Fair Snape Fell

About Fair Snape Fell

Rising above the village of Chipping, this gritstone, broad-backed fell is the high point of the Bleasdale moors. Usually paired with its lower, sharper neighbour Parlick, the summit plateau features the iconic Paddy’s Pole cairn. It offers an expansive lookout over the Fylde coast and the winding River Ribble.

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Did You Know?

• •The name 'Snape' likely derives from the Old Norse 'snapa', meaning a pasture or a thin strip of land. It is a common element in Northern English place names where the ground is often poor or boggy.
• •The hill’s true summit is a modest cairn amidst the peat hags, but most walkers aim for the secondary top 500 metres west. Known as Paddy's Pole, this point features a trig pillar, a stone shelter, and a large memorial cairn dedicated to local walker Patrick Monaghan.
• •On a clear day, the western views are exceptionally sharp, stretching across the Fylde plain to Blackpool Tower and the Irish Sea. Looking north, the horizon is defined by the fells of the Lake District and the massive profile of Ingleborough in the Yorkshire Dales.
• •The western escarpment is a premier location for paragliding and hang-gliding. The steep bowl between Fair Snape Fell and Parlick catches the prevailing winds coming off the sea, providing reliable lift for pilots.
• •If you manage to reach the summit trig point without getting peat-blackened boots, you have either experienced a record-breaking drought or you’ve accidentally climbed a different hill.