Birketts Around Devoke Water
Key facts
Difficulty profile
Five independent axes, not one score. “Desk” ratings come from maps and guidebooks, not yet walked — treat them as a guide, not a survey.
Daylight & turnaround
Daylight is short from October to February — check today’s sunrise and sunset before you set off, and carry a head-torch and spare batteries. On short days, decide your turn-back time before you start.
Why this matters: 78% of Mountain Rescue call-outs come after midday — the day runs out on the way home, not on the way up. See also walking in bad weather and today’s conditions.
1 White Pike (Birkby Fell)2 Woodend Height3 Yoadcastle4 Water Crag5 Rough Crag (Birker Moor)
Easy 82%Moderate 18%HardSevere
Free mapping: OpenTopoMap / OpenStreetMap (switch layers top-right).
This walk covers about 8.64 km with around 363 m of ascent, taking in 5 summits. The map above shows the line; the elevation profile and stage notes are below.
Access & barriers
Can a dog, a buggy or dodgy knees manage this route? A quick read from the gates and stiles mapped along the way.
- Buggy: Stiles or rough going on the route.
- Knees: A sustained ~19% descent around the 5.5 km mark — a little jarring on tired knees.
On the line: No barriers mapped on this line.
These are mapped barriers, from OpenStreetMap — coverage in the Lakes is good but not guaranteed complete. Spotted a stile or gate we’ve missed? Tell us (opens in new tab) and we’ll fix it. Barrier data as of 2026-08-08. Access data © OpenStreetMap contributors (via Overpass).
Pacing
| Summit | Cumulative | Ascent | Time (fast–steady) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1White Pike (Birkby Fell) | 3.2 km | 214 m | 0:59–1:19 |
| 2Woodend Height | 3.8 km | 253 m | 1:11–1:34 |
| 3Yoadcastle | 3.9 km | 254 m | 1:12–1:36 |
| 4Water Crag | 6.8 km | 325 m | 1:54–2:32 |
| 5Rough Crag (Birker Moor) | 7.6 km | 361 m | 2:08–2:50 |
| Finish | 8.6 km | 363 m | 2:20–3:06 |
Naismith-based estimate — a fast/steady range. Your pace will vary. These use Naismith’s textbook constants (5 km/h, 600 m of ascent an hour). Measured against a pace fitted to 41 recorded Lakeland walks they run about 8% slow, and we have left them that way deliberately: a slow estimate strands nobody.
The walk, stage by stage
- 1
Start → White Pike (Birkby Fell) (3.2 km, 214 m)
From the parking area on the Birker Fell road, pick up the rough moorland track heading south-west across the wide expanse of Birker Moor. Leaving the main track, head out onto the open, pathless fell, weaving through heathery hummocks and boggy depressions as you make a persistent, gentle climb up to the prominent rocky cairn on White Pike
WaypointsBirker Fell road (start), Birker Moor, Birkby Fell, White Pike summit (282m)
Decision pointDevoke Water to the north-west acts as a massive visual reference during the approach. Aiming for the distinct, dark rocky profile of White Pike on the horizon will keep you on course across the open moor
Easy to get wrongThe ground across Birkby Fell is notoriously wet and tussocky, making for slow going even on a gentle gradient. Hidden peat hags and waterlogged sphagnum beds lie in wait between the heather-clad bumps, while the faint sheep trods frequently dissolve into nothingness
If you need to get offTurn 180 degrees and retrace your line north-east across the moor to intersect the main gravel track leading straight back to the Birker Fell road
- 2
White Pike (Birkby Fell) → Woodend Height (0.6 km, 39 m)
Drop off the rocky crown of White Pike and head east along the lumpy, undulating crest of the ridge. Pick a line through small rocky outcrops and heathery saddles, making a brief pull up to the modest, stony knoll of Woodend Height
WaypointsWhite Pike descent, ridge saddle, Woodend Height summit (158m)
Decision pointThe line of rocky tors along the ridge provides a continuous visual handrail. Keep the drop towards the southern moorland on your right and the basin of Devoke Water away to your left
Easy to get wrongThis is a classic "Birkett-bagging" traverse across short, rough terrain where footpaths are practically non-existent. The ground between the outcrops is boggy, and the blocky volcanic rock can be slick underfoot when wet or coated in lichen
If you need to get offDrop down the gentle northern grassy slopes towards the shores of Devoke Water to meet the main bridleway that traces the lake
- 3
Woodend Height → Yoadcastle (0.1 km, 1 m)
From Woodend Height, step down into a tiny, grassy depression before immediately tackling the short, sharp rise onto the imposing, blocky summit tor of Yoadcastle—the highest point on this southern rim
WaypointsWoodend Height, Yoadcastle summit (487m)
Decision pointYoadcastle is the most prominent, craggy summit feature in the immediate area and is clearly visible right in front of you from Woodend Height
Easy to get wrongThough extremely short, reaching the summit cairn of Yoadcastle requires a few moves over blocky, exposed rock. The stone is grippy when dry but demands care when damp, especially in strong winds whipping across the open fell
