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.
Not familiar with this top?
   |
|---|
Vital Statistics:
| Length: | 8.75ml (14km) |
|---|---|
| Ascent: | 2,347ft (715m) |
| Time: | 5½ hrs |
| Grade: |  (Moderate) |
Route Summary:
Miterdale Bridge - Porterthwaite - Miterdale Forest - Irton Fell - Greathall Gill - Whin Rigg - Illgill Head - Burnmoor Tarn - Burnmoor Lodge - Eskdale Moor - Ellerhow Moss - Boat How - Low Longrigg - River Mite - Low Place Farm - Miterdale Bridge
|
|---|
Vital Statistics:
| Length: | 9ml (14.5km) |
|---|---|
| Ascent: | 2,402ft (732m) |
| Time: | 5.75hrs |
| Grade: | (Moderate) |
Route Summary:
Wasdale Head - (National Trust Campsite) - Wast Water - Lingmell Gill - Illgill Head - Whin Rigg - Greathall Gill - Wasdale Hall Youth Hostel - Wast Water - Wasdale Head
|
|---|
Vital Statistics:
| Length: | 15.25ml (24.5km) |
|---|---|
| Ascent: | 4,841ft (1,475m) |
| Time: | 10½ hrs |
| Grade: |  (Very Hard) |
Route Summary:
Wasdale Head - (National Trust Campsite) - Wast Water - Lingmell Gill - Illgill Head - Whin Rigg - Greathall Gill - Low Wood - Lund Bridge - Woodhow Farm - Woodhow Tarn - Scale Farm - Tosh Tarn - Gill Farm - Gill Beck - Buckbarrow - Cold Well - Nether Wasdale Common - Seatallan - Windscale Hows - Middle Fell (Wasdale) - Greendale Farm - Nether Beck - Overbeck Bridge - Wasdale Head - Wast Water.
See Illgill Head and the surrounding tops on our free-to-access 'Google Style' Peak Bagging Maps:
The Southern Fells of The Lake District National Park
Less data - quicker to download
The Whole of The Lake District National Park
More data - might take a little longer to download
See Illgill Head and the surrounding tops on our downloadable Peak Bagging Maps in PDF format:
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.
You can find Illgill Head & all the walks that climb it on these unique free-to-access Interactive Walk Planning Maps:
1:25,000 scale OS Explorer Map (orange/yellow covers):
1:50,000 scale OS Landranger Map (pink/magenta covers):
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]
More Photographs & Pictures of views from, on or of Illgill Head
*From Left to right: Caw Fell, Seatallan, Red Pike, Pillar, Yewbarrow, Kirk Fell, Great Gable, Lingmell and Sca Fell and Wast Water (foreground) from Illgill Head (NB. Scafell Pike is largely hidden behind Sca Fell)
Illgill Head (left) and Whin Rigg (right) above the Wast Water screes from Buckbarrow
The Wasdale Screes below Illgill Head (centre) and Whin Rigg (right) from Ponsonby Fell
*Kirk Fell (left), Great Gable (centre) Lingmell, Scafell Pike (partially hidden) and Illgill Head 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
*Kirk Fell (left), Great Gable (centre) Lingmell, Scafell Pike (partially hidden) and Illgill Head across Wast Water
The Scafell Massif, Illgill Head, Whin Rigg and the Wast Water Screes from Buckbarrow
Climbing Scafell Pike via the Brown Tongue path with Illgill Head (left), Wast Water and Middle Fell (Wasdale) (right) in the background
Britain's Favourite View - Yewbarrow, Great Gable, Lingmell, Great End, Sca Fell and the shoulder of Illgill Head (far right) from Wast Water
Lingmell (far right), Scafel Pike, Mickledore, Sca Fell and Illgill Head (centre right) from across Overbeck Bridge, Wast Water
Illgill Head and Whin Rigg (left) Wast Water and Yewbarrow and Middle Fell (right) from Westmorland Cairn, Great Gable
Illgill Head (left) Wasdale, Wast Water and Yewbarrow from Westmorland Cairn, Great Gable
Wast Water with the Scafel Massive (far left- featuring Ling Mell, Great End, Broad Crag, Ill Crag, Scafell Pike, Symonds Knott and Sca Fell) and Illgill Head (centre) and Whin Rigg (centre right) above the Wast Water screes from Buckbarrow
The Wasdale Valley featuring Lingmell (left), Illgill Head and Whin Rigg (left of centre in the distance), Wast Water (centre) and Yewbarrow (right) from near Westmorland Cairn on the summit of Great Gable
*Illgill Head (left), Wast Water (centre) and Middle Fell (right) from Yewbarrow
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
Eskdale from Birker Force (Waterfall) with Illgill Head (centre left) and Sca Fell (centre right) on the horizon
Wast Water, Yewbarrow (left), Kirk Fell (centre left), Great Gable (centre right) and Lingmell Fell (right) from Illgill Head
The shoulder of Lingmell and snow on Illgill Head (far left), Wasdale and Wast Water (left) and Yewbarrow (right) from Gable Beck Bridge
Wast Water with Illgill Head (left) and Yewbarrow (right) from Great Gable summit
Yewbarrow, Wasdale Head, Wast Water, Lingmell, Scafell Pike, Mickledore and Sca Fell, Illgill Head and Whin Rigg from below Middle Fell (Wasdale)
Wasdale Head (left), Burnmoor Tarn, Yewbarrow (front centre), Illgill Head (back) and Wast Water from Pillar
. . . see just 10 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).)
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.
