Birkhouse Moor

Birkhouse Moor is a fell in the Lake District’s Eastern Fells, treated as a separate fell by Alfred Wainwright in his guide. It forms an eastern ridge of Helvellyn, connected by the dramatic Striding Edge arête. The fell’s plateau, about a mile wide, splits into three spurs: Keldas, The Nab and the unnamed northern ridge. To the south lies Grisedale, a long valley leading to Ullswater, while Glenridding Beck carves the northern slopes. Evidence of Greenside Mine’s past workings remains visible on the Glenridding side. The fell’s geology includes dacitic lapilli tuff at the summit and volcaniclastic sandstone at Keldas. Two summits mark Birkhouse Moor: the true top on the Striding Edge ridge, marked by a stone wall and cairn, and a northern top at 706 metres. Between them lies marshy ground with small tarns. The northern top offers views northward, while the true summit frames Helvellyn and the encircling Striding and Swirral Edges. Paths climb from Glenridding via Mires Beck or Lanty’s Tarn, and from Grisedale to Hole-in-the-Wall. Keldas, separated by a small depression, holds Lanty’s Tarn, once used for ice and fishing. The summit of Keldas provides views down Ullswater, framed by the ‘Keldas Pines’. The fell’s ridges and tarns create a varied landscape for walkers.