The Lake District glossary
Two lookups on one page. What does this word mean — 256 hiking, weather, navigation and fell-bagging terms. And the one no other glossary answers: what does the name of that fell mean — all 214 Wainwrights, with the language it came from and what it actually says.
Of the 443 name-elements behind the 214 Wainwrights, 239 are Old Norse against 115 Old English and 32 Brittonic. 154 of the 214 fells (72%) carry a Norse-derived name. The people who named these hills were mostly speaking Norse, and a thousand years later you are still saying their words every time you arrange to meet at the tarn, cross the beck or climb the pike.
Where the names came from
Every Wainwright, placed and coloured by the oldest language surviving in its name. Norse took the valleys and the high ground with them; the Brittonic names — older than both English and Norse — hold on in the places those settlers went round rather than through. Pick a language to isolate it, or tap any summit for what its name says.
Every word
256 terms. Every one links to the fells, routes and conditions it belongs to where we have them.
-
-by /bee/
A farmstead or village.
A Norse/Danish element for a settlement.
Old Norse/Danish 'bý', a farm/village.
Kirkby, Sowerby, the '-by' villages of the Eden Valley.
“The '-by' names trace Norse settlement.”
bý (ON/Da)
ton, thwaite
A
Aiming off
Deliberately aiming to one side of a target.
Aim off to one side of a feature on a line, so when you hit it you know which way to turn.
Orienteering term.
Used to find a bridge or gate on a wall.
“Aim off left, then turn right along the wall to the gate.”
Alp
A high mountain pasture (European usage).
Strictly a summer grazing high on a mountain, not a peak.
German.
Echoes the Lakeland shieling system ('scale','seat').
“Summer cattle on the high alp.”
high pasture
Scale, Seat
Approach
The walk-in from road or car park to the foot of a route or climb.
The often-unsung first leg from the trailhead to where the real interest begins.
Lakeland approaches can be long: Pillar or Great Gable from Wasdale need a serious walk-in.
“It's a 40-minute approach to the foot of the crag.”
walk-in
Approach shoes
Low-cut shoes for easier ground before technical routes.
A cross between trainer and boot — sticky soles, light, good for dry rocky paths.
Popular for low-level and dry summer fell days.
“Approach shoes for the dry rocky path.”
Arête /a-RET/
A sharp mountain ridge.
A knife-edged ridge between two glacial hollows.
French 'arête', a fish-bone/ridge.
Striding Edge and Sharp Edge are the Lakes' classic arêtes.
“The arête narrows to a single boot-width.”
Edge
Ascent
The total height gained over a route.
The cumulative vertical climb in metres — a truer measure of effort than distance.
Quoted on every hikes.guide route beside distance and time.
“12 km with 900 m of ascent.”
height gain, climb
Attack point
An obvious feature to navigate from to a hidden target.
A clear landmark near your objective from which you make a final, precise bearing.
Navigation term.
Used to find a small tarn or sheepfold in poor visibility.
“Navigate to the cairn, then attack the tarn from there.”
B
Bagging /BAG-ing/
Collecting summits from a list.
Ticking off named hills — Wainwrights, Birketts, Munros and the rest.
Hill-walking slang.
'Doing the Wainwrights' is the Lakes' great bagging quest.
“She's bagging the last of her 214.”
peak-bagging
Bail-out
The decision to abandon the planned route.
Calling it — cutting the day short and taking an escape route when weather, time or fatigue demand.
Good judgement, not failure; the fells will still be there.
“We made the call to bail out off the ridge.”
retreat
Band /band/
A broad, sloping ridge or shoulder.
A wide ridge used as an ascent line, gentler than an edge.
English dialect — a 'band' of high ground.
The Band, the classic shoulder up to Bowfell from Langdale.
“Go up Bowfell by The Band.”
Rigg, Spur, Shoulder
Base layer
A moisture-wicking layer next to the skin.
The first layer, pulling sweat away to keep you dry and warm — never cotton on the hill.
The bottom of the Lakeland layering system.
“A wicking base layer keeps you dry.”
baselayer
Bearing /BAIR-ing/
A direction measured in degrees from north.
The angle (000–360°) you set on a compass to walk a straight line to your target.
Navigation term.
Essential when cloud drops on a featureless plateau like Skiddaw or Kinder.
“Take a bearing to the col before the cloud comes in.”
heading
Back bearing, Variation
Beck /bek/
A stream.
The standard Lakeland word for a stream.
Old Norse 'bekkr', a stream.
Stock Ghyll Beck, Mosedale Beck, the becks that feed every tarn.
“Cross the beck at the footbridge.”
bekkr (ON)
Gill, Sike, Force
Birk /birk/
Birch tree.
The Norse word for birch, scattered across the map.
Old Norse 'björk', birch.
Birks (a fell above Patterdale), Birk Fell, Birker Fell ('birch hill').
“Birks is the little fell on the way to St Sunday Crag.”
1 Wainwright named “Birk” Birks
björk (ON)
Birkett /BIRK-et/
One of 541 Lakeland tops over 1,000 ft.
Every top above 1,000 ft (304.8 m) inside the National Park, listed by Bill Birkett — by height and location, not prominence, so the list is huge.
Bill Birkett, 'Complete Lakeland Fells' (1994).
The most complete 'every top' Lakeland list.
“The Birketts add 327 tops the Wainwrights miss.”
Birketts
Blazing
Marking a trail with paint or symbols (chiefly US).
Painted blazes on trees or rocks marking a route — common in America, rare in the Lakes.
UK fells use cairns and waymark posts, not paint.
“Follow the white blazes" (US trails).”
trail marking
Blea /blee/
Blue or dark.
A descriptive element meaning blue/dark, usually of water or rock.
Old Norse 'blár', blue/dark.
Blea Tarn (Langdale), Blea Water (the deepest tarn), Bleaberry.
“Blea Tarn mirrors the Langdale Pikes.”
1 Wainwright named “Blea” Blea Rigg
blár (ON)
Blencathra /blen-KATH-ra/
'Bare hill shaped like a chair'.
One of the few major fells with a Cumbric (Celtic) name; its English nickname is Saddleback.
Cumbric 'blain' (top) + 'cadeir' (chair); or 'Devil's Peak'.
The grand north-eastern fell above Threlkeld, climbed by Sharp Edge.
“Blencathra or Saddleback — same mountain, two languages.”
1 Wainwright named “Blencathra” Blencathra
Saddleback
Sharp Edge, Cumbric
Bob Graham Round
A 42-peak, 66-mile, 24-hour fell round.
The classic Lakeland endurance challenge: 42 summits, ~66 miles and ~27,000 ft of ascent within 24 hours, from and back to Keswick's Moot Hall.
First done by Bob Graham, 1932.
The blue riband of Lakeland fell running.
“She completed the Bob Graham in 23 hours.”
BG, the Bob
Fell running, Joss Naylor
Bog
Very wet, waterlogged ground.
Saturated peaty ground that can swallow a boot — a defining Lakeland hazard.
High cols and mosses are notorious bogs.
“The col is a bog after rain.”
mire
Bog-trot
To cross boggy ground; a boggy walk.
Picking a wet, squelchy way over peat and moss.
English/Scots dialect.
Many high cols in the Lakes are a bog-trot.
“It's a proper bog-trot to the col.”
Boot rating (B0–B3)
Boot stiffness for crampon use.
A scale from flexible (B0) to fully rigid (B3) showing how stiff a boot is — and which crampons it can take.
Mountaineering kit standard.
Matters for winter Lakeland routes like Helvellyn in snow.
“B2 boots take C2 crampons.”
Crampon rating, Ice axe
Boots
Sturdy footwear with ankle support for rough ground.
The walker's foundation — supportive, gripped and ideally waterproof for Lakeland terrain.
Stiffer boots (B1–B3) are needed for winter crampon use.
“Broken-in boots are worth their weight.”
walking boots
Bothy /BOTH-ee/
A basic, unlocked mountain shelter.
A simple stone refuge, free to use, maintained for walkers.
Gaelic 'bothan'.
Fewer in the Lakes than Scotland, but Mosedale Cottage and others exist.
“We sheltered in the bothy overnight.”
Both
Shelter, Wild camping
Boulder field
An area strewn with large rocks.
Ground of big, often unstable blocks where every step must be placed.
The summit of Scafell Pike is a vast boulder field.
“Pick your way across the boulder field.”
block field
Scree, Talus
Brock /brok/
Badger.
An element for badger ground.
Old English 'brocc', a badger.
Brockhole (Windermere visitor centre, 'badger hollow'), Brock Crag.
“Brockhole means the badgers' den.”
1 Wainwright named “Brock” Brock Crags
brocc (OE)
Grise, Harter
Brocken spectre /BROK-en/
Your shadow cast huge on cloud, ringed by light.
A giant shadow of yourself thrown onto cloud below, often haloed by a coloured 'glory'.
Named after the Brocken in Germany's Harz.
Seen when you stand between the sun and a bank of cloud or mist.
“A Brocken spectre loomed on the fog below the summit.”
glory
Glory, Inversion
C
Cairn /kairn/
A pile of stones marking a path or top.
A built stone heap for navigation or to mark a summit; not to be confused with natural 'raises'.
Gaelic 'càrn'.
Summit cairns crown most Wainwrights; cairned routes cross featureless plateaux.
“Follow the cairns across the plateau.”
High Raise (High Street), High Raise (Langdale), Raise, Rosthwaite Fell
Currick, Man, Raise
Cairn etiquette: why you shouldn't build (or topple) them on the fells.
Cairn line
A route marked by a series of cairns.
A string of stone-piles guiding walkers across featureless or pathless ground.
Cairned lines cross stony plateaux like Scafell Pike's.
“Follow the cairn line across the boulders.”
cairned route
Cairn, Currick
Cam / Kam /kam/
A crest or comb-like ridge.
A toothed or combed crest.
Old Norse 'kambr', a comb/crest.
Catstye Cam, the shapely peak beside Helvellyn.
“Catstye Cam is the elegant cone above Red Tarn.”
kambr (ON)
Canyon
A large, steep-sided valley (chiefly non-UK).
The American term for a deep gorge; rare for British landforms.
Spanish.
Not a native Lakeland word — ours is gorge or gill.
“More gorge than canyon by UK standards.”
gorge
Catbells /KAT-belz/
Possibly 'den of the wild cat'.
A small, hugely popular fell on Derwentwater's western shore.
Old English 'catt' + Middle English 'belde' (den).
The classic family first-fell above Keswick.
“Catbells is everyone's first Lakeland summit.”
1 Wainwright named “Catbells” Catbells
Cat Bells
Catbells, Hawkshead, Mungrisdale — the wild-cat names of the fells.
Catching feature
A backstop telling you you've gone too far.
An obvious feature beyond your target so you know to turn back if you reach it.
Navigation term.
A beck or wall across your line is a classic catcher.
“If you hit the beck, you've overshot — that's your catching feature.”
backstop
Checkpoint
A point where you check progress or timing.
A planned spot to confirm position, time and group state, and make a go/no-go call.
Used to manage turn-back decisions on big rounds.
“At the checkpoint we were behind our turn-back time.”
control point
Clag / Hill fog /klag/
Low cloud or mist sitting on the hills.
'Clag' is the walker's word for cloud down on the tops, cutting visibility to metres — a Lakeland near-constant.
Dialect/slang.
One of the most-used words in a Lakeland forecast.
“The tops were in thick clag all day.”
clag, hill fog
Cliff
A very steep or vertical rock face.
A sheer wall of rock — bigger and more vertical than a crag.
Lakeland cliffs like Scafell's East Buttress are serious climbing ground.
“The path skirts the top of the cliff.”
precipice
Crag, Scar
Coast to Coast
Wainwright's 190-mile cross-England walk.
A long-distance route from St Bees on the Irish Sea to Robin Hood's Bay on the North Sea, crossing the Lakes, Dales and North York Moors.
Devised by A. Wainwright, 1973.
Starts by climbing straight into the western fells.
“Day one of the Coast to Coast climbs out of St Bees.”
C2C, the Coast to Coast
Wainwright, long-distance path
Col /kol/
The low point between two summits.
A saddle or dip on a ridge connecting two tops.
French 'col', a neck.
Every ridge round has its cols; the Lakeland word is 'hause'.
“Drop to the col, then climb the next top.”
Hause, Saddle, Bealach
Comb / Coombe /koom/
A short valley or hollow.
A small enclosed valley or combe.
Celtic 'cwm', a valley — a pre-Norse survival.
Combe Gill in Borrowdale; the many 'combs' on the map.
“The path climbs the comb behind the farm.”
cwm (Celtic)
Cove, Cirque
Contour /KON-tour/
A line joining points of equal height.
Map lines showing the shape and steepness of the land; closely spaced = steep.
Cartography.
On OS 1:25,000 maps the contour interval is 10 m.
“Tightly-packed contours mean a steep pull.”
contour line
Re-entrant, Interval
Cornice /KOR-nis/
An overhanging lip of wind-blown snow.
A curling shelf of snow built out over the lee edge of a ridge — liable to collapse under a walker's weight.
Mountaineering.
Forms on east edges like Helvellyn's in winter.
“Stay well back from the cornice on the edge.”
Corridor Route
The classic high-level path to Scafell Pike.
A celebrated mountain path to England's highest summit from Borrowdale (via Styhead) or Wasdale, threading a natural 'corridor' below the crags.
One of the great Lakeland routes — and a hikes.guide route page.
“The Corridor Route is the connoisseur's way up Scafell Pike.”
the Corridor
Corrie / Cirque / Cwm /KOR-ee/
An armchair hollow scooped by a glacier.
A steep-walled mountain basin, often holding a tarn — the Lakeland word is 'cove'.
Gaelic 'coire' / Welsh 'cwm' / French 'cirque'.
Red Tarn's cove on Helvellyn is a textbook corrie.
“A perfect tarn-filled corrie.”
Cove, Combe
Cove /kohv/
A mountain hollow or cirque.
A steep-walled hollow high on a mountain — the Lakeland word for a corrie.
Old English 'cofa', a hollow/chamber.
Helvellyn's coves cradling Red Tarn; Blea Water's cove on High Street.
“Red Tarn fills Helvellyn's eastern cove.”
1 Wainwright named “Cove” Stony Cove Pike
cofa (OE)
Corrie, Cirque, Tarn
Crag /krag/
A steep rock face or outcrop.
A cliff or band of bare rock — a magnet for climbers and ravens.
Celtic/Brythonic 'creag/carreg', rock — older than the Norse layer.
Walla Crag, Raven Crag, Castle Crag, Eagle Crag.
“Walla Crag drops straight to Derwentwater.”
30 Wainwrights named “Crag” Allen Crags, Ard Crags, Arnison Crag, Bannerdale Crags, Brock Crags, Calf Crag, Castle Crag, Crag Fell, Crinkle Crags, Dove Crag, Dow Crag, Eagle Crag, Eel Crag (Crag Hill), Gray Crag, Great Crag, Green Crag, Grey Crag (Sleddale), Hart Crag, Helm Crag, High Crag (Buttermere), Little Hart Crag, Loft Crag, Raven Crag, Scar Crags, Sergeant's Crag, St Sunday Crag, Tarn Crag (Easedale), Tarn Crag (Sleddale), Thornthwaite Crag, Walla Crag
Great Sca Fell, Scafell, Scoat Fell, Stybarrow Dodd
creag (Celtic)
Scar, Buttress, Nab
Crampon rating (C1–C3)
Crampon flex matched to boots.
Crampons rated C1 (flexible/walking) to C3 (rigid/technical), paired to a boot's B-rating.
Mountaineering kit standard.
Needed for hard snow and ice on the winter tops.
“Don't put C3 crampons on flexible boots.”
Boot rating, Microspikes
Cross-country
Travel off established paths.
Moving over open, pathless ground — possible thanks to open-access land.
The right to roam lets you go cross-country over the open fell.
“We cut cross-country to the ridge.”
off-path
Cut-off
A shorter alternative that truncates the route.
A way to shorten a walk by skipping part of it — useful as a bad-weather option.
Handy when cloud or fatigue means cutting a round short.
“There's a cut-off down the valley if the weather turns.”
short option
D
Dale /dayl/
A valley.
The everyday word for a Lakeland valley.
Old Norse 'dalr', a valley.
Borrowdale, Langdale, Eskdale, Mardale, Patterdale.
“Borrowdale is the loveliest dale of all.”
1 Wainwright named “Dale” Dale Head
dalr (ON)
Day hike
A single-day walk returning to base.
A walk done in daylight with no overnight kit — the norm in the compact Lakes.
Most Lakeland routes are day hikes from a valley base.
“A full day hike over the Fairfield Horseshoe.”
day walk
Daypack, Backpacking
Daypack
A small backpack for day walks.
A light ~20–30 litre sack holding layers, food, water and safety kit.
The standard bag for a Lakeland day.
“A 25-litre daypack holds the ten essentials.”
day sack
Dead-end spur
A side path that must be retraced.
A spur that doesn't rejoin the route — you come back the way you went.
Worth knowing before you commit, to avoid a backtrack.
“The path to the tarn is a dead-end spur.”
Dell /del/
A small, wooded valley.
A little tree-filled hollow — essentially a miniature, leafy dale.
Old English 'dell'.
Adds to the family of Lakeland valley words: dale, gill, combe, dell.
“A shady dell beside the beck.”
Descent
The total height lost over a route.
The cumulative downhill — hard on the knees and often the riskier half of a day.
Steep descents off Scafell Pike cause many slips.
“The descent is steep and loose.”
drop
Dodd /dod/
A rounded, often lower or wooded hill.
A 'dodd' is a smoothly rounded top, frequently a subsidiary or forested hill rather than a craggy peak.
Dialect/Old English for a rounded summit.
Dodd (Dodd Wood, Bassenthwaite), Great Dodd, Watson's Dodd on the Helvellyn range.
“Dodd is a gentle, forested little summit above Bassenthwaite.”
10 Wainwrights named “Dodd” Dodd (Skiddaw), Glenridding Dodd, Great Dodd, Hartsop Dodd, High Hartsop Dodd, Middle Dodd, Rest Dodd, Starling Dodd, Stybarrow Dodd, Watson's Dodd
Dod
Knott, How, Mell
Down jacket
A light, very warm jacket filled with down.
The warmest insulation for its weight — but loses loft when wet, so kept dry under a shell.
Great for cold, dry winter days; less so in the rain.
“A down jacket packs tiny and warms fast.”
down
Drystone wall
A mortar-free stone field wall.
Walls built by interlocking stone without cement — the signature boundary of the dales.
Traditional craft.
Thousands of miles of them climb the fells; a protected craft.
“The wall climbs dead-straight up the fellside.”
dyke
Intake, Sheepfold
Dub /dub/
A small pool in a stream.
A deep pool or small pond, often a wild-swimming spot.
Old Norse, a pool.
Lambfoot Dub on Scafell; countless becks have their 'dubs'.
“There's a perfect swimming dub below the falls.”
E
Easy walk
A short, low-level route on good paths.
A gentle outing suitable for most abilities — the kind on the hikes.guide easy-walks page.
Lakeland easy walks: lake circuits, waterfalls, low viewpoints.
“An easy walk round the tarn for all the family.”
Edge /ej/
A narrow, sharp ridge.
A knife-edged arête, often the most thrilling way up a peak.
Old English 'ecg', an edge or blade.
Striding Edge and Swirral Edge on Helvellyn; Sharp Edge on Blencathra.
“Striding Edge is the Lakes' most famous ridge.”
ecg (OE)
Elevation
Height above sea level, in metres on UK maps.
How high a point stands above the sea — the basic measure of a summit.
