Summits of Great Britain

Some Mountains, Hills and Summits of Great Britain

These pages feature some of the many mountains, hills, fells, summits and high points in Britain. The criteria for inclusion are that (1) I've climbed the hill in question, and (2) that I've taken a photo at the summit. Wherever possible there is also a picture of the hill from a neighbouring summit or adjacent valley, or a picture of the view from the top.

See the home page for an explanation of the status terms (Munro, Corbett, Marylin, Hewitt, et al).

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	Rombalds Moor (a.k.a. Ilkley Moor) Location: West Yorkshire, Lower Wharfedale Grid Ref: SE 114452 Height: 1320 ft (402 m) Status: Marilyn, Clement Notes: So near the big cities of industrial Yorkshire, yet so wild! Rombalds Moor is a stretch of virgin moorland laying between the Wharfe and the Aire only seven miles from the centre of Bradford, and directly between Ilkley and Keighley. The moor's edges feature some excellent rock scenery, notably the Cow & Calf Rocks above Ilkley. The moor itself is empty save for a handful of tracks, a rickety old stone wall and a couple of radio masts. The trig pillar is only twelve minutes' walk from the car park at the end of the high road up from Keighley, but is perhaps better visited on a traverse from Ilkley to Keighley or vice versa. Ilkley Moor itself is an excellent place for the novice walker to get some moorland experience.

	Ruardean Hill Location: Forest of Dean Grid Ref: SO 644180 Height: 951 ft (290 m) Status: Marilyn Notes: Situated within the village of Ruardean in the Forest of Dean, west of Gloucester, Ruardean Hill is the only Marilyn summit that forms a village green. Ruardean is just off the Gloucester - Chepstow bus route and is easily reached. The actual summit is the foundation of the old flagpole, seen here. The is a viewpoint and picnic area nearby, from where the panorama includes the Brecon Beacons, May Hill, the Malverns, the Cotswolds, the Quantocks and Exmoor.

	Rushock Hill Location: Herefordshire Grid Ref: SO 289595 Height: 1243 ft (379 m) Status: Clement Notes: Rushock Hill is an outlier of Bradnor Hill, which stands immediately north of Kington in Herefordshire; Rushock Hill is roughly a mile to the northeast of Radnor Hill. There is no direct route between the two via the public footpath network and Rushock Hill needs to be approached by the path running around the west and north of Bradnor Hill. Offa's Dyke crosses the summit.

	Ryder's Hill Location: Dartmoor Grid Ref: SX 660691 Height: 1691 ft (515 m) Status: Dewey Notes: Ryder's Hill is the highest top in the southeastern quarter of Dartmoor. It stands a few kilometres south of Dartmeet and not far off the route of the Two Moors Way. It could be climbed in under an hour from the motor road at Comberstone Tor and is at the northern end of an easy ridgewalk including Puper's Hill and Snowdon. There are splendid views across the valleys of both branches of the river Dart.

	Saint Sunday Crag Location: Lake District, Eastern Fells Grid Ref: NY 369134 Height: 2759 ft (841 m) Status: Wainwright, Marilyn, Hewitt, Nuttall Notes: The highest summit on the long northeastern ridge that Fairfield sends out towards Ullswater, St Sunday Crag is a splendid mountain in its own right. Its steep slopes make it appear formidable yet it can be ascended without too much hassle, either from Grizedale Tarn or along the ridge from either direction. Little can be seen of Ullswater from the summit but the views of Helvellyn, Fairfield and the High St range are especially good.

	Sale Fell Location: Lake District, North Western Fells Grid Ref: NY 194296 Height: 1178 ft (359 m) Status: Wainwright, Clement Notes: Sale Fell stands more or less on the northwestern edge of the Lakeland fells, overlooking Bassenthwaite. Its position gives it an excellent panorama across Cumbria's coastal plain and across the Solway Firth to Scotland, while the view of Skiddaw to the east (illustrated, left) is particularly good. The fell may easily be climbed from the Kelswick farm road above Embleton.

	Sandy Hillock Location: Scottish Highlands, Mounth Grid Ref: NO 266804 Height: 2520 ft (768 m) Status: Corbett top Notes: Sandy Hillock is a top of Broad Cairn, and lays about 500 metres off the track from Loch Muick to its parent. There is a path of sorts along the northeast shoulder of the hill, from the main track to the top. The summit is not terribly interesting save for the view along the length of Glen Clova (pictured).

