewarding 657 m (2,156 ft) summit above Ullswater. The effort is a fairly relentless pull up to Boredale Hause and on to the rocky top, rather than anything technical.

The thing to watch is navigation: the rocky, knolly summit and the busy path junction at Boredale Hause catch people out in cloud.

Sources: Patterdale Mountain Rescue Team (opens in new tab)

What is the easiest route up Place Fell?

The usual route climbs from Patterdale up to Boredale Hause, then up the fell's western shoulder to the summit. The stone-pitched Steel Edge path is the reliable line on that side.

A classic round combines the summit with the beautiful Ullswater shoreline path back to Patterdale (or you can ride the Ullswater 'Steamer' one way).

How long does it take to climb Place Fell?

A direct up-and-down from Patterdale takes around 2.5–3 hours. The popular fuller circular over the summit and back along the Ullswater shoreline is just under 13 km and takes 4+ hours.

Can you combine Place Fell with the Ullswater shoreline walk?

Yes — and it's one of the finest outings in the area. The east-shore path between Patterdale/Side Farm and Howtown is widely rated among the best lakeside walks in England, winding through birch woods beneath Place Fell's craggy flank.

A popular plan takes the Ullswater 'Steamer' from Glenridding to Howtown, walks the shoreline, then climbs Place Fell back to Patterdale — or simply links the summit and the shore into a circuit.

Is it easy to get lost on Place Fell?

It can be. The rolling, rocky summit has little to navigate by, and Boredale Hause is a notorious tangle of paths where it's easy to take the wrong one in mist. The western face above Ullswater is steep and craggy, threaded only by rakes.

Carry a map and compass, know which path you want at Boredale Hause (the stone-pitched Steel Edge path is the dependable descent to Patterdale), and keep to the paths on the steep western side.

Sources: Patterdale Mountain Rescue Team (opens in new tab)

Is Place Fell suitable for beginners, families and dogs?

Yes — it's a popular fell for fit beginners, older children and dogs, with a clear (if steep) path and no scrambling, plus the easy shoreline option for gentler legs. The summit views over Ullswater are a big reward.

Keep children and dogs close on the rocky top and away from the steep western edge, keep dogs on a lead around sheep, and pick a clear day so Boredale Hause and the summit don't confuse you.

Sources: Patterdale Mountain Rescue Team (opens in new tab)

What should I wear and take up Place Fell?

Wear walking boots or sturdy shoes with good grip for the steep, rocky path, and carry warm and waterproof layers — the top is exposed and shelterless. Take a map and compass for the rocky summit and the Boredale Hause junction, plus food, water and a charged phone.

Check the forecast, and remember the summit is far colder and windier than the lakeshore.

Sources: MWIS — Lake District forecast (opens in new tab)

Questions drawn from real Google “People also ask” searches; answers written and fact-checked by us. · Reviewed 2026-06-14 · Suggest a question or correction (opens in new tab)

Place Fell

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

Place Fell at a glance

Place Fell

Field notes

Routes up Place Fell

Classifications & hill data

The short answers

Is Place Fell a Wainwright?

Where do you park for Place Fell?

My hikes over Place Fell (Strava)

Parking & buses for Place Fell

Best parking to hike Place Fell

Getting to Place Fell by bus

Hazards on Place Fell

Hazard & Incident Information for Place Fell

Navigating Place Fell in cloud

Map & nearby Birketts

Birketts near Place Fell (within 3 km)

Routes over Place Fell

On the hill: terrain and water on Place Fell

Water & shelter on the way up

The view from Place Fell

The 360° skyline from Place Fell

Sunrise and sunset on Place Fell

Last light — when the sun leaves Place Fell

What you can see from Place Fell

Places to stay near this fell

Greenbank Farm Bed and Breakfast (opens in new tab) guest house

YHA Helvellyn (opens in new tab) hostel

Worth knowing before you book

Frequently asked questions about Place Fell

Other fells near Place Fell