North Pennines
Beacon Hill
391M
1283FT
About Beacon Hill
Rising gently above the village of Orton, this limestone-crested hill offers a softer alternative to the rugged Lakeland peaks. Its broad, grassy summit is marked by a substantial cairn and provides an excellent vantage point over the Lune Valley towards the distinctive, rounded profiles of the Howgill Fells.
Key Statistics
Rank
238th Highest in Region
Parent Range
Yorkshire Dales
Prominence
?
31m
Nearest Town
Orton
Geology
You are walking over layers of limestone and sandstone from the Potts Beck and Knipe Scar formations.
Classifications
Find It
OS Grid Reference
NY635099
Latitude
54.4836°N
Longitude
2.5647°W
Did You Know?
- •Derived from the Old English 'beacen', the name marks its historical role as a site for signal fires used to warn the residents of Westmorland of approaching Scottish border raiders.
- •The hill is a key feature of the Orton Fells, a distinctive limestone plateau that boasts rare flora and extensive pavements similar to those found at the more famous Malham Cove.
- •From the summit, walkers can look across the M6 corridor to see the high skyline of the Lake District's Eastern Fells, including the long ridge of Helvellyn.
- •While the 391-metre elevation is modest for the region, the hill’s position makes it a prime target for the Helm Wind—England's only named wind—which can roar down from the nearby Cross Fell.
- •The summit offers a rare sense of topographical transition, where the dark heather of the North Pennines to the north meets the pale, alkaline limestone of the Westmorland fells.