Barf

Barf is a fell in the north-western Lake District in Cumbria. It stands on the south-western shore of Bassenthwaite Lake. The fell is known for a whitewashed pillar of rock called the Bishop’s Rock on its lower slopes. Barf was once considered part of Lord’s Seat but became a separate fell in Alfred Wainwright’s Pictorial Guide. The eastern face is a steep scree slope dropping to the Keswick to Cockermouth road. The southern boundary is Beckstones Gill, which flows past the former Swan Hotel into the lake. The Bishop’s Rock marks the spot where a local legend claims the Bishop of Derry died after falling from his horse in 1783. The story says both the Bishop and his horse are buried near a smaller stone called the Clerk. Though the tale is imaginative—the real Bishop of Derry died in Italy decades later—the story remains popular. The Bishop’s Rock stands about seven feet high and was whitewashed annually by staff at the Swan Hotel. The fell’s geology includes Ordovician greywacke sandstone and evidence of historic mining for lead and zinc. The summit is a small grassy platform with fine views eastward to Skiddaw and Longside Edge. Bassenthwaite Lake appears in the foreground, and parts of the Eastern and Southern Fells can be seen. The direct route up via the Bishop is a stiff scramble discouraged by warning signs. A gentler path follows Beckstones Gill to the south, or Barf can be reached indirectly by first climbing Lord’s Seat. The fell’s open slopes contrast with the surrounding conifer forests, making it a distinctive feature of the landscape.