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693 m · Wainwright — Western Fells · Birketts to bag nearby, parking, buses, my hikes and live summit weather.

Wainwright — Western FellsAlso a Birkett

Seatallan

Seatallan at 692m (2,270ft) is an isolated, solitary summit above Wasdale, its rounded bulk quite separate from any other fell group.

693 m
Height
~5–6 h
Typical time
+2
Bonus Birketts
See routes & download GPX →
693 mWainwright — Western Fells✓ summit is also a Birkett+2 bonus Birketts within 3 km Straightforward in cloud

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

Modelled guidance for the 693 m summit. Always check the Met Office mountain forecast and MWIS before you set off.

On the summit today (Tue 28 Jul): 14° to 13°C, gusts to 34 mph, 5.7 mm of rain forecast.

Tue 28 Jul
🌧️
14° / 13°
💨 34 mph
🌧 5.7 mm (99%)
Wed 29 Jul
🌧️
13° / 10°
💨 29 mph
🌧 12.4 mm (100%)
Thu 30 Jul
🌦️
11° / 6°
💨 28 mph
🌧 3.7 mm (87%)
Fri 31 Jul
🌤️
13° / 3°
💨 21 mph
🌧 0.0 mm (86%)
Sat 1 Aug
🌦️
13° / 6°
💨 14 mph
🌧 2.7 mm (82%)
Sun 2 Aug
☁️
14° / 8°
💨 18 mph
🌧 0.0 mm (35%)
Mon 3 Aug
🌦️
14° / 6°
💨 18 mph
🌧 0.4 mm (23%)

Forecast snapshot from 28 Jul 2026, 04:58 UTC — refreshed nightly and updated live in your browser. Temperatures and gusts adjusted to the 693 m summit altitude via Open-Meteo. Summit conditions are always harsher than the valley — check the professional mountain forecasts before you go.

About the walk

Key information

Seatallan

Seatallan, a Lake District fell
Attribution, via Wikimedia Commons

Seatallan at 692m (2,270ft) is an isolated, solitary summit above Wasdale, its rounded bulk quite separate from any other fell group. Wainwright described it as giving outstanding views of Wastwater from the summit — the lake seen from above with Illgill Head opposite and the sea beyond is a distinctive and beautiful prospect. The ascent from Nether Wasdale is long but rewarding. A genuinely secluded summit with the finest Wastwater views from the western side of the valley.

Routes up Seatallan

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

Classifications & hill data
Wainwright
Western
Birkett
Fellranger
Synge
Nuttall
Marilyn
693 m
Height
2,274 ft
In feet
NY 1400 0844
Grid ref

Map & nearby Birketts

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

Nearest parking: Greendale, Nether Wasdale (roadside, free), about 3.0 km from the summit (straight line). Full parking, toilets and bus details are below.

Birketts near Seatallan (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.

2.1 km SSWGlade How440 m · Western
2.5 km NLittle Gowder Crag734 m · Western

Routes over Seatallan

17.8 km · ~1253 m ascent · loop · ~5.5–7.5 h

⬇️ Download GPX

Full route guide ↗

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

26.76 km · ~1743 m ascent · loop · ~8–11 h

⬇️ Download GPX

Full route guide ↗

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

The View from Seatallan

A computed 360° skyline — every visible named top labelled by distance and bearing, from the terrain model in perfect clarity, not photographed. Drag to pan; reveal the far four-nations horizon.