Scafell Pike's elevation is 978 m, England's highest.
“Summit elevation 950 m.”
altitude, height
Spot height, Contour line
Emergency blanket
A light reflective sheet to retain body heat.
A foil blanket reflecting warmth back to a casualty — backup to a survival bag.
Cheap, tiny, worth carrying.
“A foil blanket lives in the first-aid kit.”
foil blanket
Emergency contact
Someone told your route and return time.
A person who knows where you've gone and when to raise the alarm.
The simplest safety net — leave your route with someone.
“Always leave your route and timings with someone.”
Erg /erg/
A hill pasture or shieling.
A summer grazing — a Norse word borrowed from Gaelic.
Old Norse 'erg', from Gaelic 'áirge'.
Sizergh ('Sigarith's pasture'); Mosser, Winder.
“Sizergh hides a Gaelic loan-word for a pasture.”
erg (ON, from Gaelic)
Scale, Seat
Erratic /e-RAT-ik/
A boulder dropped by a glacier.
A rock carried far from its origin and stranded by melting ice.
Latin 'erraticus', wandering.
The Bowder Stone in Borrowdale is the Lakes' most famous erratic.
“The Bowder Stone is a 2,000-tonne erratic.”
Moraine, Bowder Stone
Escape route
A shorter, safer way off if conditions worsen.
A pre-identified bail-out line down to safety, away from exposed ground.
Knowing the valley escapes off a ridge is basic Lakeland planning.
“The col gives an escape route into the next valley.”
bail-out line
Exposure
The sense of steep drops beside the route.
'Airy' ground where a slip would have serious consequences — nerve as much as skill.
Sharp Edge and Striding Edge are the Lakes' most exposed walkers' routes.
“The arête is narrow and the exposure is real.”
airiness, drop
F
False summit
A rise that looks like the top but isn't.
A foresummit that hides the true top until you're over it.
English.
Many Lakeland ascents have a cruel false top.
“Another false summit — the real one's beyond.”
fore-summit
Fell /fel/
A mountain or hill of open upland.
In the Lakes, a 'fell' is any of the high, largely unenclosed hills used for rough grazing — the word covers everything from a grassy whaleback to a rocky peak.
Old Norse 'fjall', a mountain (usually large and flat-topped).
The defining Lakeland word; the hills are 'the fells' and walkers are 'fell-walkers'.
“We did three fells on the Newlands round.”
39 Wainwrights named “Fell” Armboth Fell, Beda Fell, Black Fell, Blake Fell, Bleaberry Fell, Bowscale Fell, Brae Fell, Brim Fell, Broom Fell, Burnbank Fell, Carrock Fell, Caw Fell, Crag Fell, Gavel Fell, Gowbarrow Fell, Grange Fell, Great Mell Fell, Great Sca Fell, Hallin Fell, Harter Fell (Eskdale), Harter Fell (Mardale), Holme Fell, Kirk Fell, Ling Fell, Lingmoor Fell, Little Mell Fell, Longlands Fell, Lonscale Fell, Loughrigg Fell, Low Fell, Meal Fell, Middle Fell, Place Fell, Rosthwaite Fell, Sale Fell, Scoat Fell, Seathwaite Fell, Souther Fell, Steel Fell
Baystones (Wansfell), Bowfell, Catbells, Fellbarrow, Fleetwith Pike, Scafell, Scafell Pike
fjall (ON)
fellside, fell-walking, the fells
Fell running
Running over open mountain terrain.
Racing or moving fast across rough, steep, often pathless fells — a sport born in the Lakes.
Cumbrian tradition.
Home to legends like Joss Naylor and Billy Bland; the Bob Graham its great test.
“Fell running is hill-walking with the brakes off.”
hill running
Bob Graham, Horseshoe
Fell walk
A hill walk on open upland or mountain.
The quintessential Lakeland day out — walking the open fells, on or off path.
The whole point of hikes.guide; 'fell-walking' is the regional term.
“A grand fell walk over four tops.”
hill walk
First-aid kit
A pack of supplies for minor injuries.
Basic kit for blisters, cuts and sprains — part of the ten essentials.
Carried on every responsible fell day.
“Blister plasters live in the first-aid kit.”
Force /forss/
A waterfall.
The Lakeland word for a waterfall.
Old Norse 'fors', a waterfall.
Aira Force, Scale Force (the Lakes' highest single drop), Stock Ghyll Force, Skelwith Force.
“Aira Force thunders 20 m through a wooded gorge.”
fors (ON), foss
Gill, Dub, waterfall
Forecast window
The period a forecast covers (often 24–72 hrs).
How far ahead a forecast reliably reaches before mountain weather gets too volatile.
Check MWIS the night before; the mountain forecast window is short.
“The reliable window is about 48 hours.”
Forest
A large, mainly tree-covered area.
Extensive woodland with trails — though in fell names 'forest' can mean a treeless old hunting ground.
Whinlatter and Grizedale are working forests; 'Martindale Forest' is treeless deer ground.
“Forest trails wind up from the centre.”
wood
Woodland, Whinlatter
Freeze-thaw
A cycle of freezing and melting.
Repeated freezing and thawing that shifts ice and loosens rock — a cause of rockfall and verglas.
Shapes the crags and makes spring ground unstable.
“Freeze-thaw had loosened the gully's rock.”
frost action
Verglas, Cornice
Freezing level
The altitude where the air hits 0°C.
Below it, rain; above it, snow and ice — it decides whether a winter route needs an axe and crampons.
Meteorology.
Forecasts quote it daily in winter.
“Freezing level's at 600 m, so the tops will be iced.”
Verglas, Crampons
G
Gaiters /GAY-terz/
Coverings protecting lower legs and boots.
Fabric sleeves over boot and shin to keep out water, mud, snow and scree.
Outdoor kit.
Invaluable in the Lakes' bogs and wet bracken.
“Gaiters kept the bog out of my boots.”
Garth /garth/
An enclosure or yard around a farm.
A small enclosed paddock, usually by a farmstead.
Old Norse 'garðr', an enclosure.
Dalegarth in Eskdale; Gatesgarth in Borrowdale.
“The campsite is in the farm's old garth.”
garðr (ON)
Intake, Ing
Gate /gayt/
A road, way or path (or a fell gate).
An old word for a way or track — and the literal gate onto the open fell.
Old Norse 'gata', a road/way.
Gatesgarth, Borrowdale; 'fell gates' onto access land.
“Park at Gatesgarth and start from the fell gate.”
gata (ON)
Intake, Bridleway
Gill / Ghyll /gill/
A narrow ravine and its stream.
A steep-sided rocky cleft carrying a stream; the spelling 'ghyll' is a Victorian romanticism.
Old Norse 'gil', a ravine.
Stock Ghyll Force, Dungeon Ghyll, Stickle Ghyll, the many 'gills' on the map.
“Stickle Ghyll tumbles down from Stickle Tarn.”
gil (ON)
Glaramara /glas-ra-MAR-a/
Prob. 'shieling by the ravines'.
A beautifully-named knobbly ridge in Borrowdale; once called Houedebergh.
Old Norse, from 'gljúfr' (ravine) + sætr (shieling).
One of the most musical names in the fells.
“Glaramara — the loveliest name in Lakeland.”
1 Wainwright named “Glaramara” Glaramara
Borrowdale, Allen Crags
Gorge
A deep, steep-sided river valley.
A narrow rocky defile cut by water, often with falls.
Lakeland gills cut small gorges.
“The beck tumbles through a wooded gorge.”
ravine
Gill, Force
GPS
Satellite positioning via device or phone.
A unit or app showing your position on a map — powerful, but no substitute for map-and-compass when batteries die.
Global Positioning System.
Most walkers use a phone app plus a paper map as backup.
“GPS puts us here — but check it against the map.”
sat-nav
GPX file
The standard GPS route file format.
A file holding a route or track that loads into GPS apps — the format hikes.guide routes use.
GPS eXchange format.
Every hikes.guide route is downloadable as a GPX.
“Download the GPX into your app.”
track file
Grade / Difficulty
An overall rating of a walk's challenge.
A summary weighing length, ascent, terrain, navigation and exposure.
hikes.guide rates routes on five axes: length, steepness, terrain, navigation, exposure.
“Graded moderate: 10 km, some rough ground.”
grading
Grade 1 scramble
The easiest scrambling — hands for balance.
Simple, non-technical scrambling; the boundary between walking and climbing.
Jack's Rake, Sharp Edge and Striding Edge are grade 1.
“An exposed but straightforward grade-1 scramble.”
Grade 2-3 scramble
Steeper, committing scrambling near rock-climbing.
Harder scrambling with real exposure and sustained climbing; a rope is often wise.
Pinnacle Ridge on St Sunday Crag is a Lakeland grade-3 classic.
“Grade 3 — bordering on a roped climb.”
Gradient
The steepness of a slope, as a ratio or percentage.
How sharply ground rises or falls; tightly-packed contours mean a steep gradient.
Steep gradients on pitched paths like Helvellyn's make slow climbing.
“A punishing gradient up the final cone.”
steepness
Contour line, Ascent
Great Gable /gay-bl/
'Great gable-shaped hill'.
The pyramid at the head of Wasdale; the emblem of the Lake District National Park.
Descriptive English — a gable end.
Its outline is the Park's logo; the war memorial is on its summit.
“Great Gable's profile is the Park's badge.”
1 Wainwright named “Great Gable” Great Gable
Napes, Sty Head
Grid reference
An OS map coordinate.
A 4-, 6- or 10-figure number pinpointing a spot on the National Grid (eastings then northings).
Ordnance Survey National Grid.
How you give your location to mountain rescue.
“Six-figure grid ref: NY 215 073.”
grid ref, OSGB
Eastings, what3words
Grid square
A single kilometre square on the OS grid.
Each blue square on an OS map is 1 km across — the basis of a grid reference.
OS National Grid.
Counting squares is how you measure distance on the map.
“Two grid squares to the summit — about 2 km.”
kilometre square
Grid reference, Eastings
Grise / Gris /griess/
A young pig.
An element marking old pig-pastures.
Old Norse 'gríss', a young pig.
Grisedale ('valley of the pigs'), Grizedale Forest, Mungrisdale.
“Grisedale was once the valley of the swine.”
gríss (ON)
Group management
Keeping a party together and safe.
Matching pace to the slowest, keeping in contact and making shared decisions.
Key on exposed ground and in poor visibility.
“Good group management kept us together in the clag.”
Group shelter
A fabric bag that shelters a group.
A lightweight nylon 'bothy bag' you pull over a seated group to trap warmth in an emergency or a brutal lunch stop.
Outdoor safety kit.
Cheap, tiny, and a genuine life-saver in Lakeland storms.
“We brewed up inside the group shelter out of the gale.”
bothy bag, KISU
Survival bag, Exposure
Gusts
Short, strong bursts of wind above the average.
Sudden surges above the mean speed — what actually knocks you off balance on a ridge.
Gusts, not steady wind, are the danger on exposed edges.
“30 mph, gusting 60 — stay off the edges.”
H
Handrail
A linear feature you follow.
A wall, fence, beck, ridge or path you keep alongside to stay on line.
Navigation term.
Drystone walls make superb handrails in mist.
“Use the wall as a handrail to the gate.”
Hanging valley
A side valley left high above the main valley.
A tributary valley whose floor sits above the deeper, glacier-carved main valley — often with a waterfall at the lip.
Geology term.
Many Lakeland forces tumble from hanging valleys.
“The beck pours from a hanging valley.”
Force, U-shaped valley
Hardshell / softshell
Waterproof vs breathable-windproof outer.
A hardshell is a fully waterproof jacket (e.g. Gore-Tex); a softshell is breathable and wind-resistant but not fully waterproof.
Outdoor kit.
In Lakeland rain, a hardshell is non-negotiable.
“Softshell for the climb, hardshell when it rains.”
waterproof, Gore-Tex
Layering, Hydrostatic head
Harter /har-ter/
Of the hart (deer).
An element meaning the deer-fell.
Old Norse 'hjartar', of the hart.
Harter Fell (Eskdale) and Harter Fell (Mardale).
“Both Harter Fells mean 'the deer hill'.”
2 Wainwrights named “Harter” Harter Fell (Eskdale), Harter Fell (Mardale)
hjartar (ON)
Hause /hawss/
A pass or saddle between hills.
A neck of high ground linking two fells or two dales — a walkers' crossing point.
Old Norse 'háls', a neck.
Esk Hause (the highest walkers' pass in the Lakes), Sticks Pass, Styhead.
“Esk Hause is the great crossroads of the central fells.”
háls (ON)
Haystacks /HAY-staks/
'Stack-shaped rocks'.
Wainwright's favourite fell, where his ashes were scattered (by Innominate Tarn).
Old Norse 'stakkr' (stack), or 'high rocks'.
The rough little fell above Buttermere.
“Haystacks was Wainwright's best-loved fell.”
1 Wainwright named “Haystacks” Haystacks
Hay Stacks
Wainwright's favourite: why he chose little Haystacks to rest on.
Headtorch / Headlamp
A head-worn light for low-light walking.
Hands-free light — essential as days shorten or a walk overruns into dusk.
One of the ten essentials, all year.
“Short winter days make a headtorch essential.”
head torch
Hefted /HEFT-ed/
Sheep instinctively bound to their patch of fell.
A 'heft' is a flock's home range on the open, unfenced fell, knowledge passed ewe to lamb — which is why the fells can be grazed without walls.
Old Norse 'hefð', custom/possession.
Underpins how open-fell farming works in the Lakes.
“The flock is hefted to that fellside.”
heaf, heft
Helm Wind /helm/
England's only named wind.
A fierce, cold easterly that roars down the western scarp of Cross Fell, marked by a stationary 'Helm Bar' cloud.
Local term, centuries old.
A Pennine/Cumbrian phenomenon on the edge of the National Park.
“The Helm Wind was howling off Cross Fell.”
Föhn, Cross Fell
Helvellyn /hel-VEL-in/
Probably 'pale/yellow moorland'.
England's third-highest and most-climbed big mountain; a rare Cumbric survival.
Cumbric, perhaps 'hal velyn', pale moor (Coates).
The Striding Edge giant above Ullswater and Thirlmere.
“Helvellyn's name is older than the Vikings.”
1 Wainwright named “Helvellyn” Helvellyn
Striding Edge, Red Tarn
Herdwick /HERD-wik/
The hardy native Lakeland sheep.
The grey, white-faced breed found almost nowhere else, central to fell farming and the landscape (and to Beatrix Potter).
Old Norse 'herdvyck', a sheep pasture.
You'll meet them on every fell; lambs are born black.
“Herdwicks graze right up to the summit.”
Herdy
Hewitt /HEW-it/
A 2,000 ft hill with 30 m of drop.
Hill in England, Wales or Ireland over Two Thousand feet, with 30 m of prominence.
Acronym list, 1997.
Overlaps heavily with the higher Wainwrights.
“Most big Wainwrights are also Hewitts.”
Nuttall, Dewey
High-level route
A walk keeping to ridges and summits.
A route staying high on the tops rather than the valleys — big views, more exposure.
The ridge rounds are the great Lakeland high-level routes.
“A high-level route along the skyline.”
ridge route
Ridge, Horseshoe, Low-level walk
Hiker trash
Affectionate slang for scruffy long-distance hikers.
A badge-of-honour term thru-hikers give themselves after weeks on trail.
Trail slang.
More American, but known to UK long-distance walkers.
“Three weeks out and proudly hiker trash.”
Holme /hohm/
An island, or a water-meadow.
A river island or a meadow lying above flood level.
Old Norse 'holmr', an island/meadow.
Ladyholme and Belle Isle on Windermere; Holme Wood on Loweswater.
“Holme Wood cloaks Loweswater's far shore.”
1 Wainwright named “Holme” Holme Fell
holmr (ON)
Ing, Garth
Hope /hohp/
A small, enclosed upland valley.
A side-valley or blind valley.
Old Norse 'hóp', a small bay/inlet, here a valley.
Hopegill Head above the Coledale round.
“Hopegill Head crowns a hidden little valley.”
hóp (ON)
Dale, Comb
Horseshoe / round
A circular ridge walk around a valley head.
A route that follows the skyline ridge all the way round a dale or tarn.
English.
The Fairfield Horseshoe, Mosedale Horseshoe, Coledale and Newlands Rounds, Kentmere Round.
“The Fairfield Horseshoe is the classic Ambleside round.”
the round, skyline
How / Howe /how/
A small hill or rounded mound.
A low hill or knoll; sometimes an ancient burial mound.
Old Norse 'haugr', a hill or grave-mound.
Tarn Hows ('hill tarn'), King's How, Birk How.
“Tarn Hows takes its name from the little hill — the 'how' — above the tarns.”
haugr (ON)
Hydration pack
A pack with a built-in water reservoir and tube.
A bladder-and-hose system letting you drink on the move.
Popular with fell runners and fast walkers.
“Sip from the hydration pack on the climb.”
bladder
I
Ice axe
Tool for snow ascent and self-arrest.
A walking/mountaineering axe used for balance, cutting steps and stopping a slide ('self-arrest') on snow.
Mountaineering.
Essential winter kit for the high fells; needs practice to use.
“Learn to self-arrest before you need the axe.”
Crampons, Self-arrest
Insulated jacket
A warm jacket using synthetic fill or down.
A puffy warmth layer for cold stops and summits; synthetic copes with damp, down is lighter.
Invaluable for winter summits and breaks.
“On with the insulated jacket at the top.”
belay jacket
Intake /in-tayk/
Enclosed rough pasture taken in from the open fell.
The walled fields between the farm's in-bye land and the open fell.
Old Norse 'intaka', a taking-in.
The intake walls you cross at the start of nearly every fell climb.
“Above the intake wall, the open fell begins.”
intaka (ON)
Fell wall, Garth, Ing
J
Junction
A point where paths meet or cross.
A decision point on the ground — and a classic place to take a wrong turn in mist.
Path junctions on featureless ground are key checkpoints.
“Turn left at the path junction.”
fork
K
Keld /keld/
A spring or well.
A spring of water.
Old Norse 'kelda', a spring.
Threlkeld ('the thrall's spring'), Cold Keld.
“Threlkeld sits at the foot of Blencathra.”
kelda (ON)
Kirk /kirk/
A church.
The northern word for church, in many place-names.
Old Norse 'kirkja', a church.
Kirkstone Pass, Kirk Fell, Kirkby.
“Kirkstone Pass is named for a church-shaped rock.”
1 Wainwright named “Kirk” Kirk Fell
kirkja (ON)
by, ton
Kissing gate
A gate that lets people but not livestock through.
A hinged gate swinging in a U- or V-enclosure.
English.
Common on valley paths through grazing land.
“Through the kissing gate and across the field.”
Stile, Stock
Knott /not/
A rocky knoll or craggy hill.
A knobbly, rock-topped hill or a rocky outcrop on a fellside.
Old Norse 'knöttr' / Old English 'cnotta', a rocky knoll.
Hard Knott, Knott Rigg, the many 'Knotts' dotted across the fells.
“Hard Knott guards the head of Eskdale.”
10 Wainwrights named “Knott” Gibson Knott, Grey Knotts, Hard Knott, Knott, Knott Rigg, Rannerdale Knotts, Shipman Knotts, Steel Knotts, The Knott (High Street), Thunacar Knott
knöttr (ON)
L
Lakeland classics
The best-known Lakeland routes and ridges.
The roll-call of must-do outings — Striding Edge, Sharp Edge, the Fairfield Horseshoe and peers.
The routes every visiting walker has on their list.
“We ticked another Lakeland classic today.”
the classics
Striding Edge, Horseshoe
Lakeshore path
A trail running alongside a lake.
