Flat Fell

About Flat Fell

Rising gently above the village of Ennerdale Bridge, this modest, grassy hump offers a straightforward ascent with disproportionately good rewards. Often overshadowed by the higher western peaks, its broad, rounded summit provides a tranquil vantage point over the Ehen valley and the coastal plains of West Cumbria.

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Did You Know?

• •The name is a literal description of its level, plateau-like summit, derived from the Old Norse 'fjall' for mountain and the Middle English 'flat' to describe its horizontal top.
• •Alfred Wainwright included this hill in his final guide, The Outlying Fells of Lakeland, recommending it as part of a circular walk from Ennerdale Bridge that also takes in the slightly higher summit of Dent.
• •The summit offers a stark contrast in scenery, with the industrial skyline of Sellafield and the Irish Sea visible to the west, while the east is dominated by the rugged silhouettes of Great Borne and Starling Dodd.
• •The approach from the south passes close to the Kinniside Stone Circle; while it marks an ancient Bronze Age site, the stones seen today were largely re-erected in 1825 after several had been hauled away for use in local gateposts.
• •Despite its inclusion in a famous guidebook, the fell remains remarkably peaceful, primarily because most walkers in the area are too distracted by the dramatic profile of Pillar further up the valley to notice this one.