	Scafell Pike Location: Lake District, Southern Fells Grid Ref: NY 215072 Height: 3210 ft (978 m) Status: Wainwright, Furth Munro, Marilyn, Hewitt, Nuttall, County Top (Cumbria), Country Top (England) Notes: Scafell Pike is the highest mountain in England. And there is no doubt that it's a mountain and not just a hill - it's rocky rather than grassy, it's got two other "tops" as well as the principal summit, it has extensive boulder fields, it has crags and gullies and ravines, and it has snow lying until late spring. The summit panorama consists largely of countless similar craggy fells nearby, though further afield it's possible to see Scotland, Wales and the Isle of Man. It's relatively straightforward to climb, although some walkers will find the boulder fields tedious. The standard route is from Seathwaite at the end of Borrowdale, via Stockley Bridge, Grains Gill and Esk Hause. I don't recommend the alternative "corridor route", which is great ankle-breaking country. Shorter and steeper ascents can be made from Wasdale.

	Schiehallion Location: Scottish Highlands, Perthshire Grid Ref: NN 713547 Height: 3553 ft (1083 m) Status: Munro, Murdo, Marilyn Notes: An iconic peak in northern Perthshire overlooking Loch Rannoch. Schiehallion's symmetrical aspect led it to be chosen for an eighteenth century experiment to determine the mean density of the Earth, and in consequence the universal constant of gravitation. The experiment was carried out by Nevil Maskelyne, fifth Astronomer Royal, and the experiment involved the measurement of the mountain's precise shape, an exercise that led to the development of contour lines. Schiehallion is normally climbed along its long eastern ridge from a start at Braes of Foss. An excellent path rises to within roughly a kilometre of the summit but the rest of the way lays across an awkward boulder field, which can be rather tiring. The panorama is superb and includes the greater part of the Central Highlands and the Cairngorms along with Fife, the Pentlands and Lowthers, and a glimpse of the Strathfarrar Munros beyond the Great Glen.

	Schil, The Location: The Cheviots Grid Ref: NT 869223 Height: 1972 ft (601 m) Status: Dewey, sub-Donald Notes: The Schil is on the England - Scotland border and is the last major summit on the Pennine Way. Those not walking the Pennine Way who wish to climb it would do best to approach from Kirk Yetholm along the Way - the ascent would probably take some three hours. There is little foreground interest but the far panorama includes significant chunks of southern Scotland, out as far as the Tweed valley.

	Seat Sandal Location: Lake District, Eastern Fells Grid Ref: NY 343115 Height: 2415 ft (736 m) Status: Wainwright, Marilyn, Hewitt, Nuttall Notes: Seat Sandal appears as a great dome of a hill from Grasmere, which it overlooks from the northeast. Its long western flanks form the east wall of the pass of Dunmail Raise, between Ambleside and Thirlmere. It is an outlier of Helvellyn and can be reached by the grassy col between it and Dollywaggon Pike. The col stands above Grizedale Tarn. The mountain panorama from Seat Sandal is very good, especially the views of Helvellyn, Skiddaw, and the fells west of Derwentwater.

	Selworthy Beacon Location: Exmoor, Somerset Grid Ref: SS 919480 Height: 1012 ft (308 m) Status: Marilyn, Clement Notes: The highest point of the detached part of Exmoor lying north of the Porlock - Minehead gap, Selworthy Beacon is barely a kilometre from the Somerset coast and thus boasts glorious views over the Bristol Channel and to Wales. It is easily ascended from either Porlock or Minehead by the Somerset coast path, though more sedentary walkers will notice the adjacent road and car park. A bus service runs to Selworthy Beacon from Minehead during the summer.

	Sergeant Man Location: Lake District, Central Fells Grid Ref: NY 286089 Height: 2394 ft (730 m) Status: Wainwright Notes: Regarded as one of the Langdale Pikes yet properly just a minor top of High Raise, Sergeant Man is a popular target for walkers ascending the Pikes from Grasmere via Easedale. The ascent is a fine expedition but for the quarter mile of difficult terrain in upper Easedale below Belles Knott. The terrain around the summit is surprisingly rocky. The best views are to the east and south, encompassing Easedale itself and the Helvellyn, Fairfield and Coniston fells. There's an easy ridgewalk to both Thunacar Knott and High Raise, and the eastern slopes (which include the delightful dell of Codale Tarn) are also worth exploring.

