Wetherlam

Written and walked by Lee McCoy · Summited August 2024

Home › Fells › Wetherlam

763 mWainwright — Southern Fells+17 bonus Birketts within 3 km Fewer traps in Clag

Wetherlam at 763m (2,503ft) is the eastern buttress of the Coniston Fells, a broad, craggy summit that Wainwright described as giving some of the best views of the Helvellyn range of any southern fell.

Summit conditions on Wetherlam

On the summit on Tuesday 27 October: 10° to 4°C, gusts to 53 mph, 6.5 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 49 mph times our exposure factor of 1.24. The summit line above gives Open-Meteo’s highest gust for the whole day, 53 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

6.5 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 0 °C, no ice or snow forecast; cloud: a clear-top reading of 23 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 Wetherlam

Choose the way up before the car park: these three routes start from three places, and the last two rows give the parking and bus at each route’s own start. Full maps further down.

Compared	Coniston Old Man Round	Wetherlam by Birk Fell	The Coniston Horseshoe
Starts from	Coniston village	Low Tilberthwaite car park	Walna Scar Road car park
Distance and climb	16.1 km, 1,155 m of climb	8.22 km, 633 m of climb	20.8 km, 1,333 m of climb
Time, fast to steady	~5–7 h	~2½–3¾ h	~6¼–8½ h
Scrambling	Hands for a few steps: the Prison Band, on the descent from Swirl How (km 9.6–11.5). A steep, stony scramble of a ridge linking Swirl How to Swirl Hawse and Wetherlam.	Hands for a few steps: the climb beside Wetherlam Edge, from Birk Fell Hawse to the top (km 2.3–3.1).	Hands for a few steps: the Prison Band, and the last steps to Dow Crag (km 6.2–8.1 and km 15.6–16.0). The short final climb to Dow Crag from Goat's Hawse has scrambly steps with moderate exposure — stay on the path and away from the edge.
Exposure	Moderate	Not assessed	Not assessed
Navigation	Hard	Hard	Hard
Steepest stretch	Climb of about 37% at 3.6 km (Severe)	Climb of about 39% at 2.6 km (Severe)	Climb of about 31% at 7.8 km (Hard)
After the summit	No further tops	No further tops	Over Swirl How, Great Carrs, Grey Friar, Brim Fell, The Old Man of Coniston (Coniston Old Man), Dow Crag, Buck Pike - Seathwaite Fell and Brown Pike
Walked or planned	Walked by Lee, August 2024	Planned: drawn, not yet walked	Walked in part; km 0.0–1.1, km 15.8–20.8 from the map
Car park at the start	Coniston Station car park (paid)	Tilberthwaite (paid)	Walna Scar Road, Coniston (paid, rough track)
Bus to the start	505, 520 m walk from Coniston, outside The Ruskin Centre	505, 3.5 km walk from Monk Coniston, at Hall	505, 1.8 km walk from Coniston, outside The Ruskin Centre

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 Wetherlam hard to climb?

Wetherlam (763 m / 2,503 ft) is a rough, sprawling Coniston fell that's not too strenuous by its gentlest route, but it isn't a casual stroll either — there's quickly-gained height, rough rocky ground, and some steeper rocky steps on the Tilberthwaite 'Edges'.

The real challenges are navigation off its broad, complex top, and the old mine workings on its flanks rather than any difficult climbing.

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

How we check →

Conditions and 7-day summit forecast

Modelled for the 763 m summit (Open-Meteo). Check the Met Office mountain forecast and MWIS before you set off.

Full 7-day forecast

Tue 27 Oct

10° / 4°

53 mph

6.5 mm (100%)

Wed 28 Oct

8° / 5°

44 mph

9.6 mm (100%)

Thu 29 Oct

8° / 6°

22 mph

0.1 mm (33%)

Fri 30 Oct

8° / 4°

23 mph

0.0 mm (23%)

Sat 31 Oct

9° / 0°

11 mph

0.0 mm (18%)

Sun 1 Nov

8° / -1°

9 mph

0.0 mm (10%)

Mon 2 Nov

6° / 0°

19 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 Wetherlam

Parking

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

Coniston Station car park (paid) — at the start of Coniston Old Man Round

On the old station site, west of the village. Fees: pay and display; coins and cards; RingGo ID 37306 (LDNPA, checked August 2026).

Directions When people arrive, and what it costs →Something changed here?

