Wainwright, Dewey & Marilyn Icon

Illgill Head
609m (1997ft)


The Southern Fells, The Lake District, Cumbria, England


Tap/mouse over a coloured circle (1-3 easy walks, 4-6 moderate walks, 7-9 hard walks) and click to select.




Record Illgill Head as Bagged, Climbed & Conquered

Wainwright Icon

Wainwright
(No. 129)

English Dewey Icon

English Dewey
2nd in England,
4th in England & Wales

English Marilyn Icon

English Marilyn
52nd highest in England,
757th highest in Great Britain

The Wast Water Screes below Illgill Head and Whin Rigg

The Wast Water Screes below Illgill Head and Whin Rigg

Photo: Ian Mansell


Not familiar with this top?

3 easy-to-follow, circular walk route PDFs that include Illgill Head

Interactive Walk Planning Map for Illgill Head (worth a look if you've never seen one of these superb, free-to-access, walk planing maps)

PDF Peak Bagging Map that includes Illgill Head

Walk Reports from fellow hikers who have already climbed Illgill Head

Photographs & Pictures of views from, on or of Illgill Head



You can walk to the top of Illgill Head by using any of these 3 easy‑to‑follow route maps:
Walking Boot Print Icon

Walk c440 Whin Rigg, Illgill Head and Boat How from Miterdale Bridge

Superb views of Wast Water, the Scafell Massif and the southern fells

Walk GPS Icon
Walk GPX Icon
Walk PDF Icon

Vital Statistics:

Length: 8.75ml (14km)
Ascent:2,347ft (715m)
Time:5½ hrs
Grade:Walk Grade 6 Icon (Moderate)
Walking Boot Print Icon

Walk c116 Illgill Head and Whin Rigg from Wasdale Head, Wast Water

Superb ridge walk above Lakeland's deepest lake

Walk GPS Icon
Walk GPX Icon
Walk PDF Icon

Vital Statistics:

Length: 9ml (14.5km)
Ascent:2,402ft (732m)
Time:5.75hrs
Grade:Walk Grade 6 Icon (Moderate)
Walking Boot Print Icon

Walk c423 The Wast Water Round from Wasdale Head, Wast Water

Testing hike around Lakeland's deepest lake

Walk GPS Icon
Walk GPX Icon
Walk PDF Icon

Vital Statistics:

Length: 15.25ml (24.5km)
Ascent:4,841ft (1,475m)
Time:10½ hrs
Grade:Walk Grade 9 Icon (Very Hard)

See Illgill Head and the surrounding tops on our free-to-access 'Google Style' Peak Bagging Maps:

Find Google Maps Peak Bagging Map Icon

The Southern Fells of The Lake District National Park
Less data - quicker to download

Find Google Maps Peak Bagging Map Icon

The Whole of The Lake District National Park
More data - might take a little longer to download

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See Illgill Head and the surrounding tops on our downloadable Peak Bagging Maps in PDF format:

Find PDF Peak Bagging Map Icon

The Southern Fells area of The Lake District National Park

Find PDF Peak Bagging Map Icon

Walk & bag all 30 Wainwrights in The Southern Fells area of
The Lake District in just 11 easy-to-follow circular walks*

NB: Whether you print off a copy or download it to your phone, these PDF Peak Baggers' Maps might prove incredibly useful when your are up there on the tops and you cannot get a phone signal.

*This version is marked with the walk routes you need to follow to Walk all 214 Wainwrights in just 59 walks.

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You can find Illgill Head & all the walks that climb it on these unique free-to-access Interactive Walk Planning Maps:

The Lake District National Park


1:25,000 scale OS Explorer Map (orange/yellow covers):

OS Explorer OL6 The English Lakes - South Western area


1:50,000 scale OS Landranger Map (pink/magenta covers):

OS Landranger 89 West Cumbria, Cockermouth & Wast Water


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Other walkers who hiked, climbed, bagged and summited Illgill Head Fellow go4awalkers who have already walked, climbed, summited & bagged Illgill Head

Caroline Winter walked up Illgill Head on October 13th, 2024 [from/via/route] Wasdale road, NT car park, Illgill head, Whinn Rigg, gill, river Irt, Wastwater [with] Solo [weather] Warm, wind 10mph, clear views over Soloway & Wasdale Fells - NT volunteers stopping walkers to Scafell Pike to check if correctly equipped & giving out maps of route as increase in Mountain Rescue call outs. Great views from tops of fells already bagged.

