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495 m · Birkett — North Western (not a Wainwright summit) · Birketts to bag nearby, parking, buses, my hikes and live summit weather.

Birkett — North Western (not a Wainwright summit)Birkett top

Seat How (Thornthwaite)

At 495 m (1,624 ft), Seat How (Thornthwaite) is a Birkett (one of the 541 tops in Bill Birkett's Complete Lakeland Fells) in the North Western Fells — an overlooked summit away from the crowds.

495 m
Height
+5
Bonus Birketts
See routes & download GPX → Parking & buses →

Home › Fells › Seat How (Thornthwaite)

495 mBirkett — North Western (not a Wainwright summit)+5 bonus Birketts within 3 km

Is it worth going? — Today’s conditions & 7-day summit forecast

Modelled guidance for the 495 m summit. Always check the Met Office mountain forecast and MWIS before you set off.

On the summit today (Fri 11 Sep): 12° to 9°C, gusts to 26 mph, 3.2 mm of rain forecast.

Fri 11 Sep
🌧️
12° / 9°
💨 26 mph
🌧 3.2 mm (100%)
Sat 12 Sep
🌧️
15° / 9°
💨 41 mph
🌧 21.6 mm (100%)
Sun 13 Sep
☁️
13° / 8°
💨 17 mph
🌧 0.0 mm (74%)
Mon 14 Sep
🌧️
15° / 7°
💨 32 mph
🌧 9.5 mm (96%)
Tue 15 Sep
🌦️
13° / 9°
💨 32 mph
🌧 7.9 mm (100%)
Wed 16 Sep
🌦️
11° / 9°
💨 33 mph
🌧 2.6 mm (96%)
Thu 17 Sep
🌦️
11° / 9°
💨 37 mph
🌧 6.2 mm (98%)

Forecast snapshot from 11 Sep 2026, 08:30 UTC — refreshed nightly and updated live in your browser. Temperatures and gusts adjusted to the 495 m summit altitude via Open-Meteo. Summit conditions are always harsher than the valley — check the professional mountain forecasts before you go.

Pro mountain forecasts: MWIS · Met Office mountain forecast

Seat How (Thornthwaite) at a glance

Seat How (Thornthwaite)

At 495 m (1,624 ft), Seat How (Thornthwaite) is a Birkett (one of the 541 tops in Bill Birkett's Complete Lakeland Fells) in the North Western Fells — an overlooked summit away from the crowds. The name combines seat (Old Norse sætr, a hill shieling or summer pasture), and how (Old Norse haugr, a hill or rounded mound). It also features on the Synge list. Its nearest tops are Ullister Hill (0.5 km NW); Tarbarrel Moss (0.7 km SW); Barf (1.1 km N) — it's usually taken in on a round of these neighbours. It's a worthwhile objective for anyone working through the Birkett list, or as a short extension to a bigger day on the higher neighbouring fells.

Routes up Seat How (Thornthwaite)

Hand-mapped, with GPX to download — full maps further down.

Whinlatter Forest: Tarbarrel Moss, Ullister Hill & Seat How
7.3 km · ~1.9 hr · Easy
A sheltered forest loop above Whinlatter — England's highest mountain forest — climbing on good tracks through the plantation to a trio of low, easily-missed tops. Tarbarrel Moss, Ullister Hill and rocky little Seat How give sudden, outsized views to Skiddaw, Grisedale Pike and the north-western fells for barely 250 m of climbing. A fine foul-weather or family day when the high tops are in cloud.

Classifications & hill data

Birkett
Synge
495 m
Height
1,624 ft
In feet
NY 2132 2563
Grid ref

The short answers

Is Seat How (Thornthwaite) a Wainwright?

Seat How (Thornthwaite) is not a Wainwright. It is on the Birkett list and the Synge list.

Where do you park for Seat How (Thornthwaite)?

The nearest car park we hold is Barf, south-east (layby), about 1.0 km from the summit in a straight line. The next is Car park for Barf (free), 1.2 km out. We only look within 2.5 km, measured straight-line: over longer distances a road may cross a pass and the drive bears no relation to the line.

How hard is Seat How (Thornthwaite)?

The shortest way up we hold is Whinlatter Forest: Tarbarrel Moss, Ullister Hill & Seat How — 7.3 km, 243 m of ascent, about 1.9 hours. On our scale its hardest axis is navigation — Moderate.

All axes: navigation: Moderate · steepness: Moderate · terrain: Moderate · exposure: Easy · length: Easy.

Parking & buses for Seat How (Thornthwaite)

Best parking to hike Seat How (Thornthwaite)

Where we have the data, each parking spot also shows the nearest public toilets and facilities (cafés, pubs, shops).

