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

Silver How - a green view down over Grasmere and its island, Rydal Water beyond among lush wooded fells
Wainwright — Central FellsAlso a Birkett

Silver How

Silver How at 395m (1,296ft) is a delightful, rocky little summit above Grasmere and Chapel Stile, its summit giving one of the finest views of Grasmere and the surrounding fells from any low-level viewpoint in the district.

394 m
Height
~2–2.5 h
Typical time
+3
Bonus Birketts
See routes & download GPX →

Home › Fells › Silver How

Written and walked by Lee McCoy · Last reviewed

394 mWainwright — Central Fells✓ summit is also a Birkett+3 bonus Birketts within 3 km Care needed in cloud

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

Modelled guidance for the 394 m summit. Always check the Met Office mountain forecast and MWIS before you set off.

On the summit today (Tue 28 Jul): 17° to 15°C, gusts to 33 mph, 10.3 mm of rain forecast.

Tue 28 Jul
🌧️
17° / 15°
💨 33 mph
🌧 10.3 mm (100%)
Wed 29 Jul
🌧️
17° / 13°
💨 26 mph
🌧 2.7 mm (100%)
Thu 30 Jul
🌦️
14° / 7°
💨 28 mph
🌧 1.3 mm (78%)
Fri 31 Jul
🌤️
16° / 3°
💨 24 mph
🌧 0.0 mm (78%)
Sat 1 Aug
🌦️
16° / 5°
💨 15 mph
🌧 3.6 mm (54%)
Sun 2 Aug
🌫️
17° / 7°
💨 19 mph
🌧 0.0 mm (24%)
Mon 3 Aug
🌦️
18° / 8°
💨 12 mph
🌧 0.2 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 394 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

About the walk

Key information

Silver How

Silver How - a green view down over Grasmere and its island, Rydal Water beyond among lush wooded fells
© Lee McCoy

Silver How at 395m (1,296ft) is a delightful, rocky little summit above Grasmere and Chapel Stile, its summit giving one of the finest views of Grasmere and the surrounding fells from any low-level viewpoint in the district. Wainwright praised the outlook over Grasmere and Elterwater, noting that few summits of this height offer such disproportionate rewards. The ascent from Grasmere is short but varied, crossing pleasant heathery ridges. Often overlooked in favour of higher fells, it is a gem for those who appreciate the Grasmere valley views.

Routes up Silver How

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

West of Grasmere
15.4 km · ~4.4 hr
Classifications & hill data
Wainwright
Central
Birkett
Fellranger
Synge
394 m
Height
1,293 ft
In feet
NY 3247 0664
Grid ref

Map & nearby Birketts

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

Nearest parking: Grasmere village (paid), about 1.5 km from the summit (straight line). Full parking, toilets and bus details are below.

Birketts near Silver How (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.

0.8 km WNWLang How414 m · Central
1.1 km WNWSwinescar Pike411 m · Central
1.9 km WNWCastle How (Raw Pike)498 m · Central

Routes over Silver How

West of GrasmereRevised
15.44 km · ~806 m ascent · loop · ~4–6 h
Summits: Tarn Crag (Easedale)Codale HeadSergeant ManBlea RiggSwinescar PikeSilver How

