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

Wainwright — North Western FellsAlso a Birkett

Whinlatter (Brown How - Whinlatter)

Whinlatter at 525m (1,722ft) is the fell above Whinlatter Pass — the broad, wooded ridge between Braithwaite and Lorton — its open summit giving views west to the coast and north to Bassenthwaite Lake.

517 m
Height
~2.5–3 h
Typical time
+9
Bonus Birketts
See routes & download GPX →

Home › Fells › Whinlatter (Brown How - Whinlatter)

Written and walked by Lee McCoy · Last reviewed

517 mWainwright — North Western Fells✓ summit is also a Birkett+9 bonus Birketts within 3 km Straightforward in cloud

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

Modelled guidance for the 517 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, 3.1 mm of rain forecast.

Tue 28 Jul
🌦️
15° / 14°
💨 34 mph
🌧 3.1 mm (99%)
Wed 29 Jul
🌧️
16° / 12°
💨 29 mph
🌧 12.0 mm (100%)
Thu 30 Jul
🌧️
13° / 5°
💨 30 mph
🌧 2.3 mm (87%)
Fri 31 Jul
🌤️
15° / 2°
💨 23 mph
🌧 0.0 mm (86%)
Sat 1 Aug
🌦️
15° / 4°
💨 15 mph
🌧 1.5 mm (82%)
Sun 2 Aug
🌤️
16° / 3°
💨 16 mph
🌧 0.0 mm (35%)
Mon 3 Aug
🌦️
16° / 6°
💨 16 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 517 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

Whinlatter (Brown How - Whinlatter)

Whinlatter (Brown How - Whinlatter), a Lake District fell
Photo: Mick Knapton, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Whinlatter at 525m (1,722ft) is the fell above Whinlatter Pass — the broad, wooded ridge between Braithwaite and Lorton — its open summit giving views west to the coast and north to Bassenthwaite Lake. Wainwright noted the unusual character of this heavily forested fell and the fine views from its summit. The Whinlatter Forest Park below offers excellent waymarked cycling and walking trails. Most naturally combined with Lord's Seat for a circuit of the Whinlatter fells.

Routes up Whinlatter (Brown How - Whinlatter)

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

Whinlatter Loop
13.6 km · ~3.8 hr
Classifications & hill data
Wainwright
North Western
Birkett
Fellranger
Synge
517 m
Height
1,696 ft
In feet
NY 1911 2513
Grid ref

Map & nearby Birketts

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

Nearest parking: Whinlatter Visitor Centre (paid), about 1.4 km from the summit (straight line). Full parking, toilets and bus details are below.

Birketts near Whinlatter (Brown How - Whinlatter) (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.

0.6 km ESEWhinlatter Top525 m · North Western
1.5 km ETarbarrel Moss493 m · North Western
1.7 km SSEHobcarton End634 m · North Western
1.8 km NWGraystones455 m · North Western
1.9 km SWSwinside509 m · North Western
2.0 km ENEUllister Hill525 m · North Western
2.3 km ENESeat How (Thornthwaite)495 m · North Western
2.3 km NWKirk Fell (Lorton)437 m · Western
2.5 km SSWLadyside Pike704 m · North Western

Routes over Whinlatter (Brown How - Whinlatter)

Whinlatter LoopRevised
13.56 km · ~671 m ascent · loop · ~3.5–5 h
Summits: GraystonesGraystones (Graystones North Top)Broom FellLord's SeatBarfWhinlatter TopWhinlatter (Brown How - Whinlatter)

⬇️ 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 Whinlatter (Brown How - Whinlatter)