A level, scenic walk hugging the shore of one of the lakes.
Derwentwater, Buttermere and Windermere all have classic shore paths.
“The lakeshore path circles the whole lake.”
shore path
Lapse rate
How temperature falls with height.
Air cools roughly 6.5°C per 1,000 m climbed — a summit can be near freezing while the valley is mild.
Meteorology.
Explains why you need warm layers even on a 'nice day'.
“With the lapse rate, the summit'll be 6° colder than the car park.”
Layering /LAY-er-ing/
The base–mid–shell clothing system.
Dressing in a wicking baselayer, an insulating midlayer and a waterproof/windproof shell you add or shed as conditions change.
Outdoor practice.
The core skill for staying comfortable in fast-changing fell weather.
“Layer up on the summit, strip off on the climb.”
base/mid/shell
Hardshell, Wind chill
LNT / Leave No Trace
An ethic of minimising your impact outdoors.
Principles — take litter home, stick to paths, respect wildlife and livestock — to keep the fells unspoiled.
Leave No Trace movement.
Underpins responsible access to the fragile fells.
“Leave No Trace: pack it in, pack it out.”
Leave No Trace
Lollipop route
An out-and-back with a loop at the far end.
A stick-and-loop shape: walk out, do a circuit, return down the stick.
A common shape for fell rounds reached by a single valley path.
“A lollipop round from the valley car park.”
Loop / Circuit
A route returning to the start by a different way.
A circular walk — out one way, back another — usually better than retracing steps.
The lake circuits and fell horseshoes are classic Lakeland loops.
“A four-mile loop round the tarn.”
circular, round
Horseshoe, Out-and-back
Low-level walk
A valley or lakeshore route with little ascent.
A gentle walk that stays low — ideal for poor weather, families or a rest day.
The hikes.guide easy-walks page is full of these.
“A low-level walk by the lake when the tops are in clag.”
valley walk
M
Magnetic north
The direction a compass needle points.
Where your compass points — currently close to grid north in the UK, but check the year's variation.
Geomagnetism.
One of the 'three norths' every navigator reconciles.
“The needle points to magnetic north, not the grid.”
Man /man/
A summit cairn; by extension, a summit.
A 'man' is a built pile of stones marking a top — and so the top itself.
Dialect; the 'Old Man' element is from Brythonic 'maen', a stone.
The Old Man of Coniston; the summit cairn called the 'Old Man'.
“We had lunch by the Old Man's cairn.”
3 Wainwrights named “Man” Sergeant Man, Skiddaw Little Man, The Old Man of Coniston
maen (Brythonic)
Map case
A waterproof holder for paper maps.
Keeps a paper OS map readable in the rain — simple, cheap, reliable.
Vital given Lakeland weather; a wet map disintegrates.
“The map case keeps the OS sheet dry.”
Marilyn /MAR-i-lin/
A hill of any height with 150 m of drop.
Defined purely by prominence — 150 m of descent on all sides — so a small but isolated hill can be a Marilyn while a high bump isn't.
Alan Dawson (1992); a pun on 'Munro'.
A cult list across all of Britain and Ireland.
“Tiny, but it's a Marilyn — 150 m all round.”
Marsh
Low-lying wetland of grasses and reeds.
Soggy valley-bottom ground, grassier and lower than upland bog.
Valley marshes border many lakes and tarns.
“Boardwalks cross the lakeside marsh.”
fen
Meadow
A grassy, usually flat area.
Open grassland, classically the flower-rich hay meadows of the valley floors.
Traditional Lakeland hay meadows are a conservation priority.
“Wildflower meadows line the river.”
Holme Fell, Walla Crag, Whiteless Pike
ing
Ing, Holme
Mell / Mel /mel/
A rounded, conical hill.
A smoothly conical hill.
Old Norse 'múli' (a snout); poss. Celtic 'moel', bare hill.
Great Mell Fell and Little Mell Fell near Ullswater; Mellbreak above Crummock.
“Great Mell Fell is a perfect grassy dome.”
múli (ON)
Dodd, How
Mere /meer/
A lake.
An Old English word for a lake, surviving in the big valley lakes.
Old English 'mere', a pond or lake.
Windermere, Buttermere, Grasmere — but note Windermere already means 'lake', so 'Lake Windermere' says it twice.
“Strictly, it's just 'Windermere' — the 'mere' is the lake.”
mere (OE)
Mickle /mik-l/
Big or great.
An element meaning large.
Old Norse 'mikill' / Old English 'micel', great.
Mickledore ('the great gap' between Scafell and Scafell Pike); Mickleden.
“Mickledore is the great breach below Scafell.”
mikill (ON)
Great, dore (gap)
Mickledore /MIK-l-dor/
'The great gap/door'.
The narrow col linking Scafell Pike to Scafell — and the crux of getting between them.
Old Norse 'mikill' (great) + 'dyrr' (door).
The notch that turns two summits into a serious mountaineering problem.
“Mickledore is the great door between the Scafells.”
Scafell, Broad Stand
Microspikes
Light traction chains for icy paths.
Slip-on rubber harnesses with short chains/spikes for frozen paths — not a substitute for crampons on steep snow.
Modern trail kit.
Ideal for icy valley and low-fell paths.
“Microspikes were perfect for the frozen path to the tarn.”
spikes, grips
Crampons, Ice axe
Mid-layer
An insulating layer over the base layer.
The warmth layer — fleece or light synthetic — added or shed as you climb and stop.
Core part of dressing for changeable fell weather.
“Add a mid-layer at the windy summit.”
midlayer
Mire /mire/
A bog or marsh.
Saturated, often dangerous boggy ground.
Old Norse 'mýrr', a bog.
Mirehouse near Keswick; valley mires everywhere.
“Keep to the edge of the mire.”
mýrr (ON)
Moderate walk
A longer or hillier outing needing some fitness.
A step up — more distance or ascent, basic navigation and some rough ground.
Most single Wainwrights fall in the moderate band.
“A moderate walk with one steep pull.”
Moorland
Open, often boggy upland of heather and grass.
Treeless rough country, frequently wet, typical of the lower fells and Pennine fringe.
Much of the eastern Lakeland edge is open moorland.
“Miles of open moorland.”
moor
Moss /moss/
A bog or mossy moor.
Wet, peaty moorland.
Old Norse 'mosi', a bog.
Burnmoor, the many 'mosses' that catch out walkers.
“The moss is ankle-deep after rain.”
mosi (ON)
Mire, Sphagnum, Hag
Mountaineering
Movement in mountains, sometimes on rock, snow or ice.
Beyond walking and scrambling — technical ground needing ropes, axes and crampons.
Winter on the high fells becomes genuine mountaineering.
“Winter Helvellyn is a mountaineering day, not a walk.”
Munro /MUN-roh/
A Scottish mountain of 3,000 ft+.
A Scottish summit over 3,000 ft (914.4 m); 'Munro-bagging' is the Scottish equivalent of doing the Wainwrights.
Sir Hugh Munro's 1891 Tables.
Not a Lakeland list — England has no Munros (Scafell Pike falls short) — but the bagging culture is shared.
“After the Wainwrights, he headed north for the Munros.”
Corbett, Wainwright
MWIS /EM-wiss/
The mountain weather forecast.
The Mountain Weather Information Service — free, mountain-specific forecasts (cloud, wind, freezing level, 'chance of cloud-free summits').
Mountain Weather Information Service.
The forecast most fell-walkers check the night before.
“MWIS gives 80% cloud-free Lakeland summits tomorrow.”
mountain forecast
Inversion, Freezing level
N
Nab /nab/
A projecting spur or knoll.
A blunt promontory of higher ground jutting from a fell.
Old Norse 'nabbi', a projecting peak.
The Nab in Martindale (deer sanctuary), Nab Scar above Rydal.
“The Nab sits deep in Martindale's red-deer country.”
2 Wainwrights named “Nab” Nab Scar, The Nab
nabbi (ON)
Spur, Knott, Scar
Naismith's rule /NAY-smith/
A way to estimate walking time.
Allow about 1 hour per 5 km (3 mph), plus roughly 1 minute for every 10 m of ascent (about 30 min per 300 m).
Devised by W. W. Naismith, 1892.
The basis of the time estimates on route cards.
“Naismith gives us four hours for the round.”
Pacing, Timing
Navigation skills
Reading maps, using a compass and the ground.
The core competence that keeps you found — map, compass, contour-reading and terrain sense.
Indispensable on the cloud-prone Lakeland fells.
“Solid nav skills matter most when the clag comes down.”
nav
Bearing, Contour line, Route-finding
Nuttall /NUT-l/
A 2,000 ft+ summit with 15 m of prominence.
Any English/Welsh hill of 2,000 ft (610 m) or more rising 15 m on all sides.
John & Anne Nuttall (1990).
Sorts the genuine 2,000-footers from subsidiary bumps.
“It clears 15 m all round, so it's a Nuttall.”
O
Open access land
Land you may walk freely under the CRoW Act.
Mapped 'open country' (mountain, moor, heath, down) where you can roam off paths.
Countryside & Rights of Way Act 2000.
Almost all the high fells are access land.
“Above the wall it's open access — roam at will.”
Access Land, CRoW
Right to roam, the round
Ordnance Survey (OS) map
The standard British topographic map.
The national mapping every UK hill-walker carries, showing relief, paths and rights of way.
Ordnance Survey, est. 1791.
Lakeland is covered by OS Explorer OL4–OL7.
“Carry the OS map and know how to read it.”
OS map
Orographic rainfall /or-o-GRAF-ik/
Rain caused by hills forcing air upward.
Moist Atlantic air rises over the western fells, cools and dumps its rain — which is why the Lakes are the wettest place in England.
Meteorology.
Seathwaite in Borrowdale is England's wettest inhabited spot (~3,300 mm/yr).
“It's orographic rain — the fells wring out the Atlantic.”
relief rainfall
Rain shadow, Lapse rate
OS Explorer
The 1:25,000 OS map series.
The large-scale, detailed maps (orange covers) showing field boundaries and access land.
Ordnance Survey.
The Lakes need just four: OL4, OL5, OL6, OL7.
“OL6 covers the south-western fells.”
1:25k, OL series
OS Landranger
The 1:50,000 OS map series.
Medium-scale maps (pink covers) — less detail, more ground per sheet, good for planning.
Ordnance Survey.
Useful for seeing whole regions at a glance.
“The Landranger shows the wider area.”
1:50k
Out-and-back
A route returning by the outward path.
There and back the same way — simple to navigate, good when one approach is far better.
Many easy Lakeland walks (to a waterfall) are out-and-back.
“An easy out-and-back to the falls.”
there-and-back
Outcrop
Exposed rock breaking through soil or turf.
A small protrusion of bedrock — a handy landmark and sometimes a mini-scramble.
Rocky outcrops stud the grassy fells.
“Aim for the outcrop on the skyline.”
Crag, Scar
P
Pacing
Counting paces to measure distance.
Knowing how many double-paces you take per 100 m lets you measure distance walked in poor visibility.
Navigation technique.
Combined with timing to nail a position in cloud.
“Pace out 300 m on this bearing to the col.”
pace counting
Timing, Naismith
Pack / Backpack / Rucksack
The bag carried on your back for gear.
Your carry-all, sized to the trip — a daypack for a day, a bigger sack for overnights.
20–35 litres suits most Lakeland day walks.
“Everything for the day goes in the rucksack.”
sack
Pass
A route through hills linking two valleys.
The lowest crossing over a range; in the Lakes often a road pass as well.
Honister, Kirkstone (highest year-round road pass) and Wrynose are classics.
“Kirkstone is the highest road pass in the Lakes.”
col, hause
Peak
A prominent or pointed summit.
A high point, especially a sharp one; used loosely for any summit.
The Lakeland word for a sharp peak is 'pike'.
“A shapely peak above the tarn.”
Angletarn Pikes, Arthur's Pike, Blencathra, Bonscale Pike, Causey Pike, Cold Pike, Dollywaggon Pike, Esk Pike, Fleetwith Pike, Great Gable, Grisedale Pike, Heron Pike, High Pike (Caldbeck), High Pike (Scandale), Kentmere Pike, Kidsty Pike, Low Pike, Nab Scar, Nethermost Pike, Pike of Blisco, Pike of Stickle, Red Pike (Buttermere), Red Pike (Wasdale), Rossett Pike…
summit, pike
Peat hag /hag/
An eroded bank or gully of bare peat.
A steep-sided channel cut into a peat bog — awkward and tiring to cross.
'Hag' from Old Norse 'hagi'/dialect.
The high plateaux (e.g. around Skiddaw, the Pennines) are riddled with hags.
“We threaded between the peat hags.”
groughs
Pike /piek/
A peak or sharp, pointed summit.
One of the commonest Lakeland summit words, for a distinct pointed top.
Old Norse 'pík', a peak.
Scafell Pike (England's highest at 978 m), Causey Pike, Dollywaggon Pike, the Langdale Pikes.
“Scafell Pike is the highest pike of all.”
27 Wainwrights named “Pike” Angletarn Pikes, Arthur's Pike, Bonscale Pike, Causey Pike, Cold Pike, Dollywaggon Pike, Esk Pike, Fleetwith Pike, Grisedale Pike, Heron Pike, High Pike (Caldbeck), High Pike (Scandale), Kentmere Pike, Kidsty Pike, Low Pike, Nethermost Pike, Pike of Blisco, Pike of Stickle, Red Pike (Buttermere), Red Pike (Wasdale), Rossett Pike, Scafell Pike, Selside Pike, Sheffield Pike, Stony Cove Pike, Ullock Pike, Whiteless Pike
pík (ON)
Pike-bagging
Collecting several 'Pike'-named summits in one outing.
A playful sub-quest ticking off tops that share the 'Pike' name.
A nod to how many Lakeland summits carry 'Pike'.
“A cheeky bit of pike-bagging along the ridge.”
Pitched path
A footpath repaired with set stones.
A staircase of embedded stones built to stop erosion on popular routes.
Fix the Fells / NT conservation.
The path up Helvellyn and many honeypot fells are pitched.
“The pitched path saves the fellside from erosion.”
stone pitching
Erosion, Fix the Fells
Plateau /pla-TOH/
A flat, elevated area of high ground.
A broad level summit — easy walking but treacherous to navigate in cloud, with few features.
French.
Skiddaw's and High Street's summit plateaux are notorious in mist.
“The plateau is featureless — navigate on a bearing.”
tableland
Plogging
Picking up litter while walking or running.
Combining exercise with litter-collection — a small Leave No Trace act.
Swedish 'plocka upp' + jogging.
A growing habit on busy honeypots.
“A bit of plogging on the way down.”
Post-holing
Sinking deep into soft snow at each step.
Exhausting progress where every footfall punches through the crust.
Hiking slang.
A slog on thawing Lakeland snow.
“Post-holing through deep snow halved our pace.”
Precipitation
Any rain, sleet, hail or snow.
The catch-all forecast term for water falling from the sky in any form.
Latin.
The western Lakes get a lot of it — England's wettest ground.
“Persistent precipitation all afternoon.”
R
Raise /rayz/
A cairn or stone heap; a hill topped by one.
A pile of stones, or a fell named for one.
Old Norse 'hreysi', a cairn.
High Raise, Stybarrow Dodd's neighbour 'Raise' on the Helvellyn range.
“Raise carries the Lakes' only ski tow on its flank.”
3 Wainwrights named “Raise” High Raise (High Street), High Raise (Langdale), Raise
hreysi (ON)
Rake /rayk/
A diagonal track or ramp across a crag.
An oblique line of weakness giving a route across steep ground.
Possibly Old Norse 'rák', a stripe/track.
Jack's Rake on Pavey Ark — a famous grade-1 scramble; Lord's Rake on Scafell.
“Jack's Rake slices up the face of Pavey Ark.”
rák (ON)
Re-entrant /ree-EN-trant/
A small valley indenting a slope.
A shallow gully where contours point uphill — the opposite of a spur.
Navigation term.
Used as navigation features on open fellsides.
“Descend into the re-entrant, then the beck.”
gully
Spur, Contour
Ridge
A line of high ground between valleys.
A continuous crest linking summits — often the most scenic, and when narrow the most exposed, line of a walk.
Lakeland ridge rounds are among the finest in England.
“We followed the ridge over four tops.”
Blea Rigg, Catstye Cam, Great Rigg, Hen Comb, High Rigg, Knott Rigg, Lank Rigg, Latrigg, Loughrigg Fell, Whin Rigg
crest
Rigg /rig/
A ridge.
A ridge or long crest of high ground.
Old Norse 'hryggr', a ridge (literally a back/spine).
High Rigg, Knott Rigg, Riggindale (the eagle valley) on Mardale.
“High Rigg is a perfect short ridge between two valleys.”
6 Wainwrights named “Rigg” Blea Rigg, Great Rigg, High Rigg, Knott Rigg, Lank Rigg, Whin Rigg
hryggr (ON)
Right of way
A public path you're legally entitled to use.
Footpaths, bridleways and byways shown on the map and protected in law.
Highways law.
The Lakes' valleys are laced with ancient rights of way.
“It's a public footpath — a right of way.”
footpath, bridleway, byway
Access Land, Permissive path
Risk assessment
Judging the hazards before and during a walk.
Weighing weather, terrain, daylight and group ability to decide if and how to proceed.
The thinking behind every safe Lakeland day.
“Our risk assessment ruled out the edge in that wind.”
Route
A planned line from start to finish.
The chosen way through, as described in a guide or recorded as a GPX track.
Every hikes.guide route is a planned line with distance, ascent and a map.
“Plan your route before you set off.”
line
Route-finding
Choosing the way on the ground.
The real-time decisions that turn a planned route into reality.
Crucial on pathless or complex Lakeland ground.
“Route-finding is half the skill on a trackless fell.”
wayfinding
S
Scafell Pike /SCAW-fel piek/
'Bald/bare fell peak' — England's highest.
At 978 m, the highest ground in England, ringed by Scafell, Great End and Lingmell.
Old Norse 'skalli' (bald) + fell + pík.
The roof of England, reached from Wasdale, Borrowdale or Langdale.
“Scafell Pike is England's highest point.”
1 Wainwright named “Scafell Pike” Scafell Pike
Mickledore, Scafell
Scale /skayl/
A shieling or summer hut.
A temporary hut used by herders at the summer pastures.
Old Norse 'skáli', a hut.
Scale Force ('waterfall by the shieling'), Seascale, Portinscale.
“Scale Force is named for an old shieling nearby.”
skáli (ON)
Seat, Side, Erg
Scale (map)
The ratio of map distance to ground distance.
Tells you how much ground each measurement represents — 1:25,000 means 1 cm = 250 m.
Cartography.
Choosing the right scale (1:25k for detail) matters on complex fell ground.
“At 1:25,000, 4 cm is 1 km.”
map scale
Scar / Scaur /skar/
A bare rock outcrop or small cliff.
An exposed band of rock breaking through a fellside.
Old Norse 'sker', an isolated rock.
Nab Scar above Rydal, Whitbarrow Scar, Scout Scar near Kendal.
“Nab Scar is the steep start of the Fairfield Horseshoe.”
sker (ON)
Scarth /skarth/
A notch, gap or pass.
A cleft or low crossing point.
Old Norse 'skarð', a notch/pass.
Scarth Gap between Buttermere and Ennerdale.
“Scarth Gap links Buttermere to Ennerdale.”
skarð (ON)
Scramble /SKRAM-bl/
Ascent using hands as well as feet.
Ground between walking and rock-climbing; graded 1 (easy) to 3 (serious).
English.