⬇️ 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 Silver How

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 Silver How36 labelled tops shown (3 distant behind the far-horizon toggle). Theoretical visibility in perfect clarity; computed from terrain, not photographed.eye levelNNEESESSWWNWHelvellyn · 9 kmIll Crag · 10 kmBowfell · 8 kmFairfield · 6 kmBlencathra · 21 kmCrinkle Crags · 8 kmDollywaggon Pike · 7 kmHart Crag · 6 kmSwirl How · 8 kmDove Crag · 6 kmRed Screes · 8 kmGrey Friar · 9 kmWetherlam · 7 kmIll Bell · 11 kmHarrison Stickle · 4 kmCodale Head · 4 kmThunacar Knott · 5 kmUllscarf · 6 kmYoke · 11 kmPike of Blisco · 6 kmHeron Pike North Top · 4 kmSteel Fell · 4 kmWrynose Fell · 5 kmSallows · 12 kmWansfell Pike · 7 kmKitty Crag · 8 kmIngleborough · 53 km · clear daysWhernside · 48 km · clear daysWard's Stone · 55 km · clear daysTarn Crag · 3 kmBlea Rigg · 3 kmTop o' Selside · 15 kmGummer's How · 19 kmCarron Crag · 12 kmNab Scar · 3 kmHawk Rigg · 6 kmHelvellyn Lower Man · 9 kmHigh Crag · 7 kmShelter Crags · 8 kmGreat Rigg · 5 kmCaudale Moor · 9 kmSeat Sandal · 5 kmHeron Pike · 4 kmBlake Rigg · 5 kmGreat How · 8 kmSergeant Man · 4 kmBaystones · 8 kmGreat Knott · 7 kmHigh Wythow · 8 kmWhite Stones · 6 kmBirk Fell Man · 6 kmLow Pike · 5 kmBlake Rigg · 6 kmGibson Knott · 4 kmSwinescar Pike · 1 kmHelm Crag · 3 kmFair Snape Fell · 65 km · clear daysLoughrigg Fell · 3 kmHampsfell · 28 kmHolme Fell · 6 kmBigland Barrow · 23 kmHugill Fell · 16 kmGrandsire · 14 kmAye Gill Pike · 44 km · clear daysnameless · 14 kmWhite Hill · 59 km · clear daysBrant Fell · 14 kmCadair Berwyn · 176 km · a handful of days a yearWinter Hill · 98 km · a rare clear dayBillinge Hill · 107 km · a rare clear day
What you can see from Silver How, by direction
  • North: Steel Fell (4 km), Seat Sandal (5 km), Dollywaggon Pike (7 km), High Crag (7 km), Helvellyn (9 km), Helvellyn Lower Man (9 km), Gategill Fell Top (21 km), Blencathra (21 km)
  • North-east: Heron Pike (4 km), Heron Pike North Top (4 km), Great Rigg (5 km), Fairfield (6 km), Hart Crag (6 km), Dove Crag (6 km)
  • East: Red Screes (8 km), Caudale Moor (9 km), Ill Bell (11 km), Yoke (11 km)
  • South-west: Blake Rigg (5 km), Wrynose Fell (5 km), Pike of Blisco (6 km), Wetherlam (7 km), Black Sails (7 km), Little Carrs (8 km), Great Carrs (8 km), Swirl How (8 km), Grey Friar (9 km)
  • West: Harrison Stickle (4 km), Thorn Crag (4 km), Thunacar Knott (5 km), Crinkle Crags (8 km), Shelter Crags (8 km), Crinkle Crags (8 km), Crinkle Crags (8 km), Crinkle Crags (8 km), Crinkle Crags South Top (8 km), Bowfell (8 km), Ill Crag (10 km)
  • North-west: Codale Head (4 km), Ullscarf (6 km)

On the clearest days the far horizon adds: Cadair Berwyn (176 km, Wales), Winter Hill (98 km, England), Penycloddiau (140 km, Wales), Billinge Hill (107 km, England).

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 (CC BY 4.0). See how we compute the view · and the summit intervisibility report below.

What you can see from Silver How

On a clear day — computed sightlines, curvature- and refraction-corrected.
40Wainwrights in view+3 marginal
53 kmFurthest sightlineIngleborough
1Sea in viewMorecambe Bay
Far horizons
  • Ingleborough Yorkshire DalesSE · 53 km clear
  • Whernside Yorkshire DalesESE · 48 km clear
  • Morecambe Bay bay/estuaryS · 39 km in view
All 40 Wainwrights in clear view (nearest first)

Blea Rigg, Helm Crag, Loughrigg Fell, Lingmoor Fell (Brown How), Nab Scar, Tarn Crag (Easedale), Stone Arthur, Heron Pike (Rydal), Gibson Knott, Pavey Ark, Sergeant Man, Harrison Stickle, Calf Crag, Steel Fell (Dead Pike - Steel Fell), Thunacar Knott, Loft Crag, Great Rigg, Low Pike, Pike of Stickle, Seat Sandal, Black Fell, Pike of Blisco, Fairfield, Hart Crag, Dove Crag, Ullscarf, Wetherlam, Dollywaggon Pike, Red Screes, Crinkle Crags - Long Top (Second Crinkle), Great Carrs, Bowfell, Swirl How, Baystones (Wansfell), Helvellyn, Grey Friar, Ill Bell, Yoke, Sallows, Blencathra - Hallsfell Top