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 Whinlatter (Brown How - Whinlatter)32 labelled tops shown (17 distant behind the far-horizon toggle). Theoretical visibility in perfect clarity; computed from terrain, not photographed.eye levelNNEESESSWWNWHelvellyn · 18 kmSkiddaw · 8 kmRaise · 17 kmBlencathra · 14 kmSkiddaw Little Man · 8 kmGreat Dodd · 16 kmGrasmoor · 5 kmCrag Hill · 5 kmGrisedale Pike · 3 kmGreat Rigg · 22 kmSand Hill · 3 kmClough Head · 14 kmUllscarf · 16 kmWhiteside · 4 kmGreat Sca Fell · 13 kmBlake Fell · 10 kmGreat Mell Fell · 21 kmGavel Fell · 10 kmBroom Fell · 2 kmCriffel · 44 km · clear daysWhiteside East Top · 3 kmBurnbank Fell · 9 kmLord's Seat · 2 kmBengairn · 51 km · clear daysGraystones · 2 kmBinsey · 11 kmSighty Crag · 69 km · clear daysFellbarrow · 6 kmSourfoot Fell · 6 kmLing Fell · 4 kmGreen How · 14 kmCaermote Hill · 12 kmSkiddaw South Top · 8 kmCatstye Cam · 18 kmHigh Crag · 19 kmStybarrow Dodd · 16 kmBroad End · 8 kmEel Crag · 4 kmJenkin Hill · 9 kmGasgale Crags · 3 kmCausey Pike · 5 kmHeron Pike North Top · 23 kmStanding Crag · 16 kmHopegill Head · 3 kmLittle Mell Fell · 23 kmHobcarton Crag · 3 kmLadyside Pike · 2 kmTarbarrel Moss · 2 kmKirk Fell · 2 kmLittle Meldrum · 23 kmSmithy Fell · 6 kmHatteringill Head · 6 kmBengray · 66 km · clear daysCalkin Rig · 63 km · clear daysBainloch Hill · 44 km · clear daysGrange Fell · 57 km · clear daysKillyleoch Hill · 65 km · clear daysWhite Hill · 60 km · clear daysSlieve Donard · 180 km · a handful of days a yearMerrick · 97 km · a rare clear daySnaefell · 88 km · a rare clear dayCairnsmore of Carsphairn · 94 km · a rare clear dayCairnsmore of Fleet · 81 km · a rare clear dayTinto · 112 km · a rare clear daySlieve Croob · 179 km · a handful of days a yearGreen Lowther · 92 km · a rare clear dayWhite Coomb · 90 km · a rare clear dayEttrick Pen · 82 km · a rare clear dayCairn Table · 110 km · a rare clear dayCairnharrow · 73 km · a rare clear dayWisp Hill · 77 km · a rare clear dayRoan Fell · 73 km · a rare clear dayBlackcraig Hill · 98 km · a rare clear dayPeel Fell · 86 km · a rare clear dayLaw Kneis · 88 km · a rare clear day
What you can see from Whinlatter (Brown How - Whinlatter), by direction
  • North-east: Skiddaw South Top (8 km), Skiddaw Middle Top (8 km), Skiddaw (8 km), Skiddaw North Top (8 km), Broad End (8 km), Great Sca Fell (13 km)
  • East: Skiddaw Little Man (8 km), Skiddaw Lesser Man (8 km), Jenkin Hill (9 km), Knowe Crags (12 km), Gategill Fell Top (13 km), Blencathra (14 km), Atkinson Pike (14 km), Clough Head (14 km), Little Dodd (15 km), Watson's Dodd (16 km), Great Dodd (16 km), Randerside (16 km), Stybarrow Dodd (16 km)
  • South-east: Low Saddle (15 km), Coldbarrow Fell (16 km), Ullscarf (16 km), White Side (17 km), Raise (17 km), Helvellyn Lower Man (18 km), Helvellyn (18 km), Catstye Cam (18 km), Nethermost Pike (19 km), High Crag (19 km), Dollywaggon Pike (20 km), Seat Sandal (20 km), Fairfield (21 km), Great Rigg (22 km)
  • South: Grisedale Pike (3 km), Sand Hill (3 km), Eel Crag (4 km), Crag Hill (5 km), Grasmoor (5 km)
  • South-west: Gasgale Crags (3 km), Whiteside (4 km)

On the clearest days the far horizon adds: Slieve Donard (180 km, Ireland), Merrick (97 km, Scotland), Snaefell (88 km, Isle of Man), Cairnsmore of Carsphairn (94 km, Scotland), Cairnsmore of Fleet (81 km, Scotland), Corserine (93 km, Scotland), Lamachan Hill (92 km, Scotland), Tinto (112 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 (CC BY 4.0). See how we compute the view · and the summit intervisibility report below.