Barf, south-east (layby) — 1.0 km from summit (straight line)
Community walk pages start here for 'Barf, Lord's Seat, Ullister Hill and Seat How' (community walk listings). Free (OSM-tagged). Unpaved surface (OSM-tagged).
Directions Something changed here?
Car park for Barf (free) — 1.2 km from summit (straight line)
0.6 km from Barf. Added from the 5 Aug 2026 OSM candidate review.
Directions Something changed here?
Tarbarrel Moss car park (paid) — 1.3 km from summit (straight line)
Walking base for Hobcarton End, Grisedale Pike, Hobcarton Crag (Hobcarton Head) and Sand Hill — the 'Birketts around Grisedale Pike' route starts 53 m away. Also serves 'Whinlatter Forest: Tarbarrel Moss, Ullister Hill & Seat How'. Paid parking (OSM-tagged).
Directions Something changed here?
Whinlatter Visitor Centre (paid) — 1.3 km from summit (straight line)
Forest centre — Lord's Seat, Barf, Whinlatter fells, Grisedale Pike's back route. Fees: First 20 min free; first hour £2.90; then £0.70 per 15 min; all-day max £14. ANPR pay-on-exit; blue badge holders not exempt; card at machine, cash at visitor centre, or Park with Ease online within 48h (Forestry England, checked Aug 2026). Open 08:30-20:30 (Forestry England, checked Aug 2026). Free for Forestry England members (checked Aug 2026).
Directions Something changed here?
🚺 Whinlatter Forest Park Centre (~52 m straight line) — Free☕ The Cottage in the Wood☕ Cafe Ambio
Seat How car park — 1.3 km from summit (straight line)
Nearest fells: Seat How (Thornthwaite) (1.3 km), Barf (1.8 km), Ullister Hill (1.8 km). Fee not verified — check signage on arrival.
Directions Something changed here?

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

Tip: pan and zoom the interactive map at the top of this page to spot other potential parking near your route.

Vehicles are left entirely at their owner’s risk. We list places people park; we cannot vouch for any of them. Judge it on the day: take valuables with you, leave nothing on show, and if a spot feels wrong when you get there, park somewhere else.

Getting to Seat How (Thornthwaite) by bus

The 77 stops at Whinlatter, in Visitors Centre, 130 m from the start of Whinlatter Forest: Tarbarrel Moss, Ullister Hill & Seat How — a route we rate Easy. Seasonal: the 77 does not run all year. 1 November 2026 is its last day, and it is not daily before then — a bus on 31 of the 56 days from 7 September. We don’t know when it returns. Confirmed with the operator, 29 August 2026. The last bus is 17:56 towards Keswick (77A) and 16:45 towards Cockermouth (77), every day. Checked against the operator’s timetable, 7 September 2026. Times here are a guide, not a promise — leave yourself more than the minute.

Stagecoach 77 / 77A “Honister Rambler”
Keswick – Portinscale – Hawse End (Catbells) – Grange – Seatoller – Honister Pass – Buttermere – Lorton – Whinlatter – Keswick (circular)
Catch it from: Keswick (connect via 555 from Windermere/Ambleside or X4/X5 from Penrith)
Seasonal (roughly Easter–October). Brilliant for the North Western fells: Catbells, Dale Head from Honister, the Buttermere fells and Whinlatter.

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

Hazards on Seat How (Thornthwaite)

No hazard card for this fell. The usual open-fell rules apply: check the forecast, carry a map and compass, and turn back in cloud if the ground is not what you expected.

Map & nearby Birketts

Free mapping: OpenTopoMap / OpenStreetMap (switch layers top-right). Parking positions are approximate.

Nearest parking: Barf, south-east (layby), about 1.0 km from the summit (straight line). Full parking, toilets and bus details are below.

Birketts near Seat How (Thornthwaite) (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.

0.5 km NWUllister Hill525 m · North Western
0.7 km WSWTarbarrel Moss493 m · North Western
1.8 km WSWWhinlatter Top525 m · North Western
2.4 km SSEKinn374 m · North Western
2.8 km SWHobcarton End634 m · North Western

Routes over Seat How (Thornthwaite)

Whinlatter Forest: Tarbarrel Moss, Ullister Hill & Seat HowPlanned
7.32 km · ~243 m ascent · loop · ~1.5–2.5 h · Easy
Summits: Tarbarrel MossUllister HillSeat How (Thornthwaite)

✎️ A rare sheltered option in the Lakes: mostly under trees, on solid tracks, with big views appearing at the tops. It starts from the Whinlatter visitor centre (café, parking and facilities). The three summits are Outlying/Birkett tops rather than Wainwrights.

⬇️ Download GPX

Best season: Year-round, and one of the better bad-weather choices — the trees take the sting out of wind and rain. Tracks can be muddy, and forest operations occasionally divert paths, so check signage at the visitor centre.

⚠️ Warnings: Whinlatter is a working forest laced with forestry roads that branch and re-cross — follow the waymarks and carry a map; junctions look alike, especially in mist. Shared with mountain-bike trails in places (including the Altura trail) — stay alert and give way to riders where paths cross. Occasional path diversions or machinery during active forestry operations. Tracks get muddy and slippery after rain.

Full route guide ↗

✎️ Planned route — drawn but not personally walked or checked yet.