Geoff Hand climbed it on June 29th, 2024 [from/via/route] Walk C440 Whin Rigg, Illgill Head from Miterdale Bridge [with] Claire my daughter [weather] Cold claggy & wet - did the walk as part of the Wainwright Challenge 2024, which was to put someone on top of every Wainwright in one day. Unfortunately it was a wet & miserable day. We didn't get to see a thing. We missed our Boat How as it would have meant walking infront of Burnmoor Tarn which looked really wet & boggy.It is an outlying Wainwright in any case so wouldn't count.

Ian Ashton bagged it on March 29th, 2024 [with] Solo

Pete George hiked Illgill Head on December 13th, 2023 [from/via/route] Wasdale [with] Roco [weather] Quite pleasant

James Hughes summited on July 9th, 2023 [from/via/route] From Wasdale Head Inn through NT campsite over Illgill Head & Whinn Rigg, back up Miterdale. [with] Paul [weather] Beautiful day, some cloud to start with & that cleared & was warmer when dropped back into valley. - Couple of Ritson's & an underwhelming Pork Pie before a drive back over Hard Knott Pass - lovely weekend.

To add (or remove) your name and experiences on this page - Log On and edit your Personal Mountain Bagging Record

. . . [see more walk reports]

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More Photographs & Pictures of views from, on or of Illgill Head

Illgill Head and Wast Water from Lingmell

Illgill Head and Wast Water from Lingmell

Photo: Ian Lilley (2)

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Lingmell (far right), Scafel Pike, Mickledore, Sca Fell and Illgill Head (centre right) from across Overbeck Bridge, Wast Water

Lingmell (far right), Scafel Pike, Mickledore, Sca Fell and Illgill Head (centre right) from across Overbeck Bridge, Wast Water

Photo: Alan Wainwright (78)

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The Scafell Massif, Illgill Head, Whin Rigg and the Wast Water Screes from Buckbarrow

The Scafell Massif, Illgill Head, Whin Rigg and the Wast Water Screes from Buckbarrow

Photo: Alan Wainwright (63)

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Illgill Head (left) and Whin Rigg (right) above the Wast Water screes from Buckbarrow

Illgill Head (left) and Whin Rigg (right) above the Wast Water screes from Buckbarrow

Photo: Chris Brankin (39)

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Illgill Head and the Wast Water Screes

Illgill Head and the Wast Water Screes

Photo: Alan Wainwright (75)

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Yewbarrow and Yewbarrow (North Top) beyond Wast Water from Illgill Head

Yewbarrow and Yewbarrow (North Top) beyond Wast Water from Illgill Head

Photo: Ian Mansell (11)

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Great Gable and Kirk Fell (left) from Illgill Head

Great Gable and Kirk Fell (left) from Illgill Head

Photo: Mick Fox (2)

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Yewbarrow (left), Kirk Fell (partially hidden), Great Gable (centre) Lingmell, Scafell Pike (partially hidden) and Illgill Head (right) from across Wast Water

Yewbarrow (left), Kirk Fell (partially hidden), Great Gable (centre) Lingmell, Scafell Pike (partially hidden) and Illgill Head (right) from across Wast Water

Photo: Mick Coxon (15)

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Wasdale featuring Lingmell (left), Illgill Head and Whin Rigg (left of centre in the distance), Wast Water (centre) and Yewbarrow (right) from Westmorland Cairn near the summit of Great Gable

Wasdale featuring Lingmell (left), Illgill Head and Whin Rigg (left of centre in the distance), Wast Water (centre) and Yewbarrow (right) from Westmorland Cairn near the summit of Great Gable

Photo: Karen Harding (5)

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Yewbarrow, Wasdale Head, Wast Water, Lingmell, Scafell Pike, Mickledore and Sca Fell, Illgill Head and Whin Rigg from below Middle Fell (Wasdale)

Yewbarrow, Wasdale Head, Wast Water, Lingmell, Scafell Pike, Mickledore and Sca Fell, Illgill Head and Whin Rigg from below Middle Fell (Wasdale)

Photo: Alan Wainwright (72)

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. . . see all 41 walk photographs & pictures of views from, on or of Illgill Head


Send us your photographs and pictures on, of, or from Illgill Head

If you would like to add your walk photographs and pictures to this page, please send them as email attachments (configured for any computer) along with your name to:



and we shall do our best to publish them.

(Guide Resolution = 300dpi. At least = 660pixels (wide) x 440 pixels (high).)

Send us your photographs and pictures on, of, or from Illgill Head via Facebook

You can also submit photos via our Facebook Page.

NB. Please indicate where each photo was taken and whether you wish us to credit your photos with a Username or your First Name/Last Name.

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