drag to pan · arrow keys
Computed 360-degree skyline from Seatallan28 labelled tops shown (17 distant behind the far-horizon toggle). Theoretical visibility in perfect clarity; computed from terrain, not photographed.eye levelNNEESESSWWNWScafell Pike · 8 kmScafell · 7 kmHelvellyn · 21 kmGreat End · 9 kmPillar · 5 kmFairfield · 22 kmStybarrow Dodd · 23 kmScoat Fell · 4 kmSwirl How · 15 kmThe Old Man of Coniston · 17 kmHaycock · 2 kmCaw Fell · 3 kmBrown Pike · 17 kmWhite Pike · 17 kmBlack Combe · 23 kmWhitfell · 16 kmRed Pike · 3 kmCaw · 17 kmLittle Gowder Crag · 2 kmLank Rigg · 6 kmWhin Rigg · 5 kmGreat Worm Crag · 13 kmDent · 11 kmSwainson Knott · 6 kmBengairn · 59 km · clear daysPonsonby Fell · 6 kmCold Fell · 8 kmMuncaster Fell · 10 kmBroad Crag · 8 kmGreat Gable · 7 kmGrey Friar · 14 kmHigh Raise · 14 kmSlight Side · 8 kmBuck Barrow · 17 kmYewbarrow North Top · 4 kmPikes · 17 kmFox Haw · 17 kmThe Pike · 16 kmStone Pike · 6 kmDunnerdale Fells · 18 kmSnowdon · 163 km · a handful of days a yearSlieve Donard · 172 km · a handful of days a yearMerrick · 105 km · a rare clear dayAran Fawddwy · 188 km · a handful of days a yearSnaefell · 77 km · a rare clear dayCairnsmore of Carsphairn · 105 km · a rare clear daySlieve Croob · 172 km · a handful of days a yearYr Eifl · 181 km · a handful of days a yearGreen Lowther · 106 km · a rare clear dayMoel y Gamelin · 162 km · a handful of days a yearDivis · 175 km · a handful of days a yearBeneraird · 122 km · a handful of days a yearAgnew's Hill · 173 km · a handful of days a yearFair Snape Fell · 76 km · a rare clear dayWinter Hill · 107 km · a rare clear dayPibble Hill · 80 km · a rare clear dayMull Hill · 103 km · a rare clear day
What you can see from Seatallan, by direction
  • North: Haycock (2 km), Caw Fell (3 km)
  • North-east: Red Pike (3 km), Scoat Fell (4 km), Black Crag (4 km), Pillar (5 km), Stybarrow Dodd (23 km)
  • East: Kirk Fell (6 km), Scafell (7 km), Great Gable (7 km), Scafell Pike (8 km), Green Gable (8 km), Broad Crag (8 km), Ill Crag (8 km), Great End (9 km), Red Beck Top (10 km), Looking Steads (11 km), Glaramara (11 km), High Raise (14 km), Low White Stones (14 km), Helvellyn (21 km), Fairfield (22 km), Hart Crag (23 km)
  • South-east: Slight Side (8 km), Harter Fell (12 km), Grey Friar (14 km), Little Carrs (15 km), Great Carrs (15 km), Swirl How (15 km), Great How (16 km), Dow Crag (16 km), Black Sails (16 km), Brim Fell (16 km), Buck Pike (17 km), Brown Pike (17 km), Walna Scar (17 km), White Pike (17 km), The Old Man of Coniston (17 km)
  • South: Whitfell (16 km), Black Combe (23 km)

On the clearest days the far horizon adds: Snowdon (163 km, Wales), Slieve Donard (172 km, Ireland), Carnedd Llewelyn (151 km, Wales), Merrick (105 km, Scotland), Aran Fawddwy (188 km, Wales), Snaefell (77 km, Isle of Man), Moel Siabod (160 km, Wales), Cairnsmore of Carsphairn (105 km, Scotland).

Computed from terrain in perfect clarity, not photographed · distances are straight-line.

Computed from Copernicus GLO-30 terrain; distant tops from the Database of British and Irish Hills (opens in new tab) (CC BY 4.0). See how we compute the view · and the summit intervisibility report below.

What you can see from Seatallan

On a clear day — computed sightlines, curvature- and refraction-corrected.
33Wainwrights in view+1 marginal
163 kmFurthest sightlineSnowdon (Yr Wyddfa) · possible under favourable refraction
1Sea in viewIrish Sea

On the clearest days the view reaches across to Wales, Scotland and the Isle of Man.

