Lake District
Great How (Swirl Band)
775M
2541FT
About Great How (Swirl Band)
This rocky shoulder sits on the high ridge between Brim Fell and Swirl How, offering a quieter vantage point than its more famous neighbours. As a Birkett and Synge, it provides a superb perspective over the industrial scars of the Coniston copper mines and the deep blue of Levers Water.
Key Statistics
Rank
87th Highest in Region
Parent Range
Southern Fells
Prominence
?
9.6m
Nearest Town
Coniston
Geology
You are walking over layers of ancient volcanic ash and small stone fragments. These rocks formed during explosive eruptions that built this rugged fell.
Find It
Latitude
54.3898°N
Longitude
3.1206°W
Did You Know?
- •The name stems from the Old Norse 'haugr', meaning a hill or mound, while 'band' is a traditional Lakeland term for a prominent ridge or spur of land.
- •Author Bill Birkett included this as a separate summit to ensure walkers appreciated the rugged, intermediate terrain on the main spine of the Coniston Fells between Levers Hawse and the peak of Swirl How.
- •Looking north-east, the summit offers a clear view of the 'Prison Band'—a popular, rocky scrambling ridge that connects the Swirl How massif to the neighboring peak of Wetherlam.
- •The western slