Brown How (Ennerdale)

About Brown How (Ennerdale)

Rising sharply above the southern shore of Ennerdale Water, this modest Birkett summit offers an exceptional perspective on the Lake District’s most secluded valley. While often bypassed for the higher tops of Grike and Crag Fell, its position directly over Anglers Crag provides a vertiginous and rewarding view of the water below.

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Did You Know?

• •The name 'How' is derived from the Old Norse word haugr, signifying a hill or mound. In this context, 'Brown' likely refers to the seasonal hue of the heather and bracken that covers its slopes, contrasting with the grey scree of the higher fells.
• •Bill Birkett included this summit in his 'Complete Lakeland Fells', categorising it as the high point of the dramatic Anglers Crag. It is also a listed Synge, making it a necessary stop for those bagging the lesser-known Lakeland tops.
• •The summit offers a unique perspective of Ennerdale’s glacial trough; from here, you can trace the entire length of the lake toward the distant, jagged profile of Pillar Rock and the Steeple ridge.
• •Looking directly across the water to the north, walkers can identify the distinctive wooded slopes of Smithy Beck and the prominent rocky outcrop of Bowness Knott.
• •It is a hill of distinct characters: to the north, it presents a precipitous and airy drop into the lake, while to the south, the terrain levels out into a gentle, often damp plateau leading toward the Grike forestry plantations.