Jack's Rake (grade 1), Sharp Edge (grade 1), Pinnacle Ridge (grade 3).
“It's an airy grade-1 scramble.”
Scree /skree/
Loose rock fragments on a slope.
Broken rock that slides underfoot; tiring to climb, fast (and risky) to descend.
Old Norse 'skriða' (landslip) — see 'Screes'.
The Wastwater and Great End screes are the most notorious.
“Descend the scree run with care.”
1 Wainwright named “Scree” Red Screes
Screes, talus
Screes, Scar
Screes /skreez/
Slopes of loose, broken rock.
Fans of shattered rock fragments tumbling down a steep slope.
Old Norse 'skriða', a landslip.
The Wastwater Screes, plunging straight into England's deepest lake.
“The Wastwater Screes are Britain's most dramatic scree slopes.”
1 Wainwright named “Screes” Red Screes
skriða (ON)
Scar, Scree, talus
Seat / Side /seet / side/
A shieling (summer farmstead).
Both elements come from the same Norse word for a summer pasture-farm.
Old Norse 'sætr', a shieling.
Seat Sandal, Carl Side (Carl's shieling), Hawkshead (Haukr's shieling).
“Carl Side is 'Carl's summer farm' on Skiddaw's flank.”
sætr (ON)
Shell / Outer layer
A waterproof or windproof outer jacket.
The top layer blocking rain and wind — your defence against Lakeland weather.
A reliable shell is non-negotiable in the Lakes.
“Get the shell on before the front arrives.”
outer, jacket
Shortcut
An informal direct line, often discouraged.
A desire line that cuts a corner — usually causing erosion and best avoided on busy fells.
Short-cutting zigzags scars the fellside; Fix the Fells asks walkers not to.
“Don't shortcut the zigzags — it erodes the path.”
Desire line, Pitched path
Sike / Syke /siek/
A small, often boggy ditch-stream.
A minor trickle or drainage stream across boggy ground.
Old Norse 'sík', a ditch.
Syke Head; the many 'sikes' threading the moss.
“Follow the sike up onto the moss.”
sík (ON)
Skiddaw /SKID-aw/
Uncertain — 'mountain with the jutting crag'.
One of the oldest, highest and roundest of the fells, above Keswick.
Old Norse; Whaley suggests 'jutting crag', or a personal name.
Skiddaw and its satellites form the northern skyline.
“Skiddaw is a giant of ancient slate.”
3 Wainwrights named “Skiddaw” Dodd (Skiddaw), Skiddaw, Skiddaw Little Man
Dodd, Ullock Pike
Slack /slak/
A shallow hollow between hills.
A gentle depression or dip in higher ground.
Old Norse 'slakki', a hollow.
Witherslack; many 'slacks' on boggy cols.
“Cross the boggy slack to the next rise.”
slakki (ON)
Sleet
A mix of rain and snow falling together.
Half-frozen precipitation near the freezing level — cold, wet and chilling.
Old English.
Common on the tops in the shoulder seasons.
“Rain turned to sleet as we climbed.”
Slush
Partly melted, wet snow.
Heavy, saturated snow that's exhausting to walk through and offers poor grip.
Thawing Lakeland snow turns to energy-sapping slush.
“Knee-deep slush slowed us to a crawl.”
Spindrift
Blown snow moving across the ground or off ridges.
Loose snow whipped along by the wind, stinging the face and filling tracks.
A feature of windy winter days on the high fells.
“Spindrift streamed off the cornice.”
Spot height
A specific height marked at a point on a map.
A small number giving the exact elevation of a point, even with no summit symbol.
Cartography.
Useful for confirming you're on the right top.
“The spot height confirms 853 m.”
Elevation, Contour line
Spur path
A short branch off the main route.
A side-path, often a there-and-back detour to a viewpoint or summit.
Many ridge walks have spur paths to outlying tops.
“A short spur leads to the viewpoint.”
branch
Stickle /stik-l/
A steep, sharp peak.
A steep, pointed top.
Old Norse 'stikill' / Old English 'sticol', steep/pointed.
Pike o' Stickle and Harrison Stickle — the Langdale Pikes; Stickle Tarn beneath them.
“The two 'Stickles' give Langdale its skyline.”
2 Wainwrights named “Stickle” Harrison Stickle, Pike of Stickle
stikill (ON)
Stile /stile/
A step or ladder over a wall or fence.
A way through a field boundary on foot; a 'ladder stile' climbs a high wall.
Old English 'stigel'.
Drystone-wall stiles are everywhere in the dales.
“Cross the ladder stile onto the open fell.”
1 Wainwright named “Stile” High Stile
ladder stile
Storm front
The leading edge of a storm system.
The boundary where a depression's wind and rain arrive, often abruptly.
Meteorology.
Atlantic fronts hit the western fells first.
“Get down before the front hits.”
front
Stove
A portable cooker for hot food and drinks.
A small gas or liquid-fuel burner for brews and meals on longer trips.
A hot drink can transform a cold summit stop.
“Brew up with the stove out of the wind.”
camping stove
Backpacking, Wild camping
Strenuous / Challenging walk
A long, high or complex route needing fitness and experience.
A demanding day — big ascent, rough or exposed terrain, proper navigation.
The classic ridge rounds and higher fells are strenuous days.
“A strenuous round of 18 km and 1,400 m.”
hard walk
Striding Edge
Helvellyn's famous east arête.
A narrow, exposed rock ridge — the most celebrated walkers' scramble in England.
Descriptive English.
Combined with Swirral Edge for a classic Helvellyn round from Glenridding.
“Striding Edge is the Lakes' rite of passage.”
Swirral Edge, Red Tarn
Sty /stie/
A steep path or ascent.
A steep climbing path.
Old Norse 'stigr', a path/ascent.
Styhead (Sty Head) Pass; Rossett... the 'sty' element marks steep ways.
“Sty Head is the old pass between Borrowdale and Wasdale.”
stigr (ON)
Sucker hole
A tempting patch of blue sky in bad weather.
A brief, deceptive clearing that lures you out before the weather closes back in.
Weather slang.
Lakeland skies are full of sucker holes.
“Don't trust that sucker hole — the front's still coming.”
Summit
The highest point of a hill or mountain.
The top — the goal of most ascents, often marked by a cairn or trig point.
Latin 'summus'.
Each Wainwright has its summit; 'bagging' means reaching them.
“We reached the summit in cloud.”
Blencathra, Great Dodd, Hartsop Dodd, Knott, Meal Fell, Stybarrow Dodd, The Nab
top
Survival bag / Bivi bag
An emergency shelter bag.
A heavy-duty bag to retain warmth if stuck or injured; a bivi bag is a breathable version for planned nights.
A genuine life-saver in a Lakeland emergency.
“A survival bag weighs little and can save a life.”
bivvy bag
Swarth /swarth/
Black or dark.
A descriptive element meaning black.
Old Norse 'svartr', black.
Swarth Fell, Swarthmoor.
“Swarth Fell broods above Mardale.”
svartr (ON)
Blea, Black Combe
Switchback / Zigzag
A path that turns back on itself to climb gently.
Sharp bends that ease a steep climb by lengthening it — kinder on legs and fellside.
Pitched zigzags climb many honeypot fells.
“Zigzags ease the pull to the summit.”
hairpin
T
Tarn /tarn/
A small mountain lake.
A small upland lake, often glacier-scooped in a corrie.
Old Norse 'tjörn', a small lake.
Red Tarn under Helvellyn, Stickle Tarn, Sprinkling Tarn, Tarn Hows.
“Red Tarn sits in Helvellyn's eastern cove.”
2 Wainwrights named “Tarn” Tarn Crag (Easedale), Tarn Crag (Sleddale)
tjörn (ON)
Technical terrain
Ground where footwork and route-finding are complex.
Rocky, steep or pathless ground that needs careful movement, sometimes hands.
The edges cross technical terrain.
“Technical terrain — watch your footing.”
Temperature inversion
Valley cloud trapped below sunlit summits.
When cold air pools in the valleys under warmer air, the tops break free above a 'cloud sea' — the fell-walker's holy grail.
Meteorology.
Most common on still, clear autumn and winter mornings.
“We climbed out of the fog into an inversion — a sea of cloud below.”
cloud inversion, cloud sea
Brocken spectre, Cloud base
The 214
The full set of Wainwright fells.
Shorthand for completing every fell in the Pictorial Guides.
From Wainwright's seven guides.
The benchmark 'Lakeland round'.
“He's done the 214 twice.”
Wainwrights
Compleat, tick list
The going
The quality of the ground underfoot.
How easy or hard the terrain is to walk on — firm, boggy, rocky, tussocky.
English dialect.
"Good going" on a grassy ridge; "rough going" across the moss.
“The going underfoot is boggy after rain.”
underfoot
The ten essentials
The standard mountain safety kit list.
A checklist — map, compass, waterproofs, warm layers, food, water, head torch, first aid, whistle, emergency shelter — carried on every hill day.
Mountaineering safety tradition.
The baseline kit Mountain Rescue wishes everyone carried.
“All ten essentials in the pack before we set off.”
Survival bag, Head torch
The three norths
True, grid and magnetic north.
Maps point to grid north, compasses to magnetic north, and the pole is true north; the small angle between them is 'variation'.
Geomagnetism.
Currently magnetic and grid north are very close in the UK — but always check.
“Adjust for the grid-magnetic angle.”
variation, declination
Bearing, Compass
Thru-hike
A long-distance trail walked end-to-end.
Completing a whole long-distance path in one continuous trip.
US usage.
Wainwright's Coast to Coast is the classic UK thru-hike crossing the Lakes.
“She thru-hiked the Coast to Coast in a fortnight.”
end-to-end
Coast to Coast, Backpacking
Thwaite /thwait/
A clearing or assart in woodland.
A patch of ground cleared from forest for farming — one of the most Cumbrian of all elements.
Old Norse 'þveit', a clearing/parcel of land.
Rosthwaite, Seathwaite, Applethwaite, Bassenthwaite, Stonethwaite.
“Rosthwaite means 'the clearing with the heap of stones'.”
Rosthwaite Fell, Seathwaite Fell, Thornthwaite Crag
þveit (ON), tveit (Norw.)
Tick list
Your personal record of summits done.
The list (paper or app) on which baggers tick off completed fells.
Bagging culture.
Apps now log your Wainwrights automatically.
“Three left on the tick list.”
logbook
Bagging, Compleat
Tongue /tung/
A tongue of high ground between two becks.
A wedge of higher land dividing two streams or valleys.
Old English/Old Norse 'tunge', a tongue of land.
Glencoyne Tongue, Mickleden's 'The Tongue', countless others.
“Climb the tongue between the two gills.”
1 Wainwright named “Tongue” Troutbeck Tongue
Spur, Rigg
Topo map
A topographical map showing relief.
Any map showing the shape of the land with contours — OS maps are topo maps.
From 'topographic'.
The contour detail is what makes a map navigable on the fells.
“A good topo map shows every re-entrant.”
topographic map
Contour line, OS Explorer
Track
A rough road or wide path.
A vehicle-width unsurfaced way, often for farm or forestry use, good for fast walking.
Forestry and quarry tracks access many valleys.
“A stony track climbs to the quarry.”
forest road
Byway, Bridleway
Track log
A recorded trace of where you walked.
The breadcrumb trail your GPS records — used to log a walk or prove a route.
Recording a track log turns a planned route into a verified one.
“My track log shows the exact line.”
tracklog
Trail / Path
Any track or footway used for walking.
The general word for a route on the ground, from broad track to faint trod.
hikes.guide routes follow everything from pitched paths to pathless fell.
“Follow the trail to the col.”
way
Trail run
Running on paths and tracks.
Running off-road but on defined trails — gentler than fell running's open ground.
Valley and forest trails suit trail running.
“An easy lakeshore trail run.”
Trailhead
The official start point of a route.
Where a walk begins — usually the car park, with signage and the first path.
US usage.
Most Lakeland walks start from a valley car park.
“Park at the trailhead and follow the signs.”
start, trailhead car park
Traverse
Crossing terrain horizontally; or crossing a peak.
To cut across a slope rather than climb it; also to cross a summit, up one side and down the other.
French.
A traverse of Helvellyn takes Striding Edge up, Swirral Edge down.
“Traverse the fellside to the col.”
Trekking poles / Hiking poles
Adjustable poles for balance and to spare the knees.
Two poles that aid balance on rough ground and cut the load on knees, especially descending.
A boon on steep, loose Lakeland descents.
“Poles save your knees on the drop.”
walking poles
Trig bagging
Visiting trig points as a collection.
Seeking out Ordnance Survey triangulation pillars for their own sake.
Hill-walking sub-hobby.
Combines neatly with Wainwright-bagging on summit days.
“He bags the trig as well as the top.”
Trig point /trig/
A concrete survey pillar.
A triangulation pillar built by Ordnance Survey, often on a summit; a 'bagging' target in its own right.
Short for triangulation; OS, 1930s on.
Many Lakeland summits carry the familiar white pillar.
“Touch the trig and you've topped out.”
triangulation pillar
Trod /trod/
A faint path worn by sheep or walkers.
An unofficial narrow path across the fell.
Northern dialect, from 'tread'.
'Sheep trods' contour many a fellside.
“Follow the trod along the contour.”
sheep trod, desire line
Path, Cairn
True north
The direction of the geographic North Pole.
The 'real' north used by GPS and longitude, distinct from grid and magnetic north.
Geography.
Rarely used directly on the hill, but part of the picture.
“True north differs slightly from grid north.”
geographic north
Turn-back time
The latest time to turn round for a safe return.
A pre-set deadline that means heading back regardless of how close the summit is.
Vital with short winter daylight.
“Our turn-back time is 1 pm, summit or not.”
turnaround time
Type 1 fun
Enjoyable in the moment and afterwards.
Straightforwardly fun — a sunny ridge walk with big views and easy going.
Outdoor slang.
A blue-sky day on a horseshoe is pure Type 1.
“Sun, views, easy going — proper Type 1 fun.”
Type 2 fun
Miserable at the time, satisfying in hindsight.
The grim-but-rewarding day you're oddly proud of later.
Outdoor slang.
A Lakeland deluge becomes a great story afterwards.
“Soaked and battered — classic Type 2 fun.”
V
Valley
Low ground between hills, often with a river.
The dale floor — where farms, lakes and roads sit beneath the fells.
The Lakeland word is 'dale'; the radial valleys give the Lakes their spoked shape.
“The valley opens towards the lake.”
Bannerdale Crags, Clough Head, Dale Head, Glenridding Dodd, Grisedale Pike, Hartsop Above How, Hartsop Dodd, High Hartsop Dodd, Hopegill Head, Mardale Ill Bell, Mungrisdale Common, Rannerdale Knotts, Wandope
dale, glen
Visibility
How far you can see clearly.
The biggest single factor in whether navigation is easy or fraught.
In Lakeland clag, visibility can drop to a few metres.
“Visibility fell to 20 m on the plateau.”
viz
W
Wainwright /WAYN-rite/
One of the 214 fells in Wainwright's guides.
A fell described in A. Wainwright's seven Pictorial Guides to the Lakeland Fells (1955–66); 'bagging the Wainwrights' is the Lakes' great challenge.
Named for Alfred Wainwright (1907–91).
All 214 lie within the Lake District; he chose them by eye, generally tops over 1,000 ft with ~50 ft of prominence.
“That's her 200th Wainwright.”
the 214
Outlying Fells, Birkett
Wainwright Outlying Fells
The 116 lower fells of his 1974 supplement.
The summits in 'The Outlying Fells of Lakeland' (1974), described in 56 walks — gentler, quieter hills round the edges.
Wainwright, 1974.
A popular 'what next' after the 214.
“After the 214, she started the Outlying Fells.”
the Outlyers
Water /waw-ter/
A lake.
The everyday word for several of the larger lakes.
Old English 'wæter'.
Derwentwater, Coniston Water, Crummock Water, Wast Water.
“Wast Water is England's deepest at 79 m.”
wæter (OE)
Water filter
A device to make stream water safer to drink.
Filters or purifies beck and tarn water on long or multi-day trips.
Lakeland becks are often clean high up, but a filter removes the risk.
“Filter the beck water before drinking.”
purifier
Beck, Backpacking
Waterproofs
Jacket and trousers that keep out rain.
The full set — top and bottoms — essential given how wet the Lakes are.
Always in the pack, whatever the forecast.
“Pack full waterproofs — this is the Lake District.”
Wath /wath/
A river ford.
A crossing point where you can wade a river.
Old Norse 'vað', a ford.
Wath Brow; old 'waths' on the becks before bridges.
“The old wath is impassable in spate.”
vað (ON)
Beck, bridge
Waymarked trail
A route marked with posts or symbols.
A signed path you can follow without a map — common in forests and on long-distance trails.
Forest trails at Whinlatter and Grizedale are waymarked; the open fells are not.
“Follow the blue waymarkers.”
marked trail
Waypoint
A key point or coordinate used in navigation.
A named location along a route, often loaded into a GPS to follow a line.
hikes.guide route maps mark key waypoints.
“Set the col as your next waypoint.”
nav point
Weather window
A short spell of good conditions between fronts.
A gap of fair weather you plan a route around.
Lakeland walking is often about catching the window between fronts.
“We grabbed a four-hour weather window.”
White-out
Total loss of visibility and horizon.
In thick cloud or blowing snow, ground and sky merge and all sense of slope vanishes — dangerous on corniced edges.
Meteorology.
A serious winter hazard on the high plateaux.
“In the white-out we navigated purely on bearing and pacing.”
Wild camping
Camping away from sites, high on the fells.
Pitching a small tent for a night on open mountain; tolerated (not a legal right) high in the Lakes if done discreetly.
English.
High tarns like Sprinkling and Angle are classic spots.
“We wild-camped by the tarn for the sunrise.”
backpacking, bivvy
Leave No Trace, Tarn
Wind chill
The extra cooling effect of wind on skin.
Moving air strips body heat far faster than still air; a moderate wind can make a cold summit feel dangerously colder.
Meteorology.
A leading cause of exposure on exposed ridges.
“Light breeze, but the wind chill made it feel sub-zero.”
apparent temperature
Woodland
A smaller, often mixed area of trees.
Tree cover, usually more natural than commercial forest — the Lakes' native oak and birch woods.
Borrowdale's Atlantic oakwoods are a temperate rainforest.
“Ancient woodland clings to the valley sides.”
copse
Z
Zero day / Rest day
A day off walking to recover on a long trip.
A rest day mid-expedition — 'zero' because you cover zero trail miles.
Long-distance slang.
Useful on a multi-day Coast to Coast through the Lakes.
“We took a zero day in Grasmere.”
rest day
Thru-hike, Backpacking
What every Wainwright’s name means
All 214, each with the language it comes from, the elements it is built from, and what those elements actually say. Where scholars disagree, the entry says so rather than picking a winner.
A
Allen Crags
“Allen's crags”
Mixed (Personal Name + Brittonic)
Brittonic carreg “rock, crag”
The personal name Allen likely refers to a medieval landowner or settler. 'Crags' from Brittonic 'carreg' via Old Norse usage. The personal name may be of Celtic or Norman-French origin.
Angletarn Pikes
“Peaks by the hooked/angled tarn”
Old Norse
Old Norse öngull “angle, hook, fishhook” + Old Norse tjörn “tarn, small lake” + Old Norse pík “peak”
The tarn above has a distinctive hooked or angled shape, giving rise to the name. The fell is named after Angle Tarn which lies below it.
