Ill Bell as seen from Yoke

Ill Bell

Height757m (2,484ft)

Prominence124m (407ft)

RegionFar Eastern Fells

Climbed3 Times

Ill Bell stands proudly on the prominent high ridge separating the Kentmere and Troutbeck valleys. From almost any vantage point in the surrounding country, it presents a strikingly sharp, symmetrical profile. When this distinctive bell-shaped form is aped by its close neighbour Froswick just to the north, the entire ridgeline assumes an unmistakable, dramatic 'roller-coaster' silhouette when viewed from the neighbouring heights.

"The graceful cone of Ill Bell is a familiar object to most residents of South Westmorland and those visitors who approach the Lake District by way of Kendal and Windermere, though few who know it by sight can give it a name and fewer still its correct name." — A. Wainwright

The summit plateau is unusually stony and rocky for a peak in the Far Eastern sector, providing an engaging mountain terrain underfoot. A collection of grand, beautifully built columnar cairns stand guard at various high points across the crest, offering excellent focal points for high-altitude navigators traversing the legendary Kentmere Horseshoe loop.

The two large cairns on the summit of Ill Bell

Due to its high, clear position on the southern edge of the range, the views from the summit are exceptional. The jagged skyline of the Scafells breaks dramatically across the western horizon, while looking directly south down the path of the Troutbeck Valley reveals a fantastic, expansive view of Windermere stretching out into the low country.

Trip Reports

The Kentmere Horseshoe30/06/2019

Troutbeck to Hartsop11/10/2015

The Kentmere Horseshoe18/07/2013

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