Birks (Lake District) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Birks |
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Birks seen across Hag Beck from Arnison Crag, 1 km to the NE.
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| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 622 m (2,041 ft) |
| Prominence | 19 m (62 ft) |
| Parent peak | St Sunday Crag |
| Listing | Nuttall, Wainwright |
| Geography | |
 Birks
Location in Lake District
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| Location | Cumbria, England |
| Parent range | Lake District, Eastern Fells |
| OS grid | NY380143 |
| Topo map | OS Landranger 90 OS Explorer 5 |
Birks is a cool mountain in the Lake District in England. It's about two kilometers southwest of a village called Patterdale. Birks is part of the Eastern Fells, which are a group of mountains in this area.
The top of Birks sits on the side of a bigger, more famous mountain called St Sunday Crag. Many hikers walk over Birks when they are climbing up or down from St Sunday Crag. The name "Birks" means a place where you would find lots of Birch trees.
What is Birks Like?
Birks reaches a height of 622 meters (about 2,041 feet). It has a grassy top ridge. On its north and west sides, there are steep, rocky cliffs that drop down to a valley called Grisedale. The south side is also steep and grassy, leading to Deepdale valley. To the northeast, the main ridge goes down towards Patterdale village. It passes over Black Crag and through Glenamara Park.
Why is Birks Special?
Even though Birks is not the biggest mountain, it's still important to hikers. It has 19 meters of "prominence" from St Sunday Crag. This means it rises at least 19 meters above the saddle connecting it to the higher peak. Because of this, it's listed as a Nuttall. Nuttalls are mountains in England and Wales that are over 2,000 feet high and have at least 15 meters of prominence.
A famous guidebook writer named Alfred Wainwright also gave Birks its own chapter in his book, Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells. He said it was "well defined enough to deserve a separate name."
How to Climb Birks
You can only climb Birks from the Patterdale valley. There are no other good starting points. One way to go up is a nice walk through the wooded Glenamara Park. You follow a path next to Hag Beck and then a ruined stone wall all the way to the top.
Another way to climb is through Thornhow End. This route finds a path through the Black Crags to reach the top of the mountain. Most people who climb Birks will keep going to St Sunday Crag. It's an easy climb of about 240 meters more, with only a few small dips along the ridge.
Views from the Top
The best part of reaching the top of Birks is the amazing view. You get a really good look at the lower part of Ullswater, which is one of the biggest lakes in the Lake District.