Ard Crags
“High crags”
Mixed (Gaelic/Celtic + Brittonic)
Gaelic àrd “high, height” + Brittonic carreg “rock, crag”
The 'Ard' element from Irish/Scottish Gaelic 'àrd' meaning high or prominent, brought by Norse-Irish settlers. Crags from Brittonic 'carreg'. Found in the Newlands Valley.
Armboth Fell
“Fell of the arm-shaped dwelling/settlement”
Old Norse
Old Norse armr “arm” + Old Norse búð/bóð “booth, hut, dwelling” + Old Norse fjall “fell”
Named after the former settlement of Armboth on the shore of Thirlmere. 'Both' from ON 'búð' meaning a hut or booth; the settlement was submerged when Thirlmere was dammed to create a reservoir in the 1880s.
Arnison Crag
“Arnison's crag”
Mixed (Personal Name + Brittonic)
a personal name Arnison “son of Arnold/Arnr” + Brittonic carreg “rock, crag”
Named after a family or individual called Arnison, likely of Norse or Anglo-Scandinavian origin. 'Arnr' is an Old Norse personal name. The crag is an outlier of Place Fell above Patterdale.
Arthur's Pike
“Arthur's peak”
Mixed (Personal Name + Old Norse)
Old Norse pík “peak”
Named after a person called Arthur; no identified specific individual. The name Arthur has Brittonic/Celtic origins but was commonly used in medieval England. Not a reference to the legendary King Arthur.
B
Bakestall
“Back ledge / rear standing place”
Old Norse
Old Norse bak “back, rear” + Old Norse stall “stall, ledge, standing place”
Likely refers to a ledge or shelf at the back of Skiddaw. Some sources suggest 'stall' could also refer to a shieling stall for animals. The fell sits on the north ridge of Skiddaw above Whitewater Dash.
Bannerdale Crags
“Crags above the forbidden valley / bean-growing valley”
Mixed (Old Norse + Brittonic)
Old Norse bann-dalr “bannister/forbidden valley, possibly 'bean valley'” + Old Norse dalr “valley” + Brittonic carreg “crag”
Bannerdale may derive from ON 'bann' (prohibition, ban) suggesting a restricted area, or possibly from ON 'baun' (bean) referring to agricultural use. The crags define the fell's character.
Barf
“Rocky hill / barrow”
Old Norse
Old Norse berg “rock, hill”
Wainwright himself noted it is a corrupted form of 'barrow', meaning a low hill. Possibly from ON 'berg' meaning a rocky hill. The fell is notable for the Bishop of Barf, a whitewashed stone pinnacle on its lower slopes.
Barrow
“Hill, burial mound”
Old English
Old English beorg/bearg “hill, mound, barrow”
From Old English 'beorg' meaning a hill or burial mound. Very common element in English place names. The fell sits above Braithwaite in the Newlands/Derwent Fells. Also found in Yewbarrow, Stybarrow, Barf.
Base Brown
“Brown base / reddish-brown fell”
Mixed (Old Norse + Old English)
Old Norse ból “farmstead” + or OE basu “reddish-brown” + OE/ON brún “brown, dark”
The 'Base' element is uncertain; possibly from ON 'ból' (farmstead) or a descriptive reference to the lower, darker-coloured rock base. 'Brown' from OE/ON 'brún' denoting colour. Some suggest a personal name 'Brown'.
Baystones (Wansfell)
“Baystones: ring-shaped or boat-like stones; Wansfell: the lean/poor fell”
Mixed (Old Norse + Old English)
Old English bēag “ring” + or ON bátr “boat” + Old English stān “stone” + Old Norse vanr “deficient” + Old Norse fjall “fell”
Baystones is the summit name; Wansfell is the fell name. 'Bay' in Baystones may relate to the shape of rocks. Wansfell: 'wans' possibly from ON 'vanr' meaning lacking or poor, though also suggested as a personal name.
Beda Fell
“Bede's fell / grave fell”
Mixed (Personal Name + Old English/Cumbric)
a personal name Bede/Beda “from OE personal name” + or Cumbric bedd “grave” + Old English fjall “fell”
Two interpretations: named after the scholar Venerable Bede (672–735), though the geographic connection is unclear; or from Cumbric 'bedd' meaning grave or burial place, suggesting prehistoric use. The Cumbric origin may be more plausible.
Binsey
“Mound island / heaped hill”
Old Norse
Old Norse bingr “heap, mound” + Old Norse ey “island” + or ON haugr “hill, mound”
According to Diana Whaley, the etymology is uncertain. The final syllable may be from ON 'haugr' (hill/mound). The first element could be dialect 'bing' from ON 'bingr' (a heap), appropriate for the conical hill topped by an ancient cairn.
Birkhouse Moor
“Moor by the birch-tree house/farm”
Old Norse
Old Norse björk “birch tree” + OE/ON hūs “house” + Old English mōr “moor”
Named for a farmstead or settlement among birch trees. 'Birk' from ON 'björk' is very common in Lakeland place names. The moor is an eastern outlier of the Helvellyn range above Glenridding.
Birks
“The birch trees / birch-tree place”
Old Norse
Old Norse björk “birch tree”
Simply the plural of 'birk' (birch). Very common Lakeland toponym element. The fell is an outlier of St Sunday Crag above Patterdale, where birch trees once covered the slopes.
Black Fell
“Black / dark fell”
Old English
Old English blæc “black, dark” + Old Norse fjall “fell”
A straightforward descriptive name referring to the dark appearance of the fell, probably from dark vegetation or rock. Black Fell is located near Tarn Hows and is one of the lower Wainwrights.
Blake Fell
“Dark fell / Blake's fell”
Old English
Old English blæc “black, dark” + Old Norse fjall “fell”
OE 'blæc' could give 'black/dark fell', but the name could also reflect a personal name Blake (from OE 'blæc' used as a surname). Located above Loweswater in the Western Fells.
Blea Rigg
“Blue/bleak ridge”
Old Norse
Old Norse blár “blue, bleak, dark” + Old Norse hryggr “ridge”
ON 'blár' often describes a dark, windswept or gloomy appearance. Blea is very common in Lakeland names (Blea Tarn, Blea Water). The ridge connects the Langdale Pikes area.
Bleaberry Fell
“Bilberry/blueberry fell”
Old Norse + Old English
Old Norse blábær “blueberry, bilberry” + Old English fjall “fell”
Named for the bilberries (Vaccinium myrtillus) which grow abundantly on its slopes. 'Bleaberry' is a Northern English dialect word for bilberry, from ON 'blábær'. The fell lies above Derwentwater.
Blencathra
“Chair-peaked summit / peak of the chair/fort”
Brittonic/Cumbric
Cumbric blein “summit, peak” + or cathair “fort/seat”
The leading interpretation is Cumbric 'blein cadeir' meaning 'chair-shaped summit' or 'peak of the seat', referring to its distinctive saddle profile. Some suggest 'blein cathair' (fort summit) from the summit's defensive potential. One of the finest Cumbric toponyms in the Lake District.
Bonscale Pike
“Peak of the farmstead shieling”
Old Norse
Old Norse bolstaðr “farmstead” + or bóls- “homestead” + Old Norse skáli “shieling” + Old Norse pík “peak”
The first element may be from ON 'bolstaðr' (farm), giving 'farm-shieling pike'. Alternatively interpreted as a personal name + scale/shieling. Located above Ullswater in the Far Eastern Fells.
Bowfell
“Bow-shaped mountain”
Old Norse
Old Norse bogi “bow, arc” + Old Norse fjall “fell”
Named for its curved, bow-like appearance when viewed from Great Langdale. The alternative OE 'boga' (bow/arch) is equally plausible. One of the high fells of the Langdale area and Wainwright's favourite camp location.
Bowscale Fell
“Bow-shaped shieling fell / arc shieling fell”
Old Norse
Old Norse bogi “bow, arc” + or ból “farmstead” + Old Norse skáli “shieling” + Old Norse fjall “fell”
Bowscale Tarn sits below this fell in a spectacular corrie. 'Bow' may reflect the arched shape of the ridge or the curved tarn, combined with 'skali' (shieling). Located in the Northern Fells above Mungrisdale.
Brae Fell
“High/brow fell”
Old Norse / Scottish Gaelic
Old Norse brá “brow, eyelid” + or Gaelic bràigh “high part, braes” + Old Norse fjall “fell”
The element 'brae' is common in Scottish Gaelic and northern English dialects meaning a hillside or slope. May reflect Norse-Gaelic influence in the Cumbrian fells. Located in the Northern Fells near Caldbeck.
Brandreth
“Burnt tree / burning path”
Old Norse
Old Norse brand-tré “burnt tree” + or ON brenna “burning”
Possibly refers to clearance by burning ('brand' = fire/burning). Some sources suggest derivation from 'brandreiðr' (a gridiron or fire-stand). The fell lies between Grey Knotts and Green Gable on the Haystacks ridge.
Branstree
“Burnt tree / steep path fell”
Old Norse
Old Norse brann “burned, steep” + or brand “fire” + Old Norse tré “tree” + or stígr “path”
Possibly 'burnt tree' from ON 'brand-tré', or 'steep ascent' from 'bratt-stígr'. The name may record ancient woodland clearance by burning. The fell lies on the watershed above Haweswater.
Brim Fell
“Edge fell / brim fell”
Old Norse
Old Norse brimr “edge, brim, surf” + Old Norse fjall “fell”
The name may refer to the fell's position at the edge of the Coniston massif, or describe the brink/brim-like profile. Located on the Old Man of Coniston ridge above Levers Water.
Brock Crags
“Badger's crags”
Old English / Old Norse
OE/ON brocc/brókr “badger” + Brittonic carreg “rock, crag”
Brock is a well-attested Old English and Norse word for badger, still used in dialect. Crags from Brittonic 'carreg'. The name suggests badgers once inhabited the craggy outcrops. Located above Hayeswater near Hartsop.
Broom Fell
“Broom-covered fell”
Old English
Old English brōm “broom, gorse shrub” + Old Norse fjall “fell”
Named for the common broom plant (Cytisus scoparius) which historically covered its slopes. The fell is one of the Lorton Fells north of Whinlatter Pass, and is connected to Lord's Seat.
Buckbarrow
“Buck's hill / deer barrow”
Old English
Old English bucca “male deer, buck” + Old English beorg “hill, barrow”
Named for the male deer (buck) associated with the hill, combined with OE 'beorg' (a hill or burial mound). Located in the Western Fells above Nether Wasdale, a small subsidiary of Seatallan.
Burnbank Fell
“Fell on the stream bank/slope”
Old English / Old Norse
Old English burna “stream” + OE/ON bank/bakki “bank, slope” + Old Norse fjall “fell”
Named for a burn (stream) and its bank. 'Burn' is from OE 'burna' or ON 'brunnr', and 'bank' from OE 'banke' or ON 'bakki'. A modest fell in the Buttermere/Loweswater group.
C
Calf Crag
“Calf crag / young animals' rocky place”
Old English + Brittonic
Old English cealf “calf, young animal” + Brittonic carreg “rock, crag”
Named for calves or young livestock associated with the crag. 'Calf' may also denote a subsidiary feature (as in 'calf' = satellite hill). Calf Crag is a modest summit on the ridge above Grasmere.
Carl Side
“Carl's shieling / man's hillside”
Old Norse
Old Norse karl “man, peasant, churl” + Old Norse sætr “shieling, hillside pasture”
From ON 'karl' (a man/freeman) or a personal name Karl, with 'Side' from ON 'sætr' meaning a hillside pasture. Carl is a subsidiary top of Skiddaw above Millbeck. The name pattern Carl + Side recurs (Carl Side also appears in the Lakeland toponymy resource as 'Carl's Saetr').
Carrock Fell
“Rocky fell / rock fell”
Brittonic/Cumbric
Cumbric carrec “rock, stony ground” + Old Norse fjall “fell”
The name Carrock is Brittonic, from Cumbric 'carrec' meaning rock or hard-surface, with the suffix '-ǭg' meaning 'abounding in'. The 'Fell' element is a later Norse addition. One of the most clearly Celtic-named fells, with an Iron Age hillfort on its summit.
Castle Crag
“Castle crag / fortified crag”
Old English + Brittonic
OE/Latin castel “castle, fortification” + Brittonic carreg “crag, rock”
Named for the ancient hillfort remains on its summit. 'Castle' from OE 'castel' (via Latin 'castellum') denotes a fortification. The fell guards the entrance to Borrowdale and is the smallest Wainwright by height (290m).
Catbells
“Den of the wildcat”
Old English + Middle English
Old English catt “cat, wildcat” + Middle English belde “den, shelter” + or ON fjall “fell”
The commonly accepted etymology is OE 'catt' (wildcat) + ME 'belde' (shelter/den), giving 'shelter/den of the wildcat'. Some suggest 'bells' refers to rounded bell-shaped summits. The fell is one of the most popular in the Lake District, above Derwentwater.
Catstye Cam
“Ridge with the wildcat's path / cat's-path comb”
Old Norse / Old English
Old Norse katts “cat's” + Old Norse stígr “path” + Old Norse kambr “comb, ridge”
From ON 'katts stigr kambr' or OE 'catt stig camb', meaning 'ridge with the wild-cat's path'. The word 'cam' or 'comb' denotes a crest or ridge. The fell is the imposing north-eastern top of Helvellyn, terminating Swirral Edge.
Causey Pike
“Causeway peak / raised-path peak”
Middle English + Old Norse
Middle English causey “causeway, raised path” + Old Norse pík “peak”
Named in reference to a causeway or raised path, possibly a ridge-top track used historically for crossing the fell. Causey/causeway from ME 'cauci' (via Norman French from Latin 'via calciata'). Located above Newlands Valley.
Caw Fell
“Kale fell / calf fell”
Old Norse
Old Norse kál “cabbage, kale, wild plants” + or kálfr “calf” + Old Norse fjall “fell”
The name Caw is uncertain. It may derive from ON 'kál' (wild plants/kale) or relate to 'calf' in the sense of a subsidiary hill. Alternatively, a personal name 'Cáfi' has been suggested. Located between Haycock and Lank Rigg in the Western Fells.
Clough Head
“Head of the gorge / top above the steep valley”
Old English
Old English clōh “gorge, steep valley, cleft” + Old English heafod “head, top”
From OE 'clōh' meaning a narrow ravine or gorge, very common in northern English topography. The fell stands above St John's in the Vale and is the northern end of the Helvellyn ridge.
Cold Pike
“Cold peak”
Old English + Old Norse
Old English ceald “cold” + Old Norse pík “peak”
A descriptive name for a peak exposed to cold winds. 'Cold' from OE 'ceald'. The fell is near the head of Wrynose Pass and is a subsidiary of Crinkle Crags.
Crag Fell
“Crag fell / rocky fell”
Brittonic + Old Norse
Brittonic carreg “rock, crag” + Old Norse fjall “fell”
A tautological compound: 'crag' (Brittonic) and 'fell' (Norse) both mean a rocky height. Crag Fell overlooks Ennerdale in the Western Fells, with the impressive Angler's Crag on its flank.
Crinkle Crags
“Crinkled, irregular crags”
Middle English + Brittonic
Middle English crinkle “wrinkle, twist, irregular outline” + Brittonic carreg “crags, rocks”
The name perfectly describes the distinctively irregular, multi-topped summit ridge. 'Crinkle' is a Middle English descriptive word. One of the most distinctive fell profiles in the Lake District, above the head of Great Langdale.
D
Dale Head
“Head of the valley / top of the dale”
Old English / Old Norse
/ OE dæl “valley” + Old English heafod “head, top”
A common compound. Dale from ON 'dalr' or OE 'dæl'; Head from OE 'heafod'. This fell stands at the head of the Newlands Valley, which it overlooks. The name is purely topographical.
Dodd (Skiddaw)
“Rounded hill / bare summit”
Middle English
Middle English dodde “rounded, bare-topped hill”
The word 'dodd' (or 'dod') is a Middle English dialect term for a rounded, bare-topped hill. Origins uncertain but possibly from OE or ON roots meaning 'rounded knob'. Dodd is the forested outlier of Skiddaw above Bassenthwaite Lake.
Dollywaggon Pike
“Peak by the dolly-wagon route”
Modern English + Old Norse
ME/ModE dolly-wagon “a type of sled or barrow for transporting slate/ore” + Old Norse pík “peak”
Dollywaggons were sled-like barrows used by miners and quarrymen to transport minerals down steep mountain flanks. The name records the former industrial use of these fells. The pike is on the Helvellyn range above Grisedale.
Dove Crag
“Dove's crag / pigeon crag”
Old English + Brittonic
Old English dūfe “dove, pigeon” + Brittonic carreg “crag, rock”
Named for the doves or rock pigeons which nested in its crags. 'Dove' from OE 'dūfe'. The crag is a prominent feature of the Fairfield horseshoe above Patterdale.
Dow Crag
“Dove crag / dark crag”
Old Norse + Brittonic
Old Norse dúfa “dove” + or ON dógr “dim, dark” + Brittonic carreg “crag”
Possibly named for doves as Dove Crag, or from ON describing the dark colour of the rock face. The crag is a famous rock-climbing venue above Goat's Water near Coniston.
E
Eagle Crag
“Eagle's crag”
Old English + Brittonic
Old English earn “eagle” + Brittonic carreg “crag, rock”
Named for eagles that once nested or hunted here. White-tailed or golden eagles were once common in the Lake District. The crag is a prominent rock buttress above Borrowdale near Stonethwaite.
Eel Crag (Crag Hill)
“Eel crag / eel-shaped rocky cliff”
Old English + Brittonic
Old English ǣl “eel” + Brittonic carreg “crag”
The name Eel Crag may refer to the sinuous, eel-like shape of the crag faces, or to eels in a nearby tarn or gill. Wainwright gave it the name 'Crag Hill' but its local name is Eel Crag. The highest point of the Coledale Horseshoe.
Esk Pike
“Peak by the River Esk”
Mixed (Brittonic + Old Norse)
Old Norse pík “peak”
The fell takes its name from the River Esk, which rises in the nearby fells. Esk from Brittonic 'isca' meaning simply 'water' — related to Welsh 'wysg' and the name 'Exe' in southern England. The pike marks the head of upper Eskdale.
F
Fairfield
“Beautiful/pleasant open land”
Old English
Old English fæger “fair, beautiful, pleasant” + Old English feld “field, open land”
A descriptive name suggesting pleasant upland pasture. 'Fair' from OE 'fæger'; 'field' from OE 'feld' meaning open country rather than an enclosed field. The fell is the hub of the famous Fairfield Horseshoe above Grasmere and Ambleside.
Fellbarrow
“Fell barrow / fell hill”
Old Norse + Old English
Old Norse fjall “fell, mountain” + Old English beorg “barrow, hill”
A double fell-name: both 'fell' (Norse) and 'barrow' (OE) mean a hill, making it essentially tautological. The fell stands above Loweswater at the western end of the Lake District.
Fleetwith Pike
“Swift/fleet broad fell peak / the fleet-wide peak”
Old Norse
Old Norse fljótr “swift, fleet” + Old Norse víðr “wide, broad” + or ON fjall “fell” + Old Norse pík “peak”
Etymology uncertain. Most likely from ON 'fljótr' (swift) + ON 'víðr' (wide/broad), possibly referring to the broad, quickly-rising ridge. The fell overlooks Buttermere and Honister Pass with its famous steep north-west ridge.
Froswick
“Swift creek / Frodr's bay”
Old Norse
ON personal name Frárr “swift” + Old Norse vík “bay, creek, inlet” + OR ON frár “swift, quick”
The '-wick' element from ON 'vík' means a bay or creek, though used here in a topographic sense in the hills. The first element may be a personal name or the adjective 'frár' (swift). A graceful conical fell on the Kentmere Horseshoe.
