Routes up
Birks routes: 2 ways to the top
Patterdale via Thornhow EndHiking · 3.2 km one way · 475 m ascent · ~1h 25m · from Patterdale villageModerate
Climb from Patterdale onto the ridge at Thornhow End and follow it south-west over grass to the flat summit.
Near the start
From OpenStreetMap, within 2 km. Check opening times before you rely on them.
Full Patterdale via Thornhow End route guidePatterdale walking approach via BirksHiking · 4.6 km one way · 570 m ascent · ~1h 50m · from Glenridding main car parkHard
Summit today
Is it safe to climb Birks today?
Loading the summit forecast…
Cloud inversion · 7 days
The chance of standing above a sea of cloud on Birks each morning this week, from overnight temperature, humidity and low cloud below the 624m summit.
Dark sky · 7 days
How dark the sky gets over Birks each night this week, from cloud cover, moonlight and local light pollution.
Snow · 7 days
No snow is forecast at the summit in the next 7 days.
Sun today
Sunrise 07:06, sunset 16:45
9h 39m of daylight. Golden hour ends 07:59 and starts 15:51. From the summit you see the sun 07:00 to 16:49.
Nearby summits
Close to Birks
About Birks
Birks sits above Patterdale at the foot of Ullswater, on the ridge that climbs south-west to St Sunday Crag. Grisedale lies to the north and Deepdale to the south. St Sunday Crag is 1.5 km south-west and Arnison Crag 1.5 km north-east. With a prominence of 20 m, it reads as a step on a ridge more than a separate hill.
The usual way up starts in Patterdale. A path climbs past Thornhow End onto the ridge and reaches the flat, grassy top. Many walkers carry on to St Sunday Crag. Another option links Arnison Crag to Birks along the ridge from the north-east. The slopes are grass and bracken, with rockier ground above Grisedale.
The summit is flat, so the best views come from its edges: down Grisedale to Helvellyn's eastern ridges and along Ullswater.
Birks is 624 m (2,047 ft) high with 20 m of prominence. It is in Cumbria, England. It is the 241st highest of the 273 summits Peakify lists in Cumbria. The nearest summits are Gavel Pike (1.2 km), St Sunday Crag (1.5 km) and Arnison Crag (1.5 km).
Is Birks a Wainwright?
Yes. It is one of the 214 Wainwrights and also a Nuttall and a Birkett.
Can you climb Birks and St Sunday Crag together?
Yes. St Sunday Crag lies 1.5 km south-west up the same ridge, and most walkers on Birks continue to it.
Where do you park for Birks?
Patterdale village is the usual start, with parking near the Patterdale Hotel and the village shop.
How high is Birks?
Birks is 624 metres high with 20 metres of prominence.
Where is Birks?
Birks is listed in Cumbria, England.
Are there routes for Birks?
Peakify lists 2 routes for Birks, including available distance, ascent, start point, and difficulty details. The easiest is Patterdale via Thornhow End (3.2 km one way, Moderate).
Is it safe to climb Birks today?
Peakify rates each day on the summit Good, Marginal or Poor from the forecast summit wind, gusts, chance of rain and wind chill. Wind of 40 mph or gusts of 65 mph make it Poor; wind of 25 mph, gusts of 45 mph, a 60% chance of rain or a feels-like temperature of -8°C or below make it Marginal. Today's and tomorrow's ratings are at the top of this page. The rating covers the weather only: also check your route, daylight, kit and experience, and in winter whether you need an ice axe and crampons.
What weather information is shown for Birks?
The page includes cached mountain forecast context, snow outlook, dark-sky signals, cloud-inversion information, sunrise, sunset, and summit planning details where available.
Peakify is run by Sam Tyler, who has climbed Yr Wyddfa 22 times. The forecast refreshes every hour; how our forecast works.
