North Pennines
Fendrith Hill
697M
2287FT
About Fendrith Hill
Sitting high above the Eden Valley, this Pennine summit embodies the rugged, peat-scarred character of the Eastern Fells. Located within the Warcop Training Area, its 697m top provides a lonely perspective over the Vale of Eden towards the Lakeland skyline, provided the military red flags aren't flying.
Key Statistics
Rank
24th Highest in Region
Parent Range
North Pennines
Prominence
?
19m
Nearest Town
County Durham
Geology
Fendrith Hill is built from layers of rugged sandstone, mudstone, and limestone. These rocks form the sturdy foundation beneath your boots as you hike.
Find It
OS Grid Reference
NY877333
Latitude
54.6946°N
Longitude
2.1923°W
Did You Know?
- •The name likely derives from the Old English 'fenn' (marsh) and 'rith' (stream), a fitting description for a summit surrounded by the saturated peat hags characteristic of this Pennine watershed.
- •Access is strictly regulated because the hill lies within the Warcop Training Area; walkers can usually only reach the summit on designated open weekends and public holidays when Ministry of Defence live firing is not taking place.
- •The summit offers an exceptional vantage point looking north-west toward the dramatic glacial U-shape of High Cup Nick and the long, dark edge of the Pennine escarpment.
- •To climb Fendrith Hill is to engage in a tactical negotiation with the landscape, where every step is a gamble on whether the heather is hiding a solid rock or a foot of liquid peat.