How Silver How’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 Silver How

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

Grasmere village (paid) — 1.5 km from summit (straight line)
For Helm Crag, Silver How, the Easedale fells and the Far Easedale round.
Directions
🚺 Grasmere (71m) — Accessible · RADAR key🚺 Stock Lane carpark (425m) — Accessible☕ The Little Inn Coffee Shop☕ Grasmere Tea Gardens☕ Thirteen Valleys Kitchen🍺 1769 Bar & Restaurant🍺 Tweedies Bar🍺 The Distiller’s Arms🏪 Grasmere Outdoors🏪 Mountain Hi🏪 Trespass🏪 Mountain Warehouse
Elterwater (NT, paid) — 2.1 km from summit (straight line)
For Lingmoor Fell, Silver How and lower Langdale.
Directions
🚺 Public toilets (690m) — Free🚺 Public toilets (726m) — Free🍺 Eltermere Inn

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.

Water & shelter on the way up

On the West of Grasmere route:

🛖 map (44 m)🚌 Heaton Cooper Studio (227 m)🚌 School (266 m)🚌 Stock Lane at School (301 m)⛺ map (486 m)

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

Buses to Silver How from Penrith / Ambleside / Windermere

Stagecoach 555
Kendal – Staveley – Windermere – Ambleside – Rydal – Grasmere – Thirlmere (Wythburn & Swirls) – Keswick
Catch it from: Windermere · Ambleside
Year-round, roughly hourly. The backbone bus of the A591 — ideal for Helvellyn (Wythburn/Swirls), Fairfield, the Central fells and anything around Grasmere/Rydal. From Penrith, take the X4/X5 to Keswick and change.
Stagecoach 516 “Langdale Rambler”
Ambleside – Skelwith Bridge – Elterwater – New Dungeon Ghyll – Old Dungeon Ghyll
Catch it from: Ambleside · Windermere (change at Ambleside)
The Langdale bus — Pikes, Bowfell, Crinkle Crags, Pike o' Blisco all walkable from the Dungeon Ghyll stops. Seasonal frequency varies; check before relying on the last bus back.

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

My hikes over Silver How (Strava)

2 logged hikes pass over this summit:

Interactive route maps and photos load here for visitors with JavaScript. Data from Strava.

Hazard & Incident Information for Silver How

Hazard: Moderate

A popular little fell above Grasmere, beloved for the steep, craggy face it presents over the lake. It's easy walking on top, but a confusing one: a tangle of rounded knolls and countless paths — many not shown on maps — makes navigation surprisingly tricky in poor visibility, and the craggy lower slopes mean a wrong descent can land you above steep ground. Langdale Ambleside Mountain Rescue Team covers this ground.

  • Maze of paths & rounded tops (navigation): The fell is criss-crossed by many paths, not all on OS maps, among a clutter of similar rounded tops. In cloud it is easy to lose track of which path you're on and drift off course. Carry a 1:25k map, use a compass, and pick descents deliberately.
  • Steep craggy eastern slopes above Grasmere: The Grasmere-facing side is steep and craggy, and the lower reaches are broken — only a few lines get safely off the summit plateau. Don't improvise a descent down the craggy east side; keep to the known paths.
  • Rocky steps & boggy ground: Some approach paths (around Huntingstile Crag and Dow Bank) have short rocky scrambling steps, and there's boggy ground about. Mind your footing, especially when wet, and wear proper footwear.
Who should attempt this fell: Silver How is a short, scenic fell, but its warren of paths and craggy eastern face make navigation the real hazard — carry a detailed map and compass, and choose your descent line carefully so you don't end up above the Grasmere crags. Take the rocky steps steadily, and don't be lulled by its small size in poor visibility.

Most common causes: Navigation errors among the many unmapped paths and rounded tops in cloud · Wrong descents onto the steep, craggy eastern slopes above Grasmere · Slips on rocky steps and boggy ground · Casual walkers underestimating a confusing small fell

Local Mountain Rescue: Langdale Ambleside Mountain Rescue Team · 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

Navigating Silver How in cloud

Care needed

A broad, gently-sloping top with little to steer by — easy to lose your bearings and hard to relocate in mist. Take care in poor visibility — carry map and compass, and know how to use them.

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

Other fells near Silver How

Maps & guidebooks for Silver How

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