If it is full: Coniston, Bluebird Car & Coach Park (paid) (0.6 km, 50 m up); Coniston, Ruskin Avenue (paid) (0.6 km, 52 m up); Walna Scar Road, Coniston (paid, rough track) (1.4 km)

Tilberthwaite (paid) — at the start of Wetherlam by Birk Fell

Quarry car park for Wetherlam and the Tilberthwaite fells. It runs a long way along the road with no single entrance: use the marked parking without blocking the road or gateways. The National Trust's own free car park is across the gill, by the farm track. Fees: pay by app only (no cash), RingGo location 37331 (LDNPA, checked August 2026).

Directions Something changed here?

Walna Scar Road, Coniston (paid, rough track) — at the start of The Coniston Horseshoe

High paid car park above Coniston — Old Man, Dow Crag, Brown Pike with a head start. Fees: pay and display; cards only; RingGo ID 37321 (LDNPA, checked August 2026).

Directions Something changed here?

Coniston Bridge (~1414 m straight line) Coniston Ruskin Avenue Car Park (~1569 m straight line)

4 more places to park near Wetherlam

Tilberthwaite (NT, free) — 1.8 km from summit (straight line)

The National Trust's car park at Low Tilberthwaite, by the farm track, across the gill from the National Park's paid car park; for Wetherlam and the Tilberthwaite fells. Free (National Trust).

Directions Something changed here?

Wrynose Fell - Long Crag (verge, west) — 1.9 km from summit (straight line)

1.2 km from Wrynose Fell - Long Crag.

Directions Something changed here?

Wrynose Fell - Long Crag (verge, east) — 1.9 km from summit (straight line)

1.1 km from Wrynose Fell - Long Crag.

Directions Something changed here?

Three Shire Stone, Wrynose Pass (verge) — 1.9 km from summit (straight line)

High-level start for Pike o' Blisco, Cold Pike, Wet Side Edge and the Greenburn fells.

Directions Something changed here?

Positions are approximate.

Of the pay-and-display machine tickets sold at Coniston Old Station from 17 August 2024 to 31 March 2026, 33% were bought before 10am (our count of FOI/2026.500 ticket data). Contains public sector information provided by the Lake District National Park Authority and licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

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 505 stops at Coniston, outside The Ruskin Centre, a 520 m walk and 39 m of ascent from the start of Coniston Old Man Round — a route we rate Severe overall (hardest: steepness). As timetabled from 27 October to 1 November. Towards Kendal (505): Tuesday to Sunday 20:24. Checked against the operator’s timetable, 12 September 2026. Times here are a guide, not a promise — leave yourself more than the minute.

Stagecoach 505 “Coniston Rambler”

Windermere – Ambleside – Skelwith Bridge – Hawkshead – Coniston

Catch it from: Windermere · Ambleside

Daily in season (reduced winter service). Best access for the Coniston fells (Old Man, Wetherlam group).

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 Wetherlam

Hazard & Incident Information for Wetherlam

Checked by Lee McCoy, 13 June 2026. Draws on published material from Coniston Mountain Rescue Team. Editorial background, not a live callout feed.

Hazard: Moderate

A fell heavily worked by centuries of copper and slate mining on its Coniston and Tilberthwaite flanks. The walking is rough rather than technical, but the fell is dotted with open shafts, levels and unstable spoil, and its sprawling shape — with several ridges fanning out from the summit — makes it a genuine navigation puzzle in cloud. Coniston Mountain Rescue Team covers it.

Disused mine shafts, levels and spoil: Open and partly hidden shafts, adits and quarry holes are scattered across the fell, especially on the Tilberthwaite and Coppermines flanks. Some are deep, unfenced and concealed by grass or heather. Never enter a level or approach the lip of a shaft, keep children and dogs close, and don't wander off-path among the workings — particularly in mist or fading light.
Complex ridge navigation in cloud: Several ridges (Wetherlam Edge, Steel Edge, Lad Stones and the link toward Swirl How) radiate from the broad summit. In cloud it is easy to start down the wrong arm and end up cliffed out or in the wrong valley. Take and trust a compass bearing off the top.
Steep, rough flanks and Tilberthwaite Gill: The flanks are steep, rocky and broken, with crags above the Greenburn and Tilberthwaite sides. Tilberthwaite Gill is dramatic and slippery. Loose ground near old quarry edges can give way — keep back from edges.

Who should attempt this fell: Wetherlam is a rewarding rough walk, but treat the old mine workings with real respect: stay on the paths, never enter a level or peer into a shaft, and keep clear of unstable spoil edges. Its biggest navigational trap is the descent — pick the correct ridge by compass before leaving the summit, especially in cloud. Keep well back from the edges of the flooded quarries lower down.

