Ill Bell
757m (2484ft)
The Far Eastern Fells, The Lake District, Cumbria, England
You can find Ill Bell & all the walks that climb it on these unique free-to-access Interactive Walk Planning Maps: (click/TAP to select)
1:25,000 scale OS Explorer Map (the ones with orange/yellow covers):
1:50,000 scale OS Landranger Map (the ones with pink/magenta covers):
See Ill Bell and the surrounding tops on our free-to-access 'Google Style' Peak Bagging Maps:
See Ill Bell and the surrounding tops on our downloadable PDF Peak Bagging Maps:
*Walk & bag all 36 Wainwrights in The Far Eastern Fells area of The Lake District in just 8 easy-to-follow circular walks.
*This version is marked with the walk routes you need to follow to Walk all 214 Wainwrights in just 59 walks. Click here for more information.
NB: Whether you print off a copy on to paper or download it to your phone, these PDF Peak Baggers Maps will prove incredibly useful when your are up there on the tops and you cannot get a phone signal!
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Vital Statistics:
| Length: | 11ml (17.5km) |
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| Ascent: | 3,410ft (1,039m) |
| Time: | 7½ hrs |
| Grade: |  (Hard) |
Route Summary:
Troutbeck Bridge - Garburn Road - Backstone Barrow - Sour Howes - Sallows - Garburn Pass - Yoke - Ill Bell - Froswick - Wanfer Crag - Hagg Gill - Trout Beck - Troutbeck Tongue - Lowther Brow - Long Green Head - Limefitt Campsite - Troutbeck - Troutbeck Bridge
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Vital Statistics:
| Length: | 11.5ml (18.5km) |
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| Ascent: | 3,378ft (1,030m) |
| Time: | 7½ hrs |
| Grade: | (Hard) |
Route Summary:
Kentmere - Garburn Pass - Yoke - Ill Bell - Froswick - Thornthwaite Crag - Mardale Ill Bell - Nan Bield Pass - Harter Fell (Mardale) - Kentmere Pike - Brookstones - Kentmere
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Vital Statistics:
| Length: | 12.25ml (19.5km) |
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| Ascent: | 4,194ft (1,278m) |
| Time: | 8.75hrs |
| Grade: |  (Hard) |
Route Summary:
Troutbeck Bridge - Garburn Pass - Yoke - Ill Bell - Froswick - Thornthwaite Crag - Stony Cove Pike (Caudale Moor) - Doup Crag - Trout Beck - Troutbeck Tongue - Hagg Gill - Lowther Brow - Long Green Head - Limefitt Campsite - Troutbeck - Troutbeck Bridge
Fellow go4awalkers who have already walked, climbed, summited & bagged Ill Bell
James Hughes walked up Ill Bell on September 11th, 2024 [from/via/route] c332 The Hagg Gill Round from Troutbeck [weather] Mixed. Odd shower, warm in valleys, cold on tops. Clear visibility. - Stunning & reasonably straight forward easy to navigate walk. Beautiful vistas. Multiple jet fly-bys. Tongue boggy & tusoucky in places. Mortal Man for post walk pint.
Paul Roddam climbed Ill Bell on March 17th, 2024 [with] Barber [weather] Cloudy coming into sun
Sarah Moore bagged Ill Bell on February 24th, 2024 [from/via/route] c332 / The Hagg Gill Round from Troutbeck. Loads of parking options & the route was well defined. Only thing to watch for is the path down when on the ridge. Most continuing on from Froswick but I needed to go left - it's clear if you look for it! Nice to go along the path once down at the Gill / stream - the road / track would be easier if there was a hurry. [with] On my own [weather] February frost, but dry although low visibility for most of the walk - particularly once past Sallows until coming down from Froswick. Glad of layers today! - 10 months since I've been in The Lakes - & it was so so good to be back. Not as cold as I expected & the sun made an appearance but visibility was rubbish. Coming down from Froswick was lethal & I went full length twice - but very glad for the poles & nothing that the washing machine can't fix! (Disappointing given how clear it was later in the day & the next day!)
David Higginbottom hiked Ill Bell on February 9th, 2023 [from/via/route] Route 332 [with] Carolyn [weather] Good
Martyn Howarth summited Ill Bell on August 15th, 2023 [from/via/route] From Kentmere Institute, as part of the Kentmere Horseshoe. [with] Tilly Howarth. [weather] Gorgeous August day, after some dreadful weather the days before! - Tough 14.5 mile walk - 3600ft of ascent! Brilliant effort by 14 yr old Tilly!
