Hill data: The Database of British and Irish Hills v18.6 (CC BY 4.0)Height469 m1,539 ft
Grid RefNY 21464 26739
OS MapOL4OS Explorer
BookNorth Western FellsBook 6
Barf has a steep face of scree and loose crag dropping towards Bassenthwaite Lake, and low on it stands the Bishop of Barf, a whitewashed rock now kept painted by Keswick Mountain Rescue. Legend says a bishop died here after a drunken bet to ride up the hill, though the real bishop died in Italy 20 years later. The top, a shattered cairn on rock, looks across the lake to Skiddaw.
New to the Wainwrights?Read our guide: What Are The Wainwrights?Summit
Shattered cairn on rock
Rock & Ground
Greywacke sandstone, with a steep scree and loose-crag eastern face and a grassy top.
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BirkettSyngeFellranger
Summit Weather
Our Route
Distance7.6 mi12.3 km
Ascent560 m1,840 ft
Time4hwalking
Start & FinishWhinlatter - Forestry Commission car parkNY 2079 2446 · circular route
DirectionsAlso on this route: Lord's Seat, Whinlatter, Broom Fell
Safety: Routes are a guide only. Carry a map and compass and know how to use them, check the weather before you go, and turn back if in doubt. You use this route at your own risk.