What to watch for: Falls into or near disused mine shafts and quarry holes · Wrong-ridge descents off the sprawling summit in poor visibility · Slips on steep, loose or rocky flanks and around old workings · People exploring flooded quarries and mine levels coming to grief

Local Mountain Rescue: Coniston 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)

A note on Church Beck (with Red Dell Beck & Levers Water)

Church Beck (with Red Dell Beck & Levers Water) runs below the old Coniston copper mines and carries mine-derived copper and zinc — enough to matter for river life. In Environment Agency samples taken near our routes Coniston Old Man Round and The Coniston Horseshoe between 2009 and 2024, no sample put lead or cadmium, the metals that matter for people, above the drinking limit. That is a record of past sampling, not a test of the water today. Treat any hill water before drinking (an ordinary hiking filter won’t remove dissolved metals); don’t single this beck out as a clean fill-up.

What’s actually in this beck — we mapped every mine-fed one →

Metal-mine water data © Environment Agency (Open Government Licence v3.0).

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 Wetherlam 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 Wetherlam

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

0.6 km SWBlack Sails745 m · Southern

0.9 km NEBirk Fell Man - Birk Fell528 m · Southern

1.2 km ENEHawk Rigg441 m · Southern

1.3 km ENEHaystacks (Tilberthwaite)423 m · Southern

1.3 km EBlake Rigg (Tilberthwaite)423 m · Southern

1.3 km ENEHigh Fell (Hawk Rigg)428 m · Southern

1.8 km NEGreat Intake - Low Fell408 m · Southern

1.8 km WNWLittle Carrs692 m · Southern

1.9 km SWGreat How (Swirl Band)775 m · Southern

1.9 km WNWHell Gill Pike662 m · Southern

2.0 km SEBrackeny Crag364 m · Southern

2.3 km SSEKitty Crag435 m · Southern

2.3 km SELow Wythow372 m · Southern

2.4 km SSELong Crag - Yewdale Fells421 m · Southern

2.4 km SSEHigh Wythow410 m · Southern

2.8 km NBlake Rigg (Little Langdale)535 m · Southern

3.0 km NNWWrynose Fell - Long Crag547 m · Southern

Routes over Wetherlam

The Coniston Horseshoe

Summits: WetherlamSwirl How Great Carrs Grey Friar Brim Fell The Old Man of Coniston (Coniston Old Man)Dow Crag Buck Pike - Seathwaite Fell Brown Pike

Lee walked it Wetherlam-first, from Miners Bridge to Dow Crag; the start from the car park and the southern end over Buck Pike, Brown Pike and the Walna Scar Road finish are from the map — the full Coniston round over all the major tops, a long and serious mountain day. The trickiest navigation is the Grey Friar–Calf Cove–Levers Hawse traverse and the Lad Stones ground; carry OS Explorer OL6 and a compass for the clag.

Download GPX Walked in part, August 2024 · km 0.0–1.1, km 15.8–20.8 from the map

Warnings: Prison Band, the rocky climb from Swirl Hawse onto Swirl How, is steep and eroded with the ground falling away both sides — care needed in mist or wind. Dow Crag's summit sits above a serious east face over Goat's Water — keep slightly right (west) of the top as you climb south from Goat's Hawse and well back from the gullies and edge, especially in poor visibility. The Grey Friar → Calf Cove → Levers Hawse leg is largely pathless and the round's hardest navigation — careful map-and-compass work in clag. The short final climb to Dow Crag from Goat's Hawse has scrambly steps with moderate exposure — stay on the path and away from the edge. Great Carrs sits among a confusing tangle of high paths — Swirl How, the Prison Band, Wet Side Edge and Wrynose. In mist it is easy to take the wrong ridge or drift toward the eastern edge. Navigate by compass. Grey Friar stands off the main ridge and its paths are faint; the ground between it and Swirl How is awkward, and one onward line from Swirl How appears to head straight over a cliff face. In mist it is easy to lose the route or drift onto steep ground. Navigate by compass and don't trust a vague trod. Great Carrs: Right by the summit the ground drops suddenly in crags and steep scree into the Greenburn corrie — the aircraft memorial sits on this very brink. In wind or cloud keep well back from the edge; the flat top gives almost no warning before the drop.

From the hazard notes for Great Carrs, each with its sources.

