Addlebrough

Rising like a miniature Table Mountain above Wensleydale, this flat-topped Tump offers character far beyond its modest height. Its distinctive plateau, capped with Millstone Grit, provides a superb vantage point over Semer Water and the sprawling valley below, making it a rewarding objective for those exploring the Southern Fells.

• •The name derives from the Old English 'eadel', meaning noble or prince, and 'burh', signifying a fortified place, likely referring to the Iron Age hillfort that once occupied the summit.
• •The summit plateau is marked by the remains of ancient habitation, including Iron Age hut circles and a Bronze Age cairn, suggesting the hill has been a site of strategic importance for millennia.
• •The vantage point from the summit offers a classic Wensleydale panorama, looking directly down to Semer Water and across the valley to the tiered slopes of Ellerkin and the village of Askrigg.
• •Its geological structure is defined by the 'Yoredale Series', where a resistant cap of Millstone Grit sits over limestone, creating the dramatic, craggy edges known locally as Addlebrough Scar.
• •While its profile suggests an impenetrable fortress from a distance, the summit is more commonly defended by a confusing array of local sheep and particularly sturdy drystone walls.