Hill data: The Database of British and Irish Hills v18.6 (CC BY 4.0)Height481.2 m1,579 ft
Grid RefNY 40762 21821
OS MapOL5OS Explorer
BookEastern FellsBook 1
Gowbarrow Fell rises above the north shore of Ullswater, and its rocky top, Airy Crag, has an Ordnance Survey trig pillar and looks across to Blencathra and the Dodds. The name is thought to mean 'windy hill' from Old Norse. The fell was once part of a medieval hunting park, and in 1802 William and Dorothy Wordsworth saw the daffodils by Ullswater that inspired 'I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud'.
New to the Wainwrights?Read our guide: What Are The Wainwrights?Summit
Trig point
Rock & Ground
Andesite lava on a heathery, boggy plateau of small rocky knolls, mudstone lower down.
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Summit Weather
Our Route
Distance11.4 mi18.3 km
Ascent830 m2,720 ft
Time6hwalking
Start & FinishHigh Cascades car parkNY 3968 2107 · circular route
DirectionsAlso on this route: Great Mell Fell, Little Mell 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.
