Lake District
Aikin Knott
473M
1551FT
About Aikin Knott
Aikin Knott is a sharp, heathery shoulder on the long western ridge of Whiteside. It offers a more intimate perspective of Crummock Water and the Lorton Vale than the higher peaks, serving as a rewarding objective for those seeking a steep, direct climb from the valley floor.
Key Statistics
Rank
473rd Highest in Region
Parent Range
North Western Fells
Prominence
?
1m
Nearest Town
Stair
Geology
Aikin Knott sits on the Buttermere Formation, a thick layer of mudstone. This soft, fine‑grained rock formed from ancient lake or sea mud.
Classifications
Find It
Latitude
54.5683°N
Longitude
3.2156°W
Did You Know?
- •Aikin Knott is classified as a Birkett, standing at 473 metres on the dramatic western flank of Whiteside in the North Western Fells.
- •The name likely originates from the Old Norse word 'eiken', meaning oaken, suggesting these now-bare slopes were once covered in ancient oak woodland.
- •The fell overlooks the village of Lorton, famous for the 'Lorton Yew' which was immortalized in verse by the poet William Wordsworth.
- •The ascent from the Swinside side is notoriously unrelenting, gaining nearly 300 metres of elevation in a very short distance over slippery grass and scree.
- •While the rugged, hard-scrabble slopes might look like the setting for a modern 'Hillbilly Elegy,' the only political posturing you'll find here is a Herdwick sheep refusing to concede the best patch of grass.