What you can see from Whinlatter (Brown How - Whinlatter)

On a clear day — computed sightlines, curvature- and refraction-corrected.
40Wainwrights in view+7 marginal
98 kmFurthest sightlineMerrick
2Sea in viewIrish Sea, Solway Firth

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

Far horizons
  • Merrick ScotlandNW · 98 km clear
  • Snaefell Isle of ManWSW · 88 km clear
  • Criffel ScotlandNNW · 44 km distant
  • Solway Firth bay/estuaryNW · 33 km in view
  • Irish Sea open waterW · 26 km in view
All 40 Wainwrights in clear view (nearest first)

Lord's Seat, Broom Fell, Grisedale Pike, Hopegill Head, Ling Fell, Whiteside (Whiteside West Top), Crag Hill (Eel Crag), Grasmoor, Causey Pike, Low Fell, Fellbarrow - Mosser Fell, Ullock Pike, Long Side, Carl Side, Skiddaw, Skiddaw Little Man, Latrigg, Burnbank Fell, Lonscale Fell, Blake Fell, Gavel Fell, Binsey, Bleaberry Fell, High Seat, Great Sca Fell, Blencathra - Hallsfell Top, Clough Head, Ullscarf, White Side, Raise, Helvellyn, Catstye Cam, Nethermost Pike, Dollywaggon Pike, Seat Sandal, Great Mell Fell, Fairfield, Great Rigg, Little Mell Fell, Heron Pike (Rydal)

How Whinlatter (Brown How - Whinlatter)’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 Whinlatter (Brown How - Whinlatter)

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

Whinlatter Visitor Centre (paid) — 1.4 km from summit (straight line)
Forest centre — Lord's Seat, Barf, Whinlatter fells, Grisedale Pike's back route.
Directions
🚺 Whinlatter Forest Park Centre (120m) — Free☕ The Cottage in the Wood☕ Cafe Ambio
Braithwaite village (roadside/small areas) — 4.1 km from summit (straight line)
Start of the Coledale Horseshoe: Grisedale Pike, Causey Pike round.
Directions
🚺 Braithwaite, Keswick (229m) — Free☕ Middle Ruddings☕ Ivy House☕ Jasper's🍺 Royal Oak🍺 Coledale Inn

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 Whinlatter (Brown How - Whinlatter) from Penrith / Ambleside / Windermere

Stagecoach 77 / 77A “Honister Rambler”
Keswick – Portinscale – Hawse End (Catbells) – Grange – Seatoller – Honister Pass – Buttermere – Lorton – Whinlatter – Keswick (circular)
Catch it from: Keswick (connect via 555 from Windermere/Ambleside or X4/X5 from Penrith)
Seasonal (roughly Easter–October). Brilliant for the North Western fells: Catbells, Dale Head from Honister, the Buttermere fells and Whinlatter.
Stagecoach X4 / X5
Penrith – Rheged – Threlkeld – Keswick – Braithwaite – Cockermouth – Workington
Catch it from: Penrith
Year-round, frequent. From Penrith this is your way into Keswick and the Northern fells — Threlkeld/Scales stops serve Blencathra directly, Braithwaite serves the Coledale fells.

Rural routes change seasonally — confirm on stagecoachbus.com or Traveline before relying on a last bus.

My hikes over Whinlatter (Brown How - Whinlatter) (Strava)

1 logged hike pass over this summit:

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

Navigating Whinlatter (Brown How - Whinlatter) in cloud

Straightforward

A broad, gently-sloping top with little to steer by — easy to lose your bearings and hard to relocate in mist. 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 Whinlatter (Brown How - Whinlatter) 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 Whinlatter (Brown How - Whinlatter)

Maps & guidebooks for Whinlatter (Brown How - Whinlatter)

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