G
Gavel Fell
“Gable fell / gable-shaped fell”
Old English / Old Norse
Old English gafol “gable, fork” + or ON gafl “gable end” + Old Norse fjall “fell”
The name 'Gavel' shares its origin with 'Gable' (as in Great Gable), from OE 'gafol' or ON 'gafl' meaning a gable end of a roof — referring to the fell's shape. Located in the Loweswater Fells between Blake Fell and Hen Comb.
Gibson Knott
“Gibson's rocky knoll”
Mixed (Personal Name + Old Norse)
a personal name Gibson “son of Gibb/Gilbert” + Old Norse knottr “rocky knoll”
Named after a person called Gibson, who was probably a local farmer or landowner. The surname Gibson means 'son of Gibb' (a pet form of Gilbert). The knott is on the ridge above Grasmere connecting to Calf Crag.
Glaramara
“Hill with the mountain hut by a chasm / sheltered shieling”
Old Norse
Old Norse glárr “shelter, sheltered” + Old Norse erg “hill pasture, shieling” + Old Norse mara “mare, dark?”
Wikipedia states the name derives from Old Norse words translated as 'hill with the mountain hut by a chasm'. The reference file notes two possibilities: ON 'glárr' + 'erg' = 'sheltered shieling', or 'gleinn' (valley/chasm) + 'mara'. One of the most euphonious Lakeland fell names.
Glenridding Dodd
“Rounded hill above the cleared valley”
Mixed (Cumbric/Brittonic + Old Norse + …
Cumbric glen “valley” + Middle English dodde “rounded hill”
Glenridding: possibly from Brittonic 'glyn' (valley) + OE 'ryding' (clearing), i.e. 'the cleared glen'. The 'Dodd' suffix denotes the rounded, bare-topped character of the hill. Stands at the base of the Helvellyn range above Glenridding village.
Gowbarrow Fell
“Windy hill”
Old Norse
Old Norse gol “gust of wind, breeze” + Old Norse berg “rocky hill” + Old Norse fjall “fell, added later”
Recorded as 'Golbery' c.1250 and 'Golebergh' in 1294, meaning 'windy hill' from ON 'gol' (gust/breeze) + ON 'berg' (rocky hill). The 'fell' element was a later addition. Famous for the daffodils that inspired Wordsworth's poem, near Ullswater.
Grange Fell
“Grange farm fell”
Middle English + Old Norse
Middle English grange “outlying farm, granary, from Norman French” + Old Norse fjall “fell”
Named for the village of Grange in Borrowdale, itself named from a medieval monastic grange (outlying farm). 'Grange' from ME 'graunge' (Norman French for 'granary'), from Latin 'granea'. The fell is divided by Wainwright into Brund Fell and King's How.
Grasmoor
“Grassy moor”
Old Norse + Old English
Old Norse gres/gras “grass” + Old English mōr “moor, moorland”
From ON 'gras' (grass) + OE 'mōr' (moor), describing a grassy upland moor. The fell is the highest in the Coledale/Lorton group of fells. The name contrasts with the fell's actual character, which is rather boggy and rough near the top.
Gray Crag
“Grey crag”
Old English + Brittonic
Old English grǣg “grey” + Brittonic carreg “crag, rock”
A descriptive name for the grey-coloured rocky outcrops. 'Gray/Grey' from OE 'grǣg'. Located above Hayeswater in the Far Eastern Fells, near Hartsop.
Graystones
“Grey stones”
Old English
Old English grǣg “grey” + Old English stān “stone”
A descriptive name for the grey-coloured rocky summit. The fell is at the end of the Lord's Seat ridge north of Whinlatter Pass. Wainwright was enthusiastic about this modest fell's viewpoint.
Great Borne
“Great stream fell / by the large burn”
Old English / Old Norse
Old English grēat “great, large” + / ON brunnr “stream, burn”
The 'Borne' element likely derives from OE 'burna' (stream/burn), possibly referring to Floutern Tarn Beck. The fell is in the Ennerdale area of the Western Fells. Alternatively 'borne' might relate to the dialectal 'bourne' (hill, barrier).
Great Calva
“Great calf-fell / big bald hill”
Old Norse
Old English grēat “great” + Old Norse kálfr “calf” + or Latin/ME calva “bald”
Uncertain. Could be from ON 'kálfr' (calf) in the sense of a subsidiary or young hill, or from the Latin/ME 'calvus/calva' (bald/bare-headed), referring to its smooth, treeless summit. It is described by Wainwright as 'the watchtower of Skiddaw Forest'.
Great Carrs
“Great marshy/brushwood area”
Old English + Old Norse
Old English grēat “great” + Old Norse kjarr “marshy ground, brushwood, carr”
From ON 'kjarr' (marshy ground covered in brushwood or scrub alder). 'Carrs' denotes wet, wooded areas. The fell is connected to Grey Friar and Swirl How in the Coniston group.
Great Cockup
“Great cook's hill / great nook hill”
Old Norse
Old English grēat “great” + Old Norse kók “cook, OR nook/corner” + Old Norse haugr “hill, mound”
The somewhat comical name has been interpreted as 'the great hill of the cook' or more plausibly 'the great nook hill' from ON 'kók-haugr'. There is also a Little Cockup nearby. Located in the Northern Fells above Orthwaite.
Great Crag
“Great crag / big rocky outcrop”
Old English + Brittonic
Old English grēat “great, large” + Brittonic carreg “crag, rock”
A straightforward descriptive name. The fell is a modest but craggy summit above Watendlath in the Central Fells, with impressive rocky outcrops.
Great Dodd
“Great rounded hill”
Old English + Middle English
Old English grēat “great” + Middle English dodde “rounded hill, bare summit”
The most northerly of the Helvellyn ridge summits. 'Dodd' denotes a rounded bare-topped hill. Great Dodd is the dominant summit of the Dodds group above St John's in the Vale.
Great End
“The great end / large extremity”
Old English
Old English grēat “great” + Old English ende “end, extremity”
Names the massive craggy northern buttress of the Scafell range. 'End' used in the topographic sense of the end or head of a ridge — here the dramatic north-facing end of the Scafell massif, above Esk Hause.
Great Gable
“Great gable-shaped mountain”
Old English / Old Norse
Old English grēat “great” + / ON gafl “gable end of a roof, triangular peak”
Named for its resemblance to the gable end of a house or barn when seen from Wasdale. This shape is especially clear from Wasdale Head. One of the most iconic peaks in England, and the location of the Fell & Rock memorial to climbers killed in WWI.
Great Mell Fell
“Great conical/rounded hill”
Old Norse
Old English grēat “great” + Old Norse muli “rounded or conical hill, snout”
ON 'muli' means a rounded projecting hill or snout. Mell Fell is one of the characteristic smooth, rounded volcanic cone-shaped fells of the eastern Lake District. Great Mell Fell stands near Ullswater.
Great Rigg
“The great ridge”
Old English + Old Norse
Old English grēat “great” + Old Norse hryggr “ridge”
On the Fairfield Horseshoe ridge, Great Rigg is the broad ridge summit south of Fairfield. The 'Rigg' element from ON 'hryggr' is common in Lakeland place names.
Great Sca Fell
“Great jutting-crag fell”
Old Norse
Old English grēat “great” + Old Norse skár “jutting crag, isolated rock” + Old Norse fjall “fell”
'Sca' from ON 'skár' or 'skaer' meaning a jutting or isolated crag. Related to Scafell. Great Sca Fell is a Northern Fell, one of the Skiddaw outliers near Caldbeck.
Green Crag
“Green crag / grassy rocky outcrop”
Old English + Brittonic
Old English grēne “green” + Brittonic carreg “crag, rock”
A descriptive name for a crag with green vegetation. Green Crag is a modest fell in the Dunnerdale Fells south of Coniston, above the River Duddon.
Green Gable
“Green gable-shaped fell”
Old English / Old Norse
Old English grēne “green” + / ON gafl “gable end”
The green, less rocky satellite of Great Gable, with a similar gable-end profile. The name follows the same logic as Great Gable but emphasises the greener, less dramatic character of this peak.
Grey Crag (Sleddale)
“Grey crag”
Old English + Brittonic
Old English grǣg “grey” + Brittonic carreg “crag, rock”
Descriptive name for grey-coloured rocks. This Grey Crag is located in Sleddale, east of Kentmere, to distinguish it from other Grey Crags in the Lake District.
Grey Friar
“Grey Friar / Franciscan monk”
Middle English
Middle English grey friar “Franciscan friar, who wore grey habits”
Named for the Franciscan order of friars (Grey Friars), who wore grey habits. The fell may have been owned by or associated with a Franciscan foundation. Located on the Coniston massif. The name reflects the medieval monastic influence on Lakeland land tenure.
Grey Knotts
“Grey rocky knolls”
Old English + Old Norse
Old English grǣg “grey” + Old Norse knottr “rocky knoll”
Descriptive name for grey-coloured rocky outcrops. 'Knotts' from ON 'knottr' (rocky knoll). Located between Brandreth and Haystacks on the western fells, above Honister Pass.
Grike
“Cleft / narrow passage”
Old Norse
Old Norse grík “cleft, narrow passage, creek” + or dialectal grike “a fissure in limestone”
A 'grike' in dialect is specifically a fissure or crack in limestone pavement. From ON 'grík' or a dialectal development. Grike is the most westerly Wainwright, in the Lank Rigg group near Ennerdale, the fells diminishing toward the coastal plain.
Grisedale Pike
“Peak of pig valley”
Old Norse
Old Norse grís “young pig, piglet” + Old Norse dalr “valley” + Old Norse pík “peak”
Grisedale means 'pig valley' from ON 'grís' (young pig) + 'dalr' (valley). There are two Grisdales in the Lake District; this one is near Coledale. The name probably records the keeping of pigs in the valley pastures.
H
Hallin Fell
“Hall's fell / Slope fell”
Old Norse
ON personal name Hallr “Hall/stone” + Old Norse -inn “definite article” + or ON hallr “slope” + Old Norse fjall “fell”
Possibly from ON personal name 'Hallr' (= stone/rock), with the fell named after a Norse settler. Alternatively from ON 'hallr' meaning a slope. Located on the east side of Ullswater above Martindale, surrounded on three sides by the lake.
Hard Knott
“Hard/steep rocky knoll”
Old Norse / Old English
Old English heard “hard, steep, difficult” + Old Norse knottr “rocky knoll”
Named for its steep, challenging character. OE 'heard' (hard/difficult) describes the terrain. Hard Knott Pass is famously one of the steepest roads in England. The fell overlooks the Roman fort of Hardknott Castle (Mediobogdum).
Harrison Stickle
“Harrison's steep/pointed fell”
Mixed (Personal Name + Old English)
a personal name Harrison “son of Harry/Henry” + Old English sticol “steep, pointed”
Named after the Harrison family, who were landowners in the Langdale area. 'Stickle' from OE 'sticol' meaning steep or pointed. Harrison Stickle is the highest of the Langdale Pikes.
Hart Crag
“Stag's crag / red deer crag”
Old English + Brittonic
Old English heorot “hart, red deer stag” + Brittonic carreg “crag”
Named for the red deer stag (hart) associated with this rocky summit. OE 'heorot' = stag. The crag is on the Fairfield Horseshoe, linking Dove Crag and Fairfield.
Hart Side
“Stag's hillside pasture”
Old English + Old Norse
Old English heorot “hart, red deer” + Old Norse sætr “hillside, shieling”
Named for the red deer stag (hart) that once grazed these pastures. 'Side' from ON 'sætr' meaning hillside or summer pasture. The fell is on the Helvellyn ridge above Glencoyne.
Harter Fell (Eskdale)
“Stag's fell / deer mountain”
Old Norse
Old Norse hjartar “of the stag, genitive of 'hjörtr'” + Old Norse fjall “fell”
From ON 'hjartar-fjall' meaning 'stag's mountain'. The fell above Eskdale was deer country. The same name appears for the Mardale fell. Wainwright's favourite Eskdale approach.
Harter Fell (Mardale)
“Stag's fell”
Old Norse
Old Norse hjartar “of the stag” + Old Norse fjall “fell”
Same etymology as Harter Fell (Eskdale): ON 'hjartar-fjall' = stag's mountain. This fell stands above Haweswater reservoir and offers classic views of the Mardale valley.
Hartsop Above How
“The how above the stag valley”
Old Norse
Old Norse hjartar “stag” + Old Norse hop “small valley” + Old English abufan “above” + Old Norse haugr “how, small hill”
Hartsop is 'stag valley' from ON 'hjartar-hop'. 'Above How' simply adds a directional qualifier. The fell rises above the hamlet of Hartsop at the head of Patterdale.
Hartsop Dodd
“Rounded hill above the stag valley”
Mixed (Old Norse + Middle English)
Old Norse hjartar “stag” + Old Norse hop “small valley” + Middle English dodde “rounded summit”
Hartsop = 'stag valley' (ON 'hjartar' + 'hop'). Dodd = rounded, bare-topped hill (ME). The dodd projects east from the Caudale Moor ridge above the valley of Hartsop.
Haycock
“Haycock-shaped fell / hay enclosure hill”
Old English
Old English hæg “hay, enclosure” + Old English cocc “cock, protuberance, rounded hill”
The most likely interpretation is that the fell's dome-like shape resembles a traditional haycock (a small conical pile of hay). 'Haycock' was a common English word for such a shape. The fell is one of the remoter Western Fells between Scoat Fell and Caw Fell.
Haystacks
“Haystacks / hay-stack shaped fell”
Old English + Old Norse
Old English hæg “hay, enclosure” + Old Norse stakkr “stack, pile”
The fell's rugged, stacked appearance from below resembles haystacks. 'Hay' from OE 'hæg'; 'stacks' from ON 'stakkr'. The fell was Alfred Wainwright's favourite, and his ashes were scattered near Innominate Tarn on its summit.
Helm Crag
“Helmet crag / helmet-shaped rocky outcrop”
Old Norse + Brittonic
Old Norse hjalmr “helmet” + Brittonic carreg “crag, rock”
Named for the distinctive helmet-like summit rocks, which also give it the alternative name 'The Lion and the Lamb'. ON 'hjalmr' (helmet). The fell is one of the most recognised in Lakeland, above Grasmere.
Helvellyn
“Yellow moorland”
Brittonic/Cumbric
Cumbric hal “moorland, moor” + / melyn “yellow, Cumbric equivalent of Welsh 'melyn'”
Richard Coates (1988) proposed the Cumbric derivation 'hal velyn' = 'yellow moorland', referring to the yellow-tinged grass/sedge of the high plateau. The earliest known record dates to 1577. One of England's most famous mountains, third highest in England at 950m.
Hen Comb
“Hen's comb / hen-like crested ridge”
Old English
Old English henn “hen, female bird” + Old English camb “comb, crest, ridge”
The name may refer to the shape of the ridge resembling a hen's comb, or to the grouse (known as 'heath hen') that inhabit the fell. Located in the Loweswater/Buttermere group of Western Fells.
Heron Pike
“Heron's peak”
Old English + Old Norse
Old English heigro “heron” + Old Norse pík “peak”
Named for the grey heron, which may have nested or been seen here. OE 'heigro' or similar. The pike is the southern end of the Fairfield Horseshoe, overlooking Rydal and Grasmere.
High Crag (Buttermere)
“High crag”
Old English + Brittonic
Old English hēah “high” + Brittonic carreg “crag”
A straightforward descriptive name. High Crag is the southernmost summit of the High Stile ridge above Buttermere, with impressive crags on its flanks.
High Hartsop Dodd
“High rounded hill above the stag valley”
Mixed (Old English + Old Norse + …
Old English hēah “high” + Old Norse hjartar “stag” + Old Norse hop “valley” + Middle English dodde “rounded hill”
The higher of two Hartsop Dodds (the other being simply Hartsop Dodd). Hartsop = stag valley. The fell rises steeply above the Hayeswater valley.
High Pike (Caldbeck)
“High peak”
Old English + Old Norse
Old English hēah “high” + Old Norse pík “peak”
The northern High Pike is the most prominent summit of the Caldbeck Fells, marking the northernmost Wainwright in the Lake District. The 'Caldbeck' qualifier distinguishes it from High Pike (Scandale).
High Pike (Scandale)
“High peak”
Old English + Old Norse
Old English hēah “high” + Old Norse pík “peak”
The Scandale High Pike is on the ridge above Rydal near Ambleside. Scandale = ON 'skar-dalr' (short valley or notch valley). Distinguished from High Pike (Caldbeck) by the valley qualifier.
High Raise (High Street)
“High cairn / high pile of stones”
Old English + Old Norse
Old English hēah “high” + Old Norse hreysi “cairn, heap of stones”
Located on the High Street ridge in the Far Eastern Fells. 'Raise' from ON 'hreysi' denotes a cairn or heap of stones. A common element in northern fell names.
High Raise (Langdale)
“High cairn”
Old English + Old Norse
Old English hēah “high” + Old Norse hreysi “cairn, heap of stones”
The central Langdale fell, different from High Raise on the High Street ridge. Located between Langdale and Borrowdale, this High Raise is the hub of the Central Fells.
High Rigg
“High ridge”
Old English + Old Norse
Old English hēah “high” + Old Norse hryggr “ridge”
A descriptive name for the elevated ridge. Located above St John's in the Vale between Keswick and Grasmere, this modest fell has outstanding views. Also called Naddle Fell.
High Seat
“High shieling / high summer pasture”
Old English + Old Norse
Old English hēah “high” + Old Norse sætr “seat, shieling, summer pasture”
'Seat' from ON 'sætr' meaning a high summer pasture or shieling. High Seat is a boggy summit above Thirlmere on the Central Fells watershed.
High Spy
“High lookout / high observation post”
Old English
Old English hēah “high” + Middle English spy “lookout, observation post”
The name probably refers to a former lookout or spy-post on the summit, possibly connected to a lost fort. Wainwright notes the name is obscure. The fell was also historically known as Scawdel Fell, above Borrowdale.
High Stile
“High steep ascent / high stile”
Old English
Old English hēah “high” + Old English stigel “stile, steep ascent”
OE 'stigel' means a stile or steep ascent. The name may refer to a traditionally steep route to the summit. High Stile is the highest point of the Buttermere ridge above the lake.
High Street
“The high road / high street (Roman road)”
Latin / Old English
Latin via alta “high road” + / OE hēah strǣt “high street, high road”
Named after the Roman road which ran along the summit ridge from Ambleside to Penrith. The Latin 'via alta' (high way) was rendered as 'High Street' in Old English. The road was used by the Romans and later by packhorse traders. Racing was held here in the 18th–19th centuries.
High Tove
“High deserted farmstead / high hillock”
Old Norse
Old English hēah “high” + Old Norse tóft “homestead site, deserted farmstead” + or tópr “tuft, hillock”
The element 'Tove' is uncertain. Possibly from ON 'tóft' (the site of a former farmstead) or a personal name. The fell is a modest summit above Thirlmere in the Central Fells.
Hindscarth
“Hind's pass / female deer notch”
Old Norse
Old Norse hind “female deer, hind” + Old Norse skarð “notch, gap, pass”
From ON 'hind' (female red deer) + 'skarð' (notch or gap), referring to a pass used by hinds. The fell is part of the Newlands Horseshoe, connected to Robinson.
Holme Fell
“Meadow fell / island fell”
Old Norse
Old Norse holmr “meadow, island, low-lying ground” + Old Norse fjall “fell”
From ON 'holmr' meaning a meadow, island, or low-lying area between streams. Holme Fell is a small craggy fell in the Tilberthwaite area south of Coniston, near the Yewdale valley.
