Seathwaite Fell as seen from Great End

Seathwaite Fell

Height601m (1,972ft)

Prominence12m (39ft)

RegionSouthern Fells

Climbed1 Time

Seathwaite Fell rises with magnificent, rugged complexity directly above the quiet hamlet of the same name at the head of Borrowdale. The fell is an intricate network of high rock shelves, small tarns, and varying tops strewn across its summit ridge. At its far northern tip sits a beautifully sharp, peaked summit reaching 601 metres. Because this lower top strikes such a prominent, eye-catching profile when viewed from the valley floor below, Alfred Wainwright chose it as the definitive summit for his influential *Pictorial Guide*, despite readily acknowledging that the true geographical high point lay further back.

"The fell, with few attractions to compare with those of greater mountains around, is rarely visited - except, of course, by the custodian of the rain gauges which record, to its shame, that the fell and its vicinity has much the heaviest rainfall in the country." — Wainwright 1958, Book Three

Beyond its complex topography, this mountain holds a legendary place in British meteorology. Logging a staggering annual average of 3,552mm of precipitation, Seathwaite is officially recorded as the absolute wettest location in England. The historic rain gauge responsible for capturing these massive statistics sits quietly on the lower slopes of Seathwaite Fell, situated immediately above the valley houses.

Seathwaite Fell - Wainwright's summit (601m)

To fully experience the fell, a walk across the entire summit line is highly recommended. The true geographical highest point reaches 632 metres and is situated further south along the ridge, sitting immediately to the east of Great Slack—the grand, wide scree rake scoring the southwestern flank of the mountain. Both of these separate crowns feature distinct, stony cairns that provide completely unique vantage points across the range.

Seathwaite Fell - Great Slack (the true geographical summit, 632m)

While the lower northern top looks cleanly down the green expanse of Borrowdale, standing on the true high point near Great Slack offers an extraordinarily intimate, front-row look at the colossal mountain architecture surrounding you. From here, the immense, brooding walls of Great End dominate the view, providing a stark reminder of the sheer scale that underpins the heart of the Southern Fells.

Trip Reports

Seathwaite Fell & Sprinkling Tarn26/07/2015

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