Route guide: The Coniston Horseshoe →

Coniston Old Man Round

Summits: The Old Man of Coniston (Coniston Old Man)Brim Fell Grey Friar Great Carrs Swirl HowWetherlam

Download GPX Walked by Lee, August 2024

Best season: Any season in good conditions; rough and rocky, with old mine workings to keep clear of.

Warnings: Disused mine shafts and quarry spoil on the flanks, especially toward the Coppermines valley — keep to the paths. The high ridge is exposed and the broad tops need care in cloud. Grey Friar stands off the main ridge and its paths are faint; the ground between it and Swirl How is awkward, and one onward line from Swirl How appears to head straight over a cliff face. In mist it is easy to lose the route or drift onto steep ground. Navigate by compass and don't trust a vague trod. A steep, stony scramble of a ridge linking Swirl How to Swirl Hawse and Wetherlam. Awkward and tiring, especially descending, and parties are often caught out here at dusk. Allow plenty of daylight, take the rock carefully, and do not underestimate it as 'just a path'. The Coniston-facing side of Brim Fell is all crag, with a spur ending in the broken cliffs of Raven Tor. The rounded grassy top gives little sign of the edge — in mist or wind it is easy to drift east onto steep, dangerous ground. Keep to the crest and well back from the eastern rim.

Route guide: Coniston Old Man Round →

Wetherlam by Birk Fell

Summits: Birk Fell Man - Birk FellWetherlam

The start is the National Trust car park at Low Tilberthwaite, the start of The Tilberthwaite Birketts too; the last kilometre or so comes down the same path beside Tilberthwaite Gill.

Download GPX Planned route · not yet walked

Warnings: The climb from Birk Fell Hawse to the top of Wetherlam is steep and on rock: about 39% sustained near 2.6 km, on paths OpenStreetMap maps with a rock surface, beside the crags it names Wetherlam Edge. OpenStreetMap marks the path between about 4.6 and 5.2 km, on the steep descent to a ford, as very hard to see on the ground, and the path between about 1.5 and 1.8 km as hard to see. Old mine workings are mapped beside the line, among them the Borlase Upper Copper Mine about 30 m from it near 1.8 km, the Wetherlam Copper Mine about 35 m near 6.65 km and the Tilberthwaite Tunnel adit about 13 m near 7.75 km. Keep to the paths and away from any opening. About 1.3 km of the line, in three pieces, follows paths that OpenStreetMap does not record as public rights of way: below Hawk Rigg (about 1.1 to 1.45 km), just below the top (about 3.1 to 3.35 km) and part of the descent (about 3.9 to 4.6 km). The rest is public footpath and, at the start, Tilberthwaite Road. That is a map-data note, not a ruling on access: check the access land and rights of way maps before relying on this stretch.

Route guide: Wetherlam by Birk Fell →

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.

On the hill: terrain and water on Wetherlam

Water & shelter on the way up

On the The Coniston Horseshoe route:

shelter (weather shelter, mapped, not checked; 7 m off the line)

On the Coniston Old Man Round route:

The Ruskin Centre (321 m from the start, straight line) John Ruskin School (W bound) (345 m from the start, straight line) The Crown Inn (353 m from the start, straight line) The Crown Hotel (367 m from the start, straight line)

On-route facilities © OpenStreetMap contributors, per route — an absent marker doesn’t mean none.

About Wetherlam

Its position above the Tilberthwaite and Yewdale valleys gives it a unique perspective looking north-east. The ascent from Coniston or Tilberthwaite Ghyll is excellent — steep in places, with interesting mine workings on the approach. Combined naturally with Swirl How and Black Sails for the full Coniston circuit, or climbed alone from Little Langdale for a shorter outing. A fell of real character and outstanding views.

Field notes

Most people visit Wetherlam as part of a circular route from Coniston over to the Old Man and back down again, and given there's not much of a resting spot between the start and this summit, this is a great place to take a breather. It's very much a craggy affair, so you'll be able to find a spot to perch and admire the views down to Castle How, or into Dry Cove Bottom - which by all accounts isn't all that dry.

— Lee McCoy, who walked it on 2 of our routes

My Strava hikes over Wetherlam

1 logged hike pass over this summit:

Awesome trek up Wetherlam, Swirl How, Great Carrs, Grey Friars, Brim Fell, Dow Crag & Old Man of Coniston. (opens in new tab) — 19.2 km · 1417 m ascent · 5h 34m moving · 31 August 2024

Data from Strava.

Classifications & hill data

Is Wetherlam a Wainwright?

Wetherlam is a Wainwright. It is also on the Birkett list, the Synge list, the Nuttall list, the Fellranger list, the HuMP list and the Hewitt list.