Hopegill Head
“Head of the gill in the small valley”
Old Norse + Old English
Old Norse hop “small valley, sheltered inlet” + Old Norse gil “ravine, gill” + Old English heafod “head, top”
Hopegill is a valley (ON 'hop' = small valley + 'gil' = ravine/gill). 'Head' (OE 'heafod') marks the summit. The fell is above Lorton Vale at the head of Hobcarton Crag.
I
Ill Bell
“Difficult bell-shaped hill”
Old Norse + Middle English
Old Norse illr “bad, difficult, evil” + Middle English belle “bell, bell-shaped hill”
From ON 'illr' (difficult/dangerous) + ME 'belle' (bell), describing a steep, bell-shaped summit that is hard to climb. The fell is a graceful cone on the Kentmere Horseshoe ridge.
Illgill Head
“Head of the difficult ravine”
Old Norse
Old Norse illr “bad, difficult” + Old Norse gil “ravine, gill” + Old English heafod “head, top”
From ON 'illr' (bad/difficult) + 'gil' (ravine), describing a challenging gill below the fell. The head is the top above the famous Wastwater Screes. Wainwright described the Screes as one of the great spectacles of Lakeland.
K
Kentmere Pike
“Peak above the chief's lake / peak above Kentmere”
Mixed (Brittonic + Old English + …
Brittonic kuno- “chief/hound” + Old English mere “lake” + Old Norse pík “peak”
Named after the valley of Kentmere. 'Kent' from Brittonic 'kuno-' (meaning chief or hound), 'mere' from OE meaning lake. The pike is the highest point of the Kentmere ridge.
Kidsty Pike
“Peak on the kid-goat path / path frequented by young goats”
Old Norse
Old Norse kíð “kid, young goat” + Old Norse stígr “path, way” + Old Norse pík “peak”
From ON 'kíð' (kid/young goat) + 'stígr' (path), describing a track or route used by feral goats. The pike is a distinctive triangular summit above Haweswater, jutting out from the High Street ridge.
Kirk Fell
“Church fell”
Old Norse
Old Norse kirkja “church” + Old Norse fjall “fell”
Named for a church, possibly associated with Wasdale Head Church (St Olaf's), one of the smallest churches in England. ON 'kirkja' from Old Irish 'circc' (ultimately from Latin 'circus'). The fell dominates the Wasdale Head scene.
Knott
“Rocky knoll”
Old Norse
Old Norse knottr “rocky knoll, rounded rocky summit”
Simply 'The Knott', from ON 'knottr'. This is one of the Northern Fells above Caldbeck, forming part of the Skiddaw outliers. The bare simplicity of the name is characteristic of Lakeland topography.
Knott Rigg
“Knotty ridge / rocky knoll on a ridge”
Old Norse
Old Norse knottr “rocky knoll” + Old Norse hryggr “ridge”
A compound of two common ON elements. The fell is at the end of the Newlands Valley ridge, above Newlands Hause. A modest but attractive summit with good views.
L
Lank Rigg
“Long/lean ridge”
Old Norse / Old English
Old Norse langr “long” + or ME lank “thin, lean” + Old Norse hryggr “ridge”
From ON 'langr' (long) + 'hryggr' (ridge), or Middle English 'lank' (thin/lean). The fell is a sprawling, long-ridged hill to the south of Ennerdale, the most westerly group of Wainwrights.
Latrigg
“Lair ridge / slope ridge”
Old Norse / Old Irish
Old Norse látr “lair, animal's den” + or Old Irish lettir “slope, hillside” + Old Norse hryggr “ridge”
First attested in 1220 as 'Laterhayheved'. Diana Whaley considers the etymology doubtful, suggesting either ON 'látr' (lair) or Old Irish 'lettir' (slope). The '-rigg' element is from ON 'hryggr' (ridge). Latrigg is the most southerly top of the Skiddaw massif, popular with Keswick visitors.
Ling Fell
“Heather fell”
Old Norse
Old Norse lyng “heather, ling” + Old Norse fjall “fell”
Named for the heather (ling) covering its slopes. ON 'lyng' is the source of the Northern English dialect word 'ling' for heather. The fell is at the northern end of the Whinlatter Fells.
Lingmell
“Heather-covered conical hill / heathery snout”
Old Norse
Old Norse lyng “heather” + Old Norse muli “rounded hill, snout”
From ON 'lyng' (heather) + 'muli' (rounded projecting hill or snout). Lingmell is the massive shoulder of Scafell Pike above Wasdale, a significant fell in its own right though often overshadowed by its neighbours.
Lingmoor Fell
“Heather moor fell”
Old Norse + Old English
Old Norse lyng “heather” + Old English mōr “moor” + Old Norse fjall “fell”
Named for the extensive heather moorland on its slopes. 'Ling' from ON 'lyng' (heather); 'moor' from OE 'mōr'. Lingmoor Fell divides the two Langdales, with a long ridge above Chapel Stile.
Little Hart Crag
“Little stag crag”
Old English + Brittonic
Old English lȳtel “little” + Old English heorot “hart, stag” + Brittonic carreg “crag”
The lesser version of Hart Crag, nearby on the Fairfield Horseshoe. Named for the red deer stag. 'Little' from OE 'lȳtel'.
Little Mell Fell
“Little conical hill”
Old Norse
Old English lȳtel “little” + Old Norse muli “rounded conical hill”
The smaller companion to Great Mell Fell, to the south-east of Ullswater. Both are smooth volcanic cones characteristic of the eastern Lake District. ON 'muli' = snout or rounded hill.
Loadpot Hill
“Hill with the deep pool or pit on the path”
Middle English / Old English
Middle English lode “path, way” + Middle English pot “pit, deep hole” + Old English hyll “hill”
Uncertain. Likely from ME 'lode' (a load/path) + 'pot' (a deep pit or pool), referring to a feature on a well-trodden route. 'Pot' in local dialect often refers to a deep hole or pool. The hill is on the High Street ridge above Ullswater.
Loft Crag
“Lofty crag / sky crag”
Old Norse + Brittonic
Old Norse lopt “loft, air, sky, elevated place” + Brittonic carreg “crag”
From ON 'lopt' (loft, upper storey, air/sky), referring to the crag's elevated position. The crag is one of the Langdale Pikes, an impressive buttress between Harrison Stickle and Pike of Stickle.
Long Side
“Long hillside”
Old English + Old Norse
Old English lang “long” + Old Norse sætr “hillside, shieling”
Descriptive of the long flank or hillside. Located on the long Skiddaw ridge, Long Side is the subsidiary summit above Southerndale.
Longlands Fell
“Fell above the long land-strips”
Old English
Old English lang “long” + Old English land “land, strip of land” + Old Norse fjall “fell”
Named for the long land-strips or fields at its foot, a common ME/OE land-management term. The fell is a Northern Fell in the Caldbeck group, a broad grassy dome.
Lonscale Fell
“Fell of the long shieling”
Old Norse
Old Norse langr “long” + Old Norse skáli “shieling, scale” + Old Norse fjall “fell”
From ON 'langr' (long) + 'skáli' (shieling/scale), referring to a long shieling associated with the fell. The fell is the south-eastern spur of Skiddaw above Glenderaterra Beck.
Lord's Seat
“The lord's seat / resting place of the lord”
Old English
Old English hlāford “lord” + / ON sætr “seat, resting place”
Named for a lord's resting or observation seat, possibly relating to medieval hunting rights over the area. The fell is the highest point of the Barf/Whinlatter group and a traditional landmark.
Loughrigg Fell
“Ridge of the lake”
Old Irish / Old Norse
Old Irish/Gaelic loch “lake” + Old Norse hryggr “ridge”
From 'lough' (lake, from Gaelic 'loch') + ON 'hryggr' (ridge). The name refers to the ridge above the lake (Grasmere/Rydal Water area). 'Loughrigg Tarn' is noted as a tautology as 'loughrigg' already means 'ridge of the lake'. Pronounced 'luff-rigg'.
Low Fell
“Low fell”
Old English + Old Norse
Old English lāh “low” + Old Norse fjall “fell”
Simply a low-lying fell. Low Fell is in the Loweswater area of the Western Fells. Its modest height does not detract from excellent views of the surrounding landscape.
Low Pike
“Low peak”
Old English + Old Norse
Old English lāh “low” + Old Norse pík “peak”
The lower, southernmost summit on the ridge leading up to High Pike above Ambleside. Contrasts with the higher 'High Pike' on the same ridge above Scandale.
M
Maiden Moor
“Maiden's moor”
Old English
Old English mægden “maiden, young woman” + Old English mōr “moor”
The meaning is obscure. 'Maiden' is often given to prehistoric hillforts, but no hillfort is known here. It may refer to a place associated with maidens' rituals or games, or may be a corruption. Wikipedia notes 'the name Maiden is given to many prehistoric hill forts'. Above Newlands Valley.
Mardale Ill Bell
“Ill Bell in the Mardale valley / difficult bell-shaped summit in the marshy dale”
Mixed (Old Norse + Middle English)
Old Norse marr “marsh, boggy area” + Old Norse dalr “valley” + Old Norse illr “difficult” + Middle English belle “bell-shape”
Same as Ill Bell but specifically associated with Mardale (marsh-dale). Mardale from ON 'marr' (bog) + 'dalr' (valley). The fell is above the drowned village of Mardale Green (now Haweswater reservoir).
Meal Fell
“Snout-like or rounded-hill fell”
Old Norse
Old Norse muli “rounded hill, snout, conical summit” + Old Norse fjall “fell”
From ON 'muli' meaning a conical or rounded hill projecting like a snout. 'Mel/Meal' is the same root as in Mell Fell and Mellbreak. The fell is in the Northern Fells near Caldbeck.
Mellbreak
“Speckled hill / bare sloping hill”
Mixed (Brittonic/Gaelic + Old Norse)
or Gaelic maol “bare, rounded” + Old Norse brekka “slope”
From Cumbric 'moil breç' or Gaelic 'maol breac', both meaning 'speckled hill', or possibly 'bare hill slope' from Celtic 'moel' + ON 'brekka'. The name has Celtic elements clearly preserved. Mellbreak stands above Crummock Water.
Middle Dodd
“Middle rounded hill”
Old English + Middle English
Old English middel “middle” + Middle English dodde “rounded hill”
The middle dodd in a series. Located between Red Screes and Little Hart Crag on the Fairfield/High Street ridge above Kirkstone Pass.
Middle Fell
“Middle fell”
Old English + Old Norse
Old English middel “middle” + Old Norse fjall “fell”
Named for its central or middle position. Middle Fell stands between Seatallan and the head of Wasdale, above Greendale.
Mungrisdale Common
“Common land of Mungo's pig valley”
Mixed (Old Norse + Common English)
s name Mungo “St Kentigern” + Old Norse grís “pig” + Old Norse dalr “valley” + Middle English common “common land”
Mungrisdale = 'St Mungo's pig valley' from 'Mungo' (pet name for St Kentigern/Mungo, patron of Glasgow) + ON 'grís' (pig) + 'dalr' (valley). The village of Mungrisdale stands at its foot. The 'Common' denotes undivided communal grazing land.
N
Nab Scar
“Projecting rocky scar / protruding cliff”
Old Norse
Old Norse nabbi “projecting peak, knob” + Old Norse sker “isolated rock, scar, cliff”
A compound of two related ON words: 'nabbi' (projecting knob) and 'sker' (scar/cliff). The fell is the southern nose of the Fairfield Horseshoe above Rydal Water.
Nethermost Pike
“The lowest (most nether) peak”
Old English + Old Norse
Old English niðerra “nether, lower, beneath” + Old English mōst “most, comparative superlative” + Old Norse pík “peak”
The 'nethermost' (lowest) of the Helvellyn ridge peaks, south of Helvellyn proper. 'Nether' from OE 'niðerra' meaning lower. It is in fact a substantial summit, second highest on the Helvellyn range.
O
Outerside
“Outer hillside / outer shieling”
Old Norse / Old English
OE/ON ūterra “outer, exterior” + Old Norse sætr “hillside, shieling”
Refers to the outer or more remote hillside, distinguishing this from more central shielings. The fell is one of the Coledale group, above the Newlands Valley.
P
Pavey Ark
“Pavey's shieling / Pavey's hill pasture”
Mixed (Personal Name + Old Norse)
a personal name Pavey “possibly a medieval landowner” + Old Norse erg “hill pasture, shieling”
The 'Ark' element from ON 'erg' (hill pasture or shieling). 'Pavey' is likely the name of a person who held pasture rights here. The fell is one of the Langdale Pikes, dominated by the spectacular cliff of Pavey Ark above Stickle Tarn.
Pike of Blisco
“Peak of Blisco (uncertain first element)”
Old Norse
Old Norse pík “peak” + possible ON blá-skógr “blue/dark forest”
The 'Blisco' element is uncertain. Possibly from ON 'blá-skógr' (dark/blue forest) or a personal name. The fell is one of the prominent summits above the head of Great Langdale, rising between Wrynose and Oxendale.
Pike of Stickle
“Steep/pointed peak”
Old Norse + Old English
Old Norse pík “peak” + Old English sticol “steep, pointed”
From ON 'pík' + OE 'sticol' (steep or pointed), essentially a tautological compound meaning 'pointed peak'. The Pike of Stickle is the most westerly Langdale Pike, known for its Neolithic stone axe factory.
Pillar
“The pillar”
Norman French / Old French
ME/OF piler “pillar, column”
Named for Pillar Rock, the great rock pillar/pinnacle on its north face above Ennerdale. 'Pillar' from ME 'piler' (via Norman French 'pilier' from Latin 'pila'). The rock was the site of one of the earliest recorded rock climbs in England (1826).
Place Fell
“The fell of that place / flat-topped fell”
Uncertain / Old English
or dialectal place “a flat area, a specific locality” + Old Norse fjall “fell”
The etymology of 'Place' is uncertain. Possibly from OE 'plæse' (a boggy place) or simply a use of ME 'place' for a specific locality. The fell is a prominent bulk rising above Patterdale and Ullswater.
R
Raise
“Cairn / pile of stones”
Old Norse
Old Norse hreysi “cairn, heap of stones”
From ON 'hreysi', denoting a cairn or heap of stones, probably referring to a prominent marker cairn. The fell is part of the Helvellyn group, between Sticks Pass and Whiteside Bank.
Rampsgill Head
“Head of the wild garlic ravine”
Old English + Old Norse
Old English hramsa “wild garlic, ramson” + Old Norse gil “ravine, gill” + Old English heafod “head, top”
Rampsgill derives from OE 'hramsa' (wild garlic/ramsons) + ON 'gil' (ravine), giving 'wild garlic ravine'. Head = top. The fell overlooks Rampsgill Beck flowing to Hayeswater above Patterdale.
Rannerdale Knotts
“Rocky knolls above the house valley”
Old Norse
Old Norse rann “house, building” + Old Norse dalr “valley” + Old Norse knottr “rocky knolls”
Rannerdale = ON 'rann' (house/hall) + 'dalr' (valley). The knotts (rocky knolls) stand above the valley below. Famous for its bluebells in spring. Located above Crummock Water near Buttermere.
Raven Crag
“Raven's crag”
Old English + Brittonic
Old English hrǣfn “raven” + Brittonic carreg “crag, rock”
Named for ravens that nested or frequented the crags. OE 'hrǣfn' (raven). Raven Crag is above Thirlmere (also known locally as Raven How), a prominent crag visible from the main Ambleside-Keswick road.
Red Pike (Buttermere)
“Red peak”
Old English + Old Norse
Old English rēad “red” + Old Norse pík “peak”
Named for the reddish-coloured rock (volcanic andesite) that gives the summit a reddish hue. The Buttermere Red Pike is above Crummock Water with excellent views.
Red Pike (Wasdale)
“Red peak”
Old English + Old Norse
Old English rēad “red” + Old Norse pík “peak”
Same etymology as Red Pike (Buttermere): named for the reddish rock colour. The Wasdale Red Pike is above Mosedale, connected to Scoat Fell. Distinguished from its Buttermere namesake by the valley qualifier.
Red Screes
“Red screes”
Old English + Old Norse
Old English rēad “red” + Old Norse skriða “screes, landslip, sliding”
Named for the reddish-tinged scree slopes on the eastern face. 'Screes' from ON 'skriða' (a slope of loose stones). The fell dominates the head of the Kirkstone Pass road.
Rest Dodd
“Resting place rounded hill”
Middle English
Middle English resta “a resting place, pause” + Middle English dodde “rounded hill”
Possibly named for a traditional resting point on the route over this hill. 'Rest' from ME 'resta'. The dodd is above the Hayeswater valley, east of the Helvellyn ridge.
Robinson
“Robinson's fell”
Personal Name (Modern English)
a personal name Robinson “son of Robin/Robert”
Named after a former landowner called Robinson who owned the fell. The surname Robinson derives from 'son of Robin' (a pet form of Robert). Robinson is part of the Newlands Horseshoe.
Rossett Pike
“Peak of the horse shieling”
Old Norse
Old Norse hross “horse” + Old Norse sætr “shieling, summer pasture” + Old Norse pík “peak”
Rossett from ON 'hross-sætr' (horse shieling or horse pasture). The fell is at the head of Langdale above Mickleden, with Rossett Gill providing the main route up to the high fells.
Rosthwaite Fell
“Fell above the clearing with a heap of stones”
Old Norse
Old Norse hreysi “heap of stones, cairn” + Old Norse þveit “clearing, thwaite” + Old Norse fjall “fell”
Wikipedia states the name derives from ON 'hreysi' (heap of stones) + 'þveit' (clearing), meaning 'the peak above the clearing with a heap of stones'. Named after the hamlet of Rosthwaite in Borrowdale at its foot.
S
Sail
“Shieling fell / sail-shaped fell”
Old Norse / Old English
Old Norse sel “shieling” + or OE sǣl “hall” + or ON segl “sail”
The fell's name is uncertain. It may derive from ON 'sel' (shieling) suggesting a pastoral use, or from the sail-like profile of the fell when viewed from below. Sail is on the Coledale Horseshoe between Eel Crag and Outerside.
Sale Fell
“Willow fell”
Old Norse / Old English
Old Norse selja “willow” + or OE salh “willow, sallow” + Old Norse fjall “fell”
Likely named for willows or sallows (Salix species) that grew on its lower slopes. OE 'salh' or ON 'selja' both mean willow. The fell is at the northern end of the Lorton/Whinlatter group.
Sallows
“The willows / willow trees”
Old English
Old English salh “willow, sallow”
Named for the sallow/willow trees that grew on the fell's slopes. OE 'salh' (a willow or pussy willow). The fell is above Troutbeck in the eastern Lake District.
Scafell
“Jutting mountain / steep-sloped fell”
Old Norse
Old Norse skaif/skáfr “jutting, steep” + or ON skár “jutting crag” + Old Norse fjall “fell”
From ON 'skaif-fjall' or 'skáfr-fjall' meaning 'jutting mountain' or 'fell with a jutting crag'. The second-highest mountain in England at 964m, only slightly lower than Scafell Pike.
Scafell Pike
“Peak of the jutting mountain”
Old Norse
Old Norse skaif/skáfr “jutting, steep” + Old Norse fjall “fell” + Old Norse pík “peak”
Same root as Scafell: ON 'skaif-fjall' + 'pík'. The Pike ('peak') was distinguished from the main Scafell fell as climbing became popular. At 978m, the highest mountain in England.
Scar Crags
“Scarred crags / rocky cliffs”
Old Norse + Brittonic
Old Norse sker “scar, isolated rock, cliff” + Brittonic carreg “crag”
A compound of two terms for rocky features. 'Scar' from ON 'sker' and 'crags' from Brittonic 'carreg'. The fell is on the Coledale Horseshoe between Causey Pike and Sail.