	Sgurr nan Conbhairean Location: Scottish Highlands, Kintail Grid Ref: NH 129138 Height: 3638 ft (1109 m) Status: Munro, Murdo, Marilyn Notes: Sgurr nan Conbhairean is in a magnificent position at the eastern end of the north side of Glen Shiel. Although it's the 44th highest Munro its ascent is relatively easy, by a stalkers' path from Lundie down in the glen up to neighbouring Carn Ghluasaid and then a stroll along a broad stony ridge. The view is crowded with peaks including the Affric, Cannich and Strathfarrar hills to the north, the other Kintail peaks to the east and the Lochaber peaks to the south. Some of the Torridon hills sneak into the view to the far northwest.

	Sharp Haw Location: Yorkshire Dales Grid Ref: SD 959552 Height: 1171 ft (357 m) Status: Marilyn, Clement Notes: Sharp Haw lays a few miles northwest of Skipton and can be reached fairly easily from the town by way of a series of lanes and footpaths. It's the highest of a small cluster of tor-like hills. Although the map shows no footpaths to the summit a good path does exist, diverging from the right of way over the fell's shoulder, and there's even a stile over the fence near the top. Skipton and Gargrave are both in view, along with a fair chunk of the Aire Gap. Over the northern arc some of the principal hills of the Yorkshire Dales will be seen on a clear day.

	Sheffield Pike Location: Lake District, Eastern Fells Grid Ref: NY 369181 Height: 2215 ft (675 m) Status: Wainwright, Hewitt, Nuttall Notes: Part of the eastern ridge of Stybarrow Dodd, Sheffield Pike is most easily reached from the path up to Stick Pass from Glenridding. The western arc of the view is heavily restricted by the Helvellyn ridge, Faiefield and its satellites are seen to the south and the High Raise ridge dominates the view to the east. The only open aspect is to the northwest where Penrith and the high Pennines are seen beyond the length of Ullswater.

	Shining Tor Location: Peak District Grid Ref: SJ 994737 Height: 18345 ft (559 m) Status: Marilyn, Dewey Notes: Shining Tor is the principal summit of the western fringes of the Peak District, and consists of a ridge of moorland running vaguely north-south. Access is easy, as the hill lays just half an hour's walk from the Cat & Fiddle pub on the summit of the main Macclesfield - Buxton road. Non-drivers can take advantage of the hourly bus service. Paths on the ridge are good. The Dark Peak (Kinder Scout and its neighbours) forms the skyline to the east, while to the west the Shropshire hills are well seen and even the Malverns are visible. On the clearest of days the high tops of Snowdonia may just be discerned. (See http://www.viewfinderpanoramas.org/panoramas/ENG/SHININGTOR.GIF)

	Silver How Location: Lake District, Central Fells Grid Ref: NY 286089 Height: 1296 ft (395 m) Status: Wainwright Notes: Silver How lays directly above Grasmere to the south west, the end of a limb of high fell country extending southeastwards over Blea Rigg from Sergeant Man (and ultimately High Raise). The ascent from Grasmere has a bit of everything and Silver How is an ideal first climb for the budding Lakeland explorer. The Langdale Pikes, Bowfell and Crinkle Crags are prominent to the west while the Coniston group lays to the southwest and the Fairfield group to the northeast, but the eye is naturally drawn to Grasmere village itself.

	Skiddaw Location: Lake District, Northern Fells Grid Ref: NY 260290 Height: 3054 ft (931 m) Status: Hewitt, Furth Munro, Marilyn, Nuttall, Wainwright Notes: Skiddaw is the fourth highest mountain in England and stands a handful of miles northwest of Keswick, dominating both the town and nearby Derwentwater. It is among the easiest of Britain's 3000 ft mountains to climb, the standard route being a well-used path up the ridge of Jenkin Hill. The climb from Keswick takes about four hours. The view over the southern arc is a glorious panorama of Lakeland, while the lonely moors "back o' Skiddaw" lay to the north and Scotland can be seen over the Solway firth to the northwest.

	Sourfoot Fell Location: Lake District, Western Fells Grid Ref: NY 135233 Height: 1351 ft (412 m) Status: Clement Notes: A minor summit in the Low Fell group between Lorton Vale and Loweswater. It is without interest and is only worth visiting as part of a ridgewalk between Low Fell and Fellbarrow.

	Souther Fell Location: Lake District, Northern Fells Grid Ref: NY 354291 Height: 1713 ft (522 m) Status: Wainwright, Dewey Notes: An outlier of Blencathra, Souther (pronounced "Sooter") Fell sits to the east of the main massif, within a broad loop of the Glenderamackin river. It's an unremarkable fell of rough grazing land, but it has a lovely broadside-on view of Blancathra's eastern slopes including Sharp Edge. There is a good footpath up from the back road near Scales.

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This page last updated 18th June 2011