Selected lists

763 m

Height

2,503 ft

In feet

NY 2881 0111

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 Wetherlam

The 360° skyline from Wetherlam

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: Helvellyn (15 km), Helvellyn Lower Man (15 km), Watson's Dodd (19 km), Little Dodd (20 km), Great Dodd (20 km), Knowe Crags (26 km), Gategill Fell Top (26 km), Skiddaw Lesser Man (26 km), Blencathra (27 km), Skiddaw Little Man (27 km), Skiddaw South Top (28 km), Skiddaw Middle Top (28 km), Skiddaw (28 km), Skiddaw North Top (28 km)
North-east: Dove Crag (13 km), Fairfield (13 km), Hart Crag (13 km), Dollywaggon Pike (13 km), High Crag (14 km), Nethermost Pike (14 km), High Street (18 km), Rampsgill Head (20 km), High Raise (20 km)
South-west: Brim Fell (3 km), The Old Man of Coniston (4 km)
North-west: Crinkle Crags South Top (5 km), Crinkle Crags (5 km), Crinkle Crags (6 km), Crinkle Crags (6 km), Shelter Crags (6 km), Bowfell (7 km), Ill Crag (9 km), Allen Crags (9 km), Scafell Pike (10 km), Broad Crag (10 km), Great End (10 km), Scafell (10 km), Crag Hill (22 km), Grasmoor (22 km), Grisedale Pike (23 km)

On the clearest days the far horizon adds: Aran Fawddwy (184 km, Wales), Moel Siabod (158 km, Wales), Arenig Fawr (170 km, Wales), Tinto (137 km, Scotland), Green Lowther (118 km, Scotland), Pendle Hill (79 km, England), Moel y Gamelin (155 km, Wales), Divis (191 km, Ireland).

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 Wetherlam

Wetherlam sits close to the flat-horizon case. Even on its longest wait of the modelled year (on 1 August) first light is only 1 minute 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	04:36 BST ±5.0 min	04:38	-2 min
Equinox	06:13 GMT ±5.0 min	06:15	-2 min
Midwinter	08:26 GMT ±5.0 min	08:32	-6 min

A low, open northern horizon — the ground falls away northwards (mean 0.01°).

Last light — when the sun leaves Wetherlam

The evening here runs close to the flat-horizon case. Even on its earliest evening of the modelled year (on 1 June) last light is only 12 minutes before almanac sunset, so the published sunset time is a fair guide on Wetherlam.

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	21:42 BST ±5.0 min	21:52	-10 min
Equinox	18:32 GMT ±5.0 min	18:26	+6 min
Midwinter	15:58 GMT ±5.0 min	15:50	+8 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 Wetherlam

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

98Wainwrights in view+12 marginal

53 kmFurthest sightlineIngleborough

2Sea in viewIrish Sea, Morecambe Bay

Far horizons

Ingleborough Yorkshire DalesESE · 53 km clear
Cross Fell North PenninesNE · 52 km clear
Whernside Yorkshire DalesESE · 49 km clear
Irish Sea open waterW · 49 km in view
Morecambe Bay bay/estuaryS · 27 km in view

All 98 Wainwrights in clear view (nearest first)

Swirl How, Great Carrs, Holme Fell, Grey Friar, Brim Fell, Pike of Blisco, Cold Pike, The Old Man of Coniston (Coniston Old Man), Lingmoor Fell (Brown How), Black Fell, Crinkle Crags - Long Top (Second Crinkle), Hard Knott, Loft Crag, Harrison Stickle, Pike of Stickle, Silver How, Pavey Ark, Bowfell, Thunacar Knott, Blea Rigg, Loughrigg Fell, Rossett Pike, Sergeant Man, Tarn Crag (Easedale), High Raise (High White Stones), Slight Side, Allen Crags, Nab Scar, Helm Crag, Calf Crag, Gibson Knott, Scafell Pike, Great End, Scafell, Heron Pike (Rydal), Stone Arthur, Glaramara, Steel Fell (Dead Pike - Steel Fell), Low Pike, Ullscarf, Great Rigg, High Pike (Scandale), Seat Sandal, Rosthwaite Fell - Bessyboot, Baystones (Wansfell), Illgill Head, Dove Crag, Fairfield, Hart Crag, Dollywaggon Pike, Red Screes, Grey Knotts, Middle Dodd, Whin Rigg (Wasdale), Sour Howes, Nethermost Pike, Helvellyn, Middle Fell, Sallows, Stony Cove Pike (Caudale Moor), Yoke, High Spy, Ill Bell, Hartsop Dodd, Froswick, Thornthwaite Crag, Robinson, High Street, Mardale Ill Bell, The Knott (High Street), Harter Fell (Mardale), Kentmere Pike, Watson's Dodd, Rest Dodd, Shipman Knotts, Rampsgill Head, Kidsty Pike, Great Dodd, High Raise (High Street), Causey Pike, Wandope, Tarn Crag (Sleddale), Crag Hill (Eel Crag), Grey Crag (Sleddale Fell), Clough Head, Grasmoor, Grisedale Pike, Lonscale Fell, Blencathra - Hallsfell Top, Skiddaw Little Man, Carl Side, Long Side, Ullock Pike, Skiddaw, Bannerdale Crags, Great Calva, Knott, Binsey

