Lake District
Common Fell
552M
1811FT
About Common Fell
Overlooking the village of Glenridding, this rounded, grassy shoulder serves as an eastern satellite to Sheffield Pike. Though often bypassed by those seeking higher ground, this Birkett and Synge provides a tranquil vantage point for surveying the deep trench of Glencoyne and the steep southern face of Place Fell.
Key Statistics
Rank
323rd Highest in Region
Parent Range
Eastern Fells
Prominence
?
18m
Nearest Town
Dockray
Geology
Common Fell is formed from the Birker Fell Andesite. You’re walking on solid volcanic lava and fragmented rocks left behind by ancient eruptions.
Find It
OS Grid Reference
NY382204
Latitude
54.5756°N
Longitude
2.9570°W
Did You Know?
- •The name is a literal reference to its historical status as common land, where local farmers from the Glenridding and Glencoyne valleys exercised their ancient rights to graze livestock on the open fellside.
- •From the summit, walkers gain a particularly clear view of the 'elbow' of Ullswater, where the lake bends at Silver Point, framed by the rugged fells of the Far Eastern range.
- •The summit provides a direct line of sight to the distinctive, triangular profile of Catstycam to the west and the massive, craggy bulk of Helvellyn beyond the Glenridding Common.
- •For those collecting the Birketts, this summit is a brief but worthwhile diversion from the main path connecting the chimney of the old Greenside Mine to the summit of Sheffield Pike.
- •Its name suggests a certain lack of exclusivity, and indeed, it remains one of the few places in the busy Ullswater valley where you might actually have the summit cairn to yourself.