Far horizons
  • Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa) WalesSSW · 163 km clear
  • Carnedd Llewelyn WalesSSW · 148 km clear
  • Merrick ScotlandNW · 106 km clear
  • Snaefell Isle of ManWSW · 77 km clear
  • Irish Sea open waterNW · 28 km in view
All 33 Wainwrights in clear view (nearest first)

How Seatallan’s view compares with all 214 — the View Report: every Wainwright ranked by what you can see from the top.

Sightlines from a bare-earth terrain model (forests and buildings not included), corrected for the Earth’s curvature and average atmospheric refraction. “Distant” sightlines and any over 100 km depend on exceptionally clear air. Modelled from Copernicus GLO-30 open elevation data — a guide to the view, not a guarantee of any single one.

Best parking to hike Seatallan

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

Greendale, Nether Wasdale (roadside, free) — 3.0 km from summit (straight line)
Free verge parking for Middle Fell, Seatallan and Buckbarrow.
Directions (opens in new tab)
Overbeck Bridge, Wastwater (NT, free) — 3.7 km from summit (straight line)
Small free NT car park at the foot of Yewbarrow on the lakeshore road.
Directions (opens in new tab)

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.

Buses to Seatallan 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 (opens in new tab) or Traveline before relying on a last bus.

Hazard & Incident Information for Seatallan

Hazard: Moderate

A remote, broad-domed grassy hill above Wasdale, quiet and rarely busy. It has no crags or scrambles, but it shouldn't be taken lightly: the flanks are relentlessly steep grass on every side, the paths are faint and the way up is not obvious, and the broad flat summit is a navigation trap in cloud. Wasdale Mountain Rescue Team covers this out-of-the-way fell.

  • Steep grassy flanks: Seatallan rises in a remorseless, steep grassy staircase and is just as steep on every side. Wet grass on a steep slope is slippery and a slip can run a long way; take care on the descent in particular, and pace the relentless climb.
  • Faint paths & broad featureless summit: The way up is not obvious from below and the path is faint and indistinct in places; the wide, flat summit gives little to navigate by. In cloud, take a compass bearing to find the top and to choose the right line down.
  • Remoteness and rough, boggy ground: This is a quiet hill where you may meet no one, with tussocky, boggy ground and a long way to help. Carry full kit and navigation, and allow time — a mishap here is more serious for being out of the way.
Who should attempt this fell: Seatallan is a straightforward grassy fell in clear weather but an easy place to go wrong in cloud, where the faint paths and flat top defeat people who'd handle far rougher ground. Be confident navigating, take the steep grass carefully (especially down and when wet), and treat it as a remote hill — carry what you need and leave a time margin. Full winter care on the steep grass when it's frozen.

Most common causes: Slips on steep, wet grassy slopes, especially descending · Navigation errors on faint paths and the featureless summit in cloud · Difficulties compounded by remoteness and few other walkers about · Tiring, disorientating ground in poor visibility

Local Mountain Rescue: Wasdale Mountain Rescue Team (opens in new tab) · Reviewed 14 Jun 2026

Safety: Hazard guidance compiled from published Mountain Rescue reports and well-documented accident history - editorial background, not a live feed of callouts. Always check current conditions, carry proper navigation equipment, and seek qualified instruction before heading onto the fells. In an emergency, call 999, ask for Police, then Mountain Rescue.

Report incorrect information (opens in new tab)

Navigating Seatallan in cloud

Straightforward

Walkable ground sits close to a lethal drop — in cloud it’s easy to walk straight onto steep ground. Navigation here is relatively straightforward even in cloud — but carry map and compass and know how to use them; a low score never means “safe”.

In winter — snow, whiteout, cornices, buried features — every top demands full winter navigation skills whatever its band, and a broad, gentle summit can be the worst place of all. See walking in bad weather and the navigation guide.

How Seatallan compares with all 214 — the Clag Index: navigating in cloud. A relative, deliberately cautious guide; the site can’t navigate for you.

Maps & guidebooks for Seatallan

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