Richard Fulcher conquered Ill Bell on April 18th, 2023 [from/via/route] No parking spaces in Kentmere! Parked off road (almost in a ditch, next to farm track). Set off up to the Garburn Pass, turning right at Garburn Nook & then walked up to Yoke. From Yoke we walked around the Kentmere Horseshoe & completed Ill Bell, Froswick, Mardale Ill Bell, Kentmere Pike & Shipman Knotts. We descended via an old shepherds path passing 3 derelict buildings (shepherds huts?) & then walked along the roads back to the car. 12.14 miles. [with] Jen [weather] Sunny, blue skies, very windy in exposed places.. gusts of 30 to 40 mph. Visibility was okay but hazy. - Tiring because of the distance & total ascent of 3,500 feet.
Ian Ashton scaled Ill Bell on April 7th, 2023 [with] Solo
Pete George walked up Ill Bell on May 3rd, 2022 [from/via/route] Troutbeck [with] Roco [weather] Overcast. Wet on tops
Christine Shepherd climbed Ill Bell during August, 2004 [from/via/route] Walked from Kentmere [with] Rebecca and Will [weather] A bit dull but dry to start with, driving rain by mid afternoon. - Climbed this again with my other daughter, Hannah, from Kentmere in very misty conditions. One day I will have a good view from this summit. Finally did this solo on a glorious March day on 6.3.22 using walk c257.
Geoff Hand bagged Ill Bell on November 10th, 2021 [from/via/route] c332 The Hagg Gill round from Troutbeck [with] Alone with Tess [weather] Warm & Dry - Set out from Church Bridge. Ill Bell is the fourth Wainwright on the walk. Two large stone pillars on the top & one cairn nearby. Had lunch looking South towards Windermere.
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More Photographs & Pictures of views from, on or of Ill Bell
Mardale Ill Bell (left) Nan Bield Pass and Harter Fell (Mardale)(right) with Kentmere Reservoir below from the summit of Yoke
Looking North towards Skiddaw and Blencathra from the summit of Ill Bell across cloud trapped by a temperature inversion
Red Screes (left), Thornthwaite Crag, Froswick, Ill Bell and Yoke from Baystones (Wansfell)
Looking South from the summit of Ill Bell across cloud trapped by a temperature inversion
*Baystones (Wansfell) in the foreground with Red Screes (left), Stony Cove Pike (Caudale Moor), Thornthwaite Crag and the Froswick, Ill Bell, Yoke ridge silhouetted on the skyline from Wansfell Pike
Looking north to Baystones with Thornthwaite Crag (left) and Ill Bell (centre) beyond from Wansfell Pike as the sun catches a passing shower
The Westerly aspect from Hollow Moor includes a distant view of Crinkle Crags with Yoke, Ill Bell, Froswick and Thornthwaite Crag above Kentmere
Kentmere with Yoke, Ill Bell, Froswick and Thornthwaite Crag above from Hollow Moor
Stony Cove Pike (Caudale Moor) (left), Thornthwaite Crag, Froswick, Ill Bell and Yoke (right) from Garburn Road near Troutbeck Park
Rough Crag beyond Blea Water from above Blea Water Crag between High Street and Mardale Ill Bell
Harter Fell (left) and Mardale Ill Bell (in cloud) seen from above Haweswater Reservoir near Rowantreethwaite Beck
Mardale Ill Bell, High Street and Rough Crag (Riggindale) above Blea Tarn from Nan Bield Pass
The Kentmere Horseshoe (Yoke, Ill Bell, Froswick, Thornthwaite Crag, Kentmere Pike and Shipman Knotts) from Hollow Moor
Yoke, Ill Bell, Froswick and the shoulder of Lingmell End (Mardale Ill Bell) above Kentmere Reservoir from Harter Fell (Mardale)
Cloud trapped by a temperature inversion clawing at the eastern slopes of Yoke, Ill Bell and Froswick as seen from Thornthwaite Crag
Yoke, Ill Bell, Froswick above Kentmere Reservoir from Harter Fell (Mardale)
. . . see just 20 walk photographs & pictures of views from, on or of Ill Bell
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