The Southern Fells

Holme Fell

The (generally accepted) Wainwright top at Holme Fell (not the true summit), looking north with Great Intake in the middle distance on the left. In the distance the Langdale Pikes and Lingmoor Fell appear on the left with Helvellyn and Fairfield on the right.
Photograph taken: 29th August 2021

The (generally accepted) Wainwright top at Holme Fell (not the true summit), looking north with Great Intake in the middle distance on the left. In the distance the Langdale Pikes and Lingmoor Fell appear on the left with Helvellyn and Fairfield on the right.
Photograph taken: 29th August 2021
The cairn at the Wainwright top of Holme Fell, looking south to the true summit, which appears to the right of Coniston Water.
Photograph taken: 29th August 2021
The true summit at Holme Fell marked with a few stones (which come and go). This view looks south-west towards Coniston and Coniston Water, with the Yewdale Fells on the right.
Photograph taken: 21st May 2017
Just a few stones marked the true summit at Holme Fell when this photograph was taken. This view looks north-west to the disused quarries on Great Intake, with Pike o'Blisco on the left and the Langdale Pikes on the right.
Photograph taken: 21st May 2017
The large cairn at Ivy Crag, looking north-west to Lingmoor Fell and the Langdale Pikes. Pike o'Blisco is on the far left, above the disused quarries at Great Intake.
Photograph taken: 21st May 2017

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Location map for Holme Fell

Wainwright top at Holme Fell

Context

Holme Fell is a Wainwright in The Southern Fells area of the Lake District National Park.

Location

Grid Ref: NY 31531 00657
BNG e,n: 331531,500657
Lat/long: 54.396759,-3.056086
GeoJSON: [-3.056086,54.396759]
///W3W: stick.quintet.afterglow
Feature: cairn on rock outcrop

Elevation

Height: 317m / 1,040ft
Drop: 168.0m
Rank: 213 / 214

Details

Locating Wainwright tops

It's easy to make the mistake of thinking that the Wainwright top is at the true summit of a fell. For many fells in the 214, this is not the case. Wainwright often chose a top because of its aspect or view rather than its height. This is what sometimes makes finding the Wainwright tops so confusing.

Locating a top is also complicated by the fact that features change over time. Cairns come and go, some grow and some shrink, fence posts are added or removed. Although the summit sketches in Wainwright's guides and the photographs in this guide are useful aids for identification, the features shown are subject to change, especially on popular fells. See Fleetwith Pike for an example of how cairns change.

Important: The accuracy of GPS on smartphones is ±5m at best but could be as much as 8m out. Please bear this in mind when using the location data.

Notes

The location of the Wainwright top at this fell is ambiguous. What is not in doubt is that Wainwright's summit sketch (Holme Fell 3) is that of the true summit (NY 31503 00605). However, most authors (including Clive Hutchby) seem to prefer the cairn (NY 31531 00657), possibly because of Wainwright's description of the top as being, “in the middle of a summit-ridge” (the true summit is at the southern end of the ridge), and because of the location indicated on his sketch map.

As at other fells where the location of the Wainwright top is ambiguous, the diligent Wainwright bagger will want to visit both locations and since they are just 57m apart, the task is not difficult.

True summit

Grid Ref: NY 31503 00605
///W3W: mock.elders.clinic

Route planning

Fells

Black Fell: 5.6km; 303m; 1hr 36min

Details

There is one viable route from Holme Fell

The Wainwright guides indicate “ridge routes” from each fell and although this is useful, it doesn't always allow for effective route planning. The routes shown here are the Wainwright ridge routes (indicated with ) plus any other viable routes (indicated with ), not necessarily linked by a ridge. This list provides a more comprehensive network of potential routes that can be used when planning days out on the fells.

All routes have been plotted in the OS Maps app. The distance, ascent and time values are those given for the plotted routes. Time values are for moderately fit walkers without breaks. They should therefore be considered minimum values for the purposes of route planning.

Notes

Some authors suggest that Holme Fell can be linked with Wetherlam in a circular walk, but it's best saved for those times when you have just a few hours to spare or linked with Black Fell in a half-day walk.

Classification

DoBIH No

2673

Local

Birkett, Fellranger, Synge, Wainwright

Birkett: Lake District hills over 1,000ft listed in Bill Birkett's Complete Lakeland Fells. There are 541 Birketts, 211 are also Wainwrights.
Fellranger: Lake District hills included in Mark Richards' Fellranger walking series, a set of eight volumes inspired by the Wainwright guides. There are 230 Fellrangers, 209 are also Wainwrights. This is a curated list, not based on height criteria.
Synge: Lake District hills over 300m listed in Tim Synge's The Lakeland Summits. The book aims to list every significant summit over 300m in height within the National Park, 646 in total. It includes all 214 fells in Wainwright's Pictorial Guides, including Castle Crag at 290m.
Wainwright: Lake District hills included in volumes 1-7 of Wainwright's A Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells. There are 214 Wainwrights in all. This is a curated list, not based on height criteria.

National

300-399m TUMP, Marylin

300-399m TUMP: British hills that are 300-399m in height with at least 30m of drop. There are 11 Wainwrights in this class.
Marylin: British and Irish hills of any height with a drop of at least 150m on all sides. There are 39 Wainwrights in this class.

Notes

The Birkett top is at the main cairn. The Fellranger and Synge tops are at the true summit. The Wainwright top is either at the true summit or at the main cairn, depending on how you interpret his guide, but the consensus seems to be with the main cairn.

Geology

Bedrock

Lincomb Tarns Tuff Formation

BGS code

LTA

Type

Igneous (extrusive)

Age

449.0 – 458.4 Ma

Period

Ordovician

Parent

Borrowdale Volcanic Group

Details

Members, formations and groups

Member: A smaller unit of rock that shares common charateristics and features, often used in geology to describe specific layers within a formation.
Formation: A larger unit of rock that is distinct from other formations above and below. A formation may include two or more members.
Group: A stratigraphic unit that includes two or more associated formations that are usually contiguous or contain significant features in common.
Suite: A geological unit containing intrusive, highly deformed, or metamorthic rocks of the same type, lacking discernable stratification.
Complex: A geological unit containing intrusive, highly deformed, or metamorthic rocks of different types, lacking discernable stratification.

Notes

These igneous rocks are volcanic in origin. Gaseous and rich in silica, they form explosive flows of pyroclastic deposits. They may include thin tuff and sandstone interbeds. Component members are recognised in some areas e.g. Thirlmere Tuff Member. Tuff is a type of rock made of volcanic ash ejected during a volcanic eruption.

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