⛰️ Great How (Swirl Band)

📖 Key Information

Great How at 357m (1,171ft) is a pleasant heathery summit above the Eskdale valley, its open top giving good views across lower Eskdale to Muncaster Fell and west to the coast. Wainwright included it as a separate Southern Fell, noting its isolated position and the fine views it gives of the high fells to the north. The ascent from Eskdale is short and pleasant. A quiet, unhurried summit that provides a good lower-level alternative when the higher fells are in cloud, with views of the Scafell group on those precious days when the summits are clear.

🎯 Bonus Birketts within 3 km

These Birkett tops are not Wainwright summits — detour to them on this walk and they are pure profit. Distances are straight-line; allow extra for terrain.

🦶 My hikes over Great How (Swirl Band) (Strava)

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🅿️ Potential parking

Positions are approximate — zoom the map to confirm. Lakeland car parks fill before 9am on fine weekends.

🚌 Buses from Penrith / Ambleside / Windermere

No regular bus serves the start points for this fell — this is one for the car (or a long approach from the nearest served valley). The nearest hubs are Penrith (X4/X5 & 508), Ambleside and Windermere (555, 505, 516).

Rural routes change seasonally — confirm on stagecoachbus.com or Traveline before relying on a last bus.

🌦️ 7-day summit forecast

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Other fells in this region

• Allen Crags
• Black Fell
• Bowfell
• Brim Fell
• Cold Pike
• Crinkle Crags - Long Top (Second Crinkle)
• Dow Crag
• Esk Pike
• Glaramara
• Great Carrs
• Great End
• Green Crag
• Grey Friar
• Hard Knott
• Harter Fell (Eskdale)
• Holme Fell
• Lingmell
• Lingmoor Fell (Brown How)
• Pike of Blisco
• Rossett Pike
• Scafell
• Scafell Pike
• Seathwaite Fell (Wainwright summit)
• Slight Side
• Swirl How
• The Old Man of Coniston (Coniston Old Man)
• Wetherlam