Lake District
Ashstead Fell
471M
1545FT
About Ashstead Fell
Situated at the quiet southern fringe of the Far Eastern Fells, this grassy, undulating ridge rises above the A6 near Shap. While often overshadowed by its higher neighbours, it provides an excellent vantage point over the Longsleddale valley and the dramatic, rounded silhouettes of the Howgill Fells to the east.
Key Statistics
Rank
477th Highest in Region
Parent Range
Far Eastern Fells
Prominence
?
40
Nearest Town
Whinfell
Geology
Ashstead Fell is built from the Bannisdale Formation, featuring alternating layers of hardened mud and sand that provide a firm footing for your hike.
Find It
OS Grid Reference
NY562027
Latitude
54.4181°N
Longitude
2.6756°W
Did You Know?
- •The name is rooted in Old English, derived from 'æsc' and 'stede', meaning 'the place of the ash trees'—though the modern summit is characterised more by moorland grass and peat than woodland.
- •The fell is classified as a Synge, a list compiled by Timothy Synge to document Lake District tops over 300 metres that were not included in Alfred Wainwright's Seven Pictorial Guides.
- •It is most commonly climbed as the first or last peak in a horseshoe walk of the Whinfell ridge, usually paired with the nearby Whinfell Beacon and the higher Grey Crag.
- •From the summit cairn, walkers have a front-row seat to one of the best profiles of the Howgill Fells, looking across the hidden corridor of the M6 and the West Coast Main Line.
- •Despite being just a short pull up from the A6, the fell remains remarkably lonely, serving as a reminder that the busiest road into the Lakes passes right by some of its quietest ground.