A planned line is a suggestion, not a guarantee — conditions change. Navigate independently and carry a map & compass. How to use this guide.

On the hill: terrain and water on Seat How (Thornthwaite)

Water & shelter on the way up

On the Whinlatter Forest: Tarbarrel Moss, Ullister Hill & Seat How route:

💧 possible water source (2 m)🚌 Visitors Centre (93 m)

💧 Treat water from the fell before you drink it. A mapped point is usually a tap or public supply, but never drink untreated from a beck, stream or tarn — even clear-looking hill water can carry giardia or cryptosporidium from livestock or a carcass upstream and leave you seriously ill. Run it through a filter or purifier (a LifeStraw, Sawyer Squeeze or HydraPak) or bring it to a rolling boil first.

On-route facilities © OpenStreetMap contributors, per route — an absent marker doesn’t mean none.

Places to stay near this fell

Croftlands Cottages guest house

about 1.9 km from the start, in a straight line

The best-answered page inside 2 km of the Whinlatter start, and the only one that solves the wet-boots-and-bikes problem explicitly: off-road parking beside the cottages, secure bike storage, and hosepipes for boots, bikes and paws. It also tells a driver something no sat nav will - that CA12 5SA covers the whole of Thornthwaite and will not find the cottage - and it puts the X5 bus stop outside the door, so a car-free party can reach the Grisedale Pike ground.

An osprey nest sits close enough that the birds can be watched from the cottage grounds between April and August, and the village bus shelter stands directly outside two of the three cottages.

  • Dogs “All three of our holiday cottages are dog friendly with Jasmine Cottage and Fox Howe being able to accommodate two each and Squirrel Cottage one.”
  • Family rooms “JASMINE COTTAGE (SLEEPS 4)”
  • Parking “Private off road parking beside the cottages”

Dancing Gate Cottage self-catering

about 4.2 km from the start, in a straight line

The only true drying room in the whole 3-mile radius, and it is paired with a tumble drier, a 3-bicycle stand and outdoor wash-off for bikes and dogs - the exact list a party coming off a wet Coledale round needs. It is also the only property here that states in its own words that it suits families as well as couples, and it sleeps seven across four bedrooms, so it takes a group that no B&B in the area can. Ranked above much closer properties on that basis; the 3-night minimum is the cost.

It is a former farmhouse still standing on a working farm, so guests share the yard with lambs, calves and horses depending on the season.

  • Drying room “There is a rear drying room for boots and coats and sportswear and a 3-bicycle stand for secure storage of bikes, plus a tumble drier.”
  • Dogs “Well-behaved dogs are very welcome and there are several pleasant walks in the nearby area.”
  • Family rooms “Double bedroom with king size bed and en-suite shower room - spacious electric shower, heated towel rail, washbasin with shaverlight and toilet. Twin-bedded room. Double bedded room. Single room.”
  • Children “The house is ideal for couples and families alike, sleeping up to 7 people - plenty of rooms but with a cosy atmosphere.”

High Swinside Holiday Cottages guest house

about 3.9 km from the start, in a straight line

The one property in the radius that can take a very large party - two of its three cottages connect through a lockable door to sleep eleven or twelve - and the only one with a stated EV charger, which matters for a group driving over Whinlatter Pass. It is on the Lorton side of the pass rather than the Braithwaite side, which is the quieter approach to Grisedale Pike's western Birketts, and the owner is close enough to call on.

The smallest of the three was built as a farm workers' cottage in the 1800s and still has its beamed ceilings; the Farmhouse next door can be linked to it through a lockable connecting door.

  • Dogs “Dog friendly”
  • Family rooms “Three Holiday Cottages sleeping 2, 5, or 9 (2 of the cottages can be connected to sleep 11-12)”

Braeside self-catering

about 4.5 km from the start, in a straight line

The most completely described interior in the radius, and it is described for people who come home wet: utility room with washing machine and tumble dryer, coat hooks, and dog towels put out for the end of a walk. Bike storage in the shed, parking for one car, pub 300 m and the owners' own tearoom directly downstairs - so an evening meal and a breakfast exist without moving the car. It states its dog charge and its 17:00 arrival up front.

The cottage sits directly above a tearoom the owners run themselves, and a full set of Wainwright guides is kept on the stairs for guests to borrow.

  • Dogs “2 dogs allowed. Dogs are charged at £20 each per full or part week”
  • Family rooms “3 bedrooms – 1 king-size, 1 double, 1 twin”
  • Evening meal “Even closer to hand (just downstairs!) is a tearoom . Run by us, this popular eatery allows you to treat yourself to breakfast, lunch or afternoon tea from a wide menu.”
  • Parking “Parking for one car in front of cottage, further free parking available on roadside subject to availbility”

What each place says about itself, quoted from their own site. We have not stayed at any of them, and there are no prices, no booking and no affiliate links. Distances are straight lines from each route start, never walking times. Properties found via OpenStreetMap.

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