How the view from Wetherlam 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 Wetherlam. 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

Bank Ground Farm (opens in new tab) guest houseabout 2.7 km

Also nearby, but not independent

Coniston Holly How YHA (opens in new tab) hostelabout 1.7 km
YHA Coppermines (opens in new tab) hostelabout 1.6 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 Wetherlam

Is Wetherlam hard to climb? Answered above.

What is the easiest route up Wetherlam?

The gentlest line is the Lad Stones ridge from Coniston (via the Coppermines Valley) — fairly well-defined paths and little rock, climbing steadily to the summit. The Tilberthwaite approach up Steel Edge is shorter but steeper and rockier; Wetherlam Edge, the north-east ridge above Greenburn, is rocky too.

It's also a fine part of the bigger Coniston round over Swirl How and the Old Man.

How long does it take to climb Wetherlam? Answered above: Routes up Wetherlam.

Are the old mines on Wetherlam dangerous?

Yes — Wetherlam's flanks were heavily mined, and (especially toward Tilberthwaite and the Coppermines Valley) they are dotted with disused copper levels, slate quarries, open shafts and unstable spoil, some deep and unfenced.

Stay on the paths, never enter a mine level or approach the lip of a shaft, keep clear of quarry edges and spoil, and keep children and dogs close — particularly in mist or fading light.

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

Is it easy to get lost on Wetherlam?

It can be — the summit is broad and several ridges (Wetherlam Edge, Steel Edge, Lad Stones, and the link to Swirl How) fan out from it, so in cloud it's easy to start down the wrong one and end up in the wrong valley or above steep ground.

Take a compass bearing off the top before you descend, and don't rely on following a vague trod. The flanks are steep and rocky in places.

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

Is Wetherlam suitable for beginners?

A fit beginner can manage Wetherlam by the Lad Stones ridge in good conditions — it's rough but not technical. The things to watch are the old mine workings on the flanks and the navigation off the sprawling summit.

Pick a clear day, keep to the paths and away from the mines, carry a map and compass, and choose your descent ridge carefully. Save the steeper Tilberthwaite Edges for when you're surer of rocky ground.

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

What should I wear and take up Wetherlam?

Wear proper walking boots for the rough, rocky, sometimes boggy ground, and carry warm and waterproof layers — the summit is exposed. Take a map and compass (essential for choosing the right ridge off the broad top), water, food and a charged phone, and check the mountain forecast.

Keep clear of the old mine workings, and treat the rocky ground and Edges as full winter terrain when there's snow or ice.

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

Questions from Google’s “People also ask”. · Last updated 2026-06-14 · Suggest a question or correction (opens in new tab)

Wetherlam

Summit conditions on Wetherlam

Wind on the top

Rain, and the becks

Routes up Wetherlam

Is Wetherlam hard to climb?

Conditions and 7-day summit forecast

Parking & buses for Wetherlam

Parking

Buses

Hazards on Wetherlam

Hazard & Incident Information for Wetherlam

A note on Church Beck (with Red Dell Beck & Levers Water)

Navigating in cloud

If you need Mountain Rescue

Map, GPX and nearby Birketts

Birketts within 3 km of Wetherlam

Routes over Wetherlam

On the hill: terrain and water on Wetherlam

Water & shelter on the way up

About Wetherlam

Field notes

My Strava hikes over Wetherlam

Classifications & hill data

Is Wetherlam a Wainwright?

Selected lists

The view from Wetherlam

The 360° skyline from Wetherlam

Sunrise and sunset on Wetherlam

Last light — when the sun leaves Wetherlam

What you can see from Wetherlam

Places to stay near this fell

Frequently asked questions about Wetherlam

Other fells near Wetherlam