Scoat Fell
“Jutting crag fell”
Old Norse
Old Norse skúti “projecting rock, jutting crag” + Old Norse fjall “fell”
From ON 'skúti' (a projecting or jutting crag) + 'fjall'. Related to 'scoot' and 'scout' in northern dialects (ON 'scuti' = jutting rock). The fell is at the head of the Mosedale Horseshoe in the Western Fells.
Seat Sandal
“Sandulf's shieling / sandy dale seat”
Old Norse
Old Norse sætr “seat, shieling” + or sandal “sandy dale”
Possibly from ON 'sætr' (seat/shieling) + a personal name 'Sandulfr' (Sandy/Sandal), giving 'Sandulf's seat'. Alternatively 'sandy dale shieling'. Seat Sandal stands above the head of Grasmere, overlooking Dunmail Raise.
Seatallan
“Aleyn's high pasture / Alan's shieling”
Mixed (ON + Cumbric/Personal Name)
Old Norse sætr “seat, high pasture” + personal name Aleyn/Alan “Cumbric/Norman”
Wikipedia states the name has Cumbric origin meaning 'Aleyn's high pasture'. The 'Seat' element from ON 'sætr' (shieling/high pasture), combined with a personal name 'Aleyn/Alan'. The fell is in the Western Fells above Wasdale and Nether Wasdale.
Seathwaite Fell
“Fell above the sedge clearing”
Old Norse
Old Norse sef “sedge, rushes” + Old Norse þveit “clearing, thwaite” + Old Norse fjall “fell”
Named after the hamlet of Seathwaite (the wettest inhabited place in England). 'Sef' = sedges/rushes + 'þveit' = clearing, giving 'clearing in the sedges'. First written record as 'Seuthwayt' in 1340. The fell is above the head of Borrowdale.
Selside Pike
“Shieling seat peak / dairy pasture peak”
Old Norse
Old Norse sel “shieling, summer dairy” + Old Norse sætr “seat, hillside pasture” + Old Norse pík “peak”
From ON 'sel' (summer shieling) + 'sætr' (hillside pasture), giving a redundant double-shieling name. The pike is on the ridge above Mardale/Swindale in the Far Eastern Fells.
Sergeant Man
“The sergeant-man / the feudal tenant's man”
Middle English
Middle English serjant “sergeant, one holding land by feudal tenure” + Middle English man “man, person”
A 'sergeant' in the medieval sense was a man who held land by a form of feudal service (serjeanty). 'Man' may refer to a boundary marker or person associated with this tenure. The fell is above the head of Easedale near Grasmere.
Sergeant's Crag
“The sergeant's crag / feudal tenant's rocky outcrop”
Middle English + Brittonic
Middle English serjant “sergeant, feudal holder” + Brittonic carreg “crag”
Related to Sergeant Man in name. The crag is above Langstrath in Borrowdale, and may share the same association with a feudal sergeant tenure in the medieval period.
Sheffield Pike
“Sheffield's peak”
Personal Name + Old Norse
a personal name Sheffield “possibly Sheffield family or place” + Old Norse pík “peak”
Named after the Sheffield family, who owned land in the area during the medieval period. The Sheffield estate once included Glencoyne, at the foot of the fell above Ullswater.
Shipman Knotts
“Shepherd's rocky knolls”
Old English + Old Norse
Old English scēp-mann “shepherd, literally 'sheep-man'” + Old Norse knottr “rocky knolls”
From OE 'scēp-mann' (shepherd) + ON 'knottr' (rocky knoll). The name records the pastoral use of these high pastures by shepherds. The knotts are on the Kentmere ridge.
Silver How
“Silver hill / shining hill”
Old Norse
/ ON silfr “silver” + Old Norse haugr “how, small hill”
The 'silver' may refer to the shining, pale appearance of the fell in certain lights, or perhaps a silver-coloured rock or mineral. The how is a modest summit above Grasmere, giving excellent views of the vale.
Skiddaw
“Archer's hill / jutting crag hill”
Old Norse / possibly Cumbric
Old Norse haugr “hill, mound”
Early forms include 'Skythou' (c.1260) and 'Skydehow' (1247). Ekwall derives from ON 'skyti' (archer) or 'skut' (jutting crag) + 'haugr' (hill). Diana Whaley favours 'jutting crag hill'. Richard Coates suggests a Cumbric solution is possible. The fourth highest mountain in England at 931m.
Skiddaw Little Man
“Little man/peak of Skiddaw”
Old Norse + Modern English
The 'Little Man' element likely refers to a cairn (sometimes called a 'man' in northern dialect) or a subsidiary summit. The fell is the southern top of Skiddaw, with views down to Keswick.
Slight Side
“Smooth/flat hillside”
Old English / Old Norse
Old Norse sléttr “smooth, flat” + or OE slight “smooth, flat” + Old Norse sætr “hillside, side”
From ON 'sléttr' (smooth or flat) + 'sætr' (hillside), describing the gentle, less rugged aspect of this southern shoulder of Scafell. It forms the southern-most extremity of the Scafell massif above Eskdale.
Sour Howes
“Damp/boggy hillocks”
Old English + Old Norse
Old English sūr “sour, wet, boggy” + Old Norse haugr “howes, hills, burial mounds”
From OE 'sūr' (sour/wet) + ON 'haugr' (small hills), describing boggy, waterlogged hillocks. The fell is above Troutbeck in the eastern Lake District, characterised by wet ground.
Souther Fell
“Southern fell”
Old Norse / Old English
Old English sūðerra “southern, more southerly” + Old Norse fjall “fell”
Named for its southerly position relative to other Northern Fells. Recorded as 'Souterfel' or 'Souterfell' until the late 18th century. Famous for the alleged spectral army seen marching along its crest in 1735, 1737, and 1745. Located south of Mungrisdale.
St Sunday Crag
“Saint Sunday's crag”
Mixed (Saint's name + Brittonic)
Brittonic carreg “crag”
Saint Sunday is the local Cumbrian name for Saint Dominic, patron of the Dominican order. How Saint Dominic became associated with this fell is unknown. The crag is one of the prominent summits above Patterdale and Grisedale.
Starling Dodd
“Starling's rounded hill”
Old English + Middle English
Old English stærling “starling, the bird” + Middle English dodde “rounded hill”
Named for the starling bird (OE 'stærling'), perhaps from a murmuration or large flock associated with the fell. The dodd is in the Western Fells between Red Pike and Great Borne above Ennerdale.
Steel Fell
“Path fell / steel-like fell”
Old Norse / Old English
Old Norse stígr “path, stepping stones” + or OE stēl “steel, handle” + Old Norse fjall “fell”
The 'Steel' element may relate to ON 'stígr' (path or track) or the resemblance of rock faces to steel. Steel Fell is the fell immediately south of Dunmail Raise above the A591.
Steel Knotts
“Path-top knolls / steel-like rocky hills”
Old Norse / Old English
Old Norse stígr “path” + Old Norse knottr “rocky knolls”
Same Steel element as Steel Fell. The knotts rise sharply above Martindale above Ullswater, with fine views of the deer forest below.
Steeple
“The steeple / tower-like summit”
Old English / Old Norse
/ ON stapi “steeple, steep pinnacle, tower-like rock”
Named for the steeple-like, pointed profile of the fell when viewed from Ennerdale. OE 'stēpel' means a steeple or tower. The fell is an outlier of Scoat Fell in the Western Fells, accessible via Pillar.
Stone Arthur
“Arthur's stone”
Old English + Personal Name
Old English stān “stone”
Named for a large stone or crag associated with a person called Arthur. Whether this is a legendary or historical Arthur is not established. The fell is a modest summit above Grasmere, below Fairfield.
Stony Cove Pike
“Peak above the stony hollow”
Old English + Old Norse
Old English stān “stone, stony” + Old English cofa “cove, enclosed hollow” + Old Norse pík “peak”
From OE 'stān' (stony) + 'cofa' (a cove or hollow) + ON 'pík' (peak). The fell is above Kirkstone Pass and is also known as Caudale Moor. The 'cove' refers to a glacial hollow below the summit.
Stybarrow Dodd
“Rounded hill above the path crag”
Old Norse + Middle English
Old Norse stígr “path” + Old Norse berg “hill, crag” + Middle English dodde “rounded summit”
Stybarrow from ON 'stígr' (path) + 'berg' (hill/crag), referring to a path over a rocky hill. The dodd is at the northern end of the Helvellyn range above Glencoyne and Ullswater.
Swirl How
“Neck-shaped hill / hill at the narrow neck”
Old Norse
Old Norse svíra “neck, narrow col” + Old Norse haugr “how, small hill”
From ON 'svíra' (neck) + 'haugr' (hill), describing the fell's position at the centre of the Coniston group, connecting to all surrounding summits via narrow ridges. The hub of the Coniston massif.
T
Tarn Crag (Easedale)
“Tarn crag / crag by the mountain lake”
Old Norse + Brittonic
Old Norse tjörn “tarn, small mountain lake” + Brittonic carreg “crag”
Named for Easedale Tarn which lies directly below this crag. 'Tarn' from ON 'tjörn' (small lake); 'crag' from Brittonic 'carreg'. The fell rises above Grasmere in the Central Fells.
Tarn Crag (Sleddale)
“Tarn crag”
Old Norse + Brittonic
Old Norse tjörn “tarn” + Brittonic carreg “crag”
Same etymology as Tarn Crag (Easedale). This Tarn Crag is in the Sleddale valley, east of Kentmere. The 'Sleddale' qualifier distinguishes it from the Easedale fell.
The Knott (High Street)
“The rocky knoll”
Old Norse
Old Norse knottr “rocky knoll”
Simply 'The Knott', from ON 'knottr'. This particular Knott is on the High Street ridge, a subsidiary summit on the main ridge between Rampsgill Head and High Street.
The Nab
“The projecting knob / the protruding summit”
Old Norse
Old Norse nabbi “projecting peak, knob, protruding summit”
From ON 'nabbi', a projecting rocky peak or prominence. The Nab is the deer-country summit above Rampsgill in the Martindale area, also known as The Nab on its OS map. A quiet, little-visited fell.
The Old Man of Coniston
“The stone/old man of the king's farmstead”
Mixed (Celtic/Brittonic + Norse + …
Old Norse konungs “king's” + Old English tūn “farmstead” + Brittonic maen “stone/old man”
Coniston: ON 'konigs-tun' (king's farmstead). 'Old Man' from Brittonic 'maen' (stone), a common term for a summit cairn or standing stone which resembles an old man. The dialectal 'man' also specifically means a prominent cairn in northern English usage. The highest fell in the Southern Lake District at 803m.
Thornthwaite Crag
“Crag above the thorn-tree clearing”
Old English + Old Norse + Brittonic
Old English þorn “thorn” + Old Norse þveit “clearing, thwaite” + Brittonic carreg “crag”
Thornthwaite: thorn + thwaite (thorn-tree clearing). The crag is a distinctive rocky pillar on the Ill Bell ridge above the Kentmere valley, with a tall boundary stone that is a notable landmark.
Thunacar Knott
“Thin brushwood knoll (uncertain)”
Old Norse (uncertain)
Possibly ON þunnr “thin” + Old Norse kárr “brushwood, marshy ground” + Old Norse knottr “rocky knoll”
One of the most obscure Lakeland names. The reference file suggests ON 'þunnarr' (thin/slender) + 'kárr' (brushwood) + 'knottr'. Wainwright himself found the name puzzling. An unglamorous summit on the Langdale Pikes plateau — 'the one unattractive summit in a distinguished Langdale company' per Wainwright.
Troutbeck Tongue
“Tongue of land above the trout beck”
Old English + Old Norse
Old English truht “trout” + Old Norse bekkr “beck, stream” + Old Norse tunga “tongue of land”
Troutbeck = 'trout stream' (OE 'truht' + ON 'bekkr'). 'Tongue' from ON 'tunga', meaning a tongue-shaped promontory of land. The fell is the nose-shaped spur above Troutbeck valley near Windermere.
U
Ullock Pike
“Peak where wolves play / wolf-play peak”
Old Norse
Old Norse úlfr “wolf” + Old Norse leikr “play, game” + Old Norse pík “peak”
Recorded as 'Ulvelaik' in the 13th century. From ON 'úlfr' (wolf) + 'leikr' (play/sport/game), suggesting wolves played or assembled here. Ullock Pike is the prominent northern top of the Skiddaw long ridge, with a very steep eastern face.
Ullscarf
“Wolf's pass / wolf's notch”
Old Norse
Old Norse ulfr “wolf” + Old Norse skarfr “notch, pass, cormorant” + OR skárf “gap, col”
From ON 'ulfr' (wolf) + 'skarfr'/'skárf' (notch or gap). The fell is the boggy summit between Borrowdale and Thirlmere, with a pass (scar) associated with wolves. Wolves were present in the Lake District into medieval times.
W
Walla Crag
“Meadow crag / field crag”
Old Norse + Brittonic
Old Norse völlr “field, meadow” + or ON vǫllr “level ground, plain” + Brittonic carreg “crag”
The 'Walla' element likely derives from ON 'völlr' (field or meadow), suggesting the lower slopes were used for grazing. Walla Crag is a popular fell above Derwentwater near Keswick, with a dramatic cliff face.
Wandope
“Difficult valley / troublesome hollow”
Old Norse
Old Norse vandr “difficult, troublesome” + Old Norse hop “small valley, bay”
From ON 'vandr' (difficult or bad) + 'hop' (small bay/valley), describing a challenging hollow or valley terrain. The fell is on the Coledale Horseshoe in the Buttermere Fells.
Watson's Dodd
“Watson's rounded hill”
Personal Name + Middle English
a personal name Watson “son of Watt/Walter” + Middle English dodde “rounded hill”
Named after a person called Watson, probably a local farmer or landowner. The surname Watson derives from 'son of Watt' (a pet form of Walter). The dodd is on the northern Helvellyn ridge above Thirlmere.
Wether Hill
“Wether's hill / castrated sheep hill”
Old English
Old English weðer “wether, castrated male sheep” + Old English hyll “hill”
Named for wether sheep (castrated males) that grazed these upland pastures. OE 'weðer'. The hill is on the High Street ridge above Ullswater, and wether-grazing was important in medieval Lakeland farming.
Wetherlam
“Wether-lamb fell / weather-lamb mountain”
Old Norse
Old Norse veðr “weather, wether ram” + Old Norse lamb “lamb”
Most likely from ON 'veðr-lamb' (wether-lamb, referring to a young castrated ram) + possible '-amr' suffix, or from 'veðr' (ram/wether) + 'lamm' (lamb). The fell is the massive northern summit of the Coniston group.
Whin Rigg
“Gorse ridge / whin-covered ridge”
Old Norse
Old Norse hvin “gorse, whin, furze” + Old Norse hryggr “ridge”
From ON 'hvin' (gorse/whin) + 'hryggr' (ridge). Wikipedia confirms: 'the fell's name means gorse covered ridge and originates from the Old Norse words Hvin meaning gorse and Hryggr meaning Ridge'. Whin Rigg is the southern end of the Wastwater Screes.
Whinlatter
“Gorse-covered slope”
Mixed (Old Norse + Gaelic)
Old Norse hvin “gorse, whin” + Gaelic lettir “slope, hillside”
From ON 'hvin' (gorse) + Gaelic 'lettir' (slope), translating as 'the gorse or furze-covered slope'. This is a notable example of Norse-Gaelic hybridisation in Lakeland nomenclature. Now largely forested, but the name reflects its pre-plantation character.
White Side
“White hillside”
Old English + Old Norse
Old English hwīt “white” + Old Norse sætr “hillside, side”
Descriptive of the pale, light-coloured grass or snow-prone aspect of the fell's slope. White Side is on the Helvellyn ridge above Thirlspot.
Whiteless Pike
“White pasture peak”
Old English + Old Norse
Old English hwīt “white” + Old English lǣs “pasture, meadow” + Old Norse pík “peak”
From OE 'hwīt' (white) + 'lǣs' (pasture/meadow), referring to pale or light-coloured upland pastures. The pike is on the Grasmoor ridge in the Coledale/Buttermere group.
Whiteside
“White hillside”
Old English + Old Norse
Old English hwīt “white” + Old Norse sætr “hillside, side”
Same construction as White Side on the Helvellyn range. This Whiteside is the western end of the Hopegill Head/Grisedale Pike ridge. Both the white colour of the pale grasses and the snow-covered appearance in winter may have given rise to the name.
Y
Yewbarrow
“Yew-tree hill / yew barrow”
Old English
Old English īw “yew tree” + Old English beorg “barrow, hill, mound”
Wikipedia confirms: the name derives from the past prevalence of yew trees on the fell and its 'barrow' shape. The fell's upturned-boat outline above Wast Water perfectly matches the term 'barrow' (burial mound shape). Yew trees once grew on its slopes.
Yoke
“Yoke-shaped fell / oak fell”
Old English / Old Norse
Old English geoc “yoke” + or ON eik “oak tree”
Uncertain. Possibly from OE 'geoc' (yoke), referring to the fell's shape or its use as a yoke-point between valleys. Alternatively from ON 'eik' (oak). Yoke is the southern end of the Ill Bell ridge above Troutbeck in the Far Eastern Fells. Sources & References # Author / Source & Description Clickable URL 1 Diana Whaley — A Dictionary of Lake District https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diana_Whaley Place-Names English Place-Name Society, 2006 2 Wikipedia — Cumbrian toponymy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cumbrian_toponymy Linguistic analysis of place names in Cumbria 3 Lake District Geology — Norse landscape https://www.lakedistrictgeology.co.uk/lake-district-toponymy words in Lakeland Old Norse element glossary for Lake District features 4 Wikipedia — List of Wainwrights https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Wainwrights Complete listing of all 214 Wainwright fells with heights and book references 5 Ekwall, E. — Concise Oxford Dictionary of https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eilert_Ekwall English Place-Names 4th ed., Oxford University Press, 1960 6 Coates, R. & Breeze, A. — Celtic Voices, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Coates_(linguist) English Places Shaun Tyas, 2000 — Brittonic and Cumbric place-name analysis 7 Alfred Wainwright — A Pictorial Guide to the https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Pictorial_Guide_to_the_Lakela Lakeland Fells (7 volumes) nd_Fells Westmorland Gazette, 1955–1966 8 Walk Lakes — Why are Lake District Hills https://www.walklakes.co.uk/toponymy.html called 'Fells'? Etymology of common Lake District landscape terms Note on methodology: Where multiple etymologies are proposed by scholars, the most widely accepted interpretation is given in the 'Meaning' field, with alternatives noted in the Notes field. Linguistic notation: ON = Old Norse, OE = Old English, ME = Middle English, Br = Brittonic/Cumbric, Gael = Gaelic, Lat = Latin, PN = Personal Name.
Sources & how to read this
The fell etymologies follow Diana Whaley, A Dictionary of Lake District Place-Names (English Place-Name Society, 2006), the standard scholarly work on the subject, with individual derivations credited to their proposers where the literature names one. The wording here is our own; we have not reproduced her entries.
Place-name etymology is argued about, and this page shows the argument rather than hiding it. Helvellyn is a good example: the Cumbric reading “yellow moorland” is a proposal, made by Richard Coates in 1988, not a settled fact — and the entry says so. Where a name has no agreed origin we say that too. A confident-sounding glossary that never admits doubt is telling you less, not more.
Hiking and weather definitions are ours, written for people walking in this particular landscape rather than lifted from a general mountaineering glossary. Conditions words describe what the weather does here.