Brim Fell

Brim Fell is a fell in the English Lake District, standing west of Coniston village in the southern part of the District. It belongs to the Coniston Fells, a range that forms the watershed between Coniston Water and the Duddon valley. The northern half of the range is recognised in Alfred Wainwright’s influential guide, placing Brim Fell among the 214 Wainwrights. The fell sits at the connecting point of three ridges, linking Swirl How, Great Carrs and Grey Friar to the north and The Old Man of Coniston to the south-east. Its area is small but full of interest, with no footing on the valley floor on either side of the ridge. Brim Fell is unusual for its position and the features it contains. The western slopes fall to Tarn Head Beck, which feeds Seathwaite Tarn, a reservoir dammed early in the 20th century to supply Barrow-in-Furness. Above the reservoir lie the remains of Seathwaite Tarn Mine, worked for copper in the mid-19th century and featured in Richard Adams’ novel The Plague Dogs. The Coniston face is all crag, with a high-level spur ending in the cliffs of Raven Tor. To either side of this promontory are corrie tarns, Low Water and Levers Water, both dammed for industrial and later domestic use. The summit of Brim Fell bears a fine slate cairn on grass, with a second big cairn to the north-east. Views are extensive, though the long whale-backed ridge limits the foreground. Walkers often traverse from The Old Man of Coniston to Swirl How, passing over Brim Fell along the way. The easiest access is from Coniston via Levers Water to Levers Hawse, while the Walna Scar Road provides a route from the Duddon side. Pathless ascents of Raven Tor can be made for a wilder finish, offering a rugged and rewarding experience.