If you need to get offSimply step back down off the rocky crown to the grassy saddle and descend northwards towards the Devoke Water track
- 4
Yoadcastle → Water Crag (2.9 km, 71 m)
Descend north-west from Yoadcastle, stepping down over broken ground into the wide, elevated moorland pass. From here, swing north-east around the eastern end of Devoke Water, picking your way across a sprawling, trackless expanse of bog and heather before making a gradual, gentle climb up to the summit cairn of Water Crag
WaypointsYoadcastle north-west slopes, Devoke Water (eastern end), Water Crag summit (305m)
Decision pointThe shoreline of Devoke Water serves as a continuous, unmistakable handrail to your left (west). In low visibility, maintain a strict compass bearing north-east from the end of the lake until Water Crag's rocky profile looms out of the mist
Easy to get wrongThis long traverse crosses some of the marshiest ground on Birker Moor. Crossing the feeder streams at the head of the lake requires care after heavy rain, and navigating the maze of peat hags demands frequent detours that can easily throw you off your bearing in thick clag
If you need to get offHead directly down to the northern shoreline of Devoke Water to intersect the clear, well-established gravel estate track, which provides an easy walk out to the road
- 5
Water Crag → Rough Crag (Birker Moor) (0.8 km, 35 m)
Leave Water Crag and head east across the undulating, heathery high ground of Birker Moor. Navigate through a series of minor rocky hummocks and grassy depressions to reach the small, craggy outcrop of Rough Crag
WaypointsWater Crag, Birker Moor plateau, Rough Crag summit
Decision pointKeep the main Devoke Water track in mind as a catching feature to the north-west. You can use the line of sight back to Water Crag and forward to the road boundary to judge your progress across the moor
Easy to get wrongThe terrain remains completely pathless and lumpy, filled with ankle-twisting concealed rocks hidden beneath heather and bracken. Navigation in hill fog requires close attention, as the numerous small crags look remarkably similar
If you need to get offDrop north off the ridge down the short, grassy bank directly onto the main Devoke Water access track
Rough Crag (Birker Moor) → Finish (1.0 km, 3 m)
Descend the gentle, grassy slopes east from Rough Crag, stepping down off the open moor to meet the main gravel track near the outlet of Devoke Water. Follow this clear, easy track as it leads straight back to the parking area on the Birker Fell road to complete the loop
WaypointsRough Crag descent, Devoke Water estate track, Birker Fell road (finish)
Decision pointThe broad gravel track and the distant line of the Birker Fell road are clearly visible ahead, offering a stress-free guide back to the start
Easy to get wrongThe descent is gentle and straightforward, though the grassy lower slopes can be slick after prolonged rainfall. Once on the gravel track, the walking is effortless
If you need to get offYou are already on the final, easy walk-out track leading directly to the road and transport options
Summits bagged (5)
- 1White Pike (Birkby Fell)442 m
- 2Woodend Height489 m
- 3Yoadcastle494 m
- 4Water Crag305 m
- 5Rough Crag (Birker Moor)319 m
In the order you walk them — the same numbers the elevation profile, the stage notes and the pacing table use.
Getting there & parking
Positions are approximate. Lakeland car parks fill before 9am on fine weekends.
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.
Every option near this start, on the parking map →
💧 No mapped drinking water or shelter on this route — that doesn’t mean there is none, and never drink untreated from a beck. (Facilities data © OpenStreetMap contributors.)
Buses
The nearest bus stop we hold is the 505 at Coniston, outside The Ruskin Centre, 17.3 km of walking from this start — not realistically reachable without a car.
Rural routes change seasonally — confirm on stagecoachbus.com (opens in new tab) or Traveline before travelling.
If the parking is full
There is no real plan B here. Every place we know beside this route serves the same walks and sits close together, so if one is full the others usually are too. Worth starting early, or having a different walk in mind before you set off.
- Devoke Water turning, Birker Fell road (verge)
- Rough Crag Birker Moor (verge, south)
Worked out from the parking we hold within walking reach of this route and the other walks each place serves — two places that serve the same walks fill for the same reasons. We are not saying whether anywhere has spaces today, and we never will: this is what exists, not what is free.
Safety & conditions
Check live conditions in the “From the fells” panel, on MWIS (opens in new tab) and the Met Office mountain forecast (opens in new tab) before you set off.
Make it easier or harder
Short version: turn back at about 3.8 km (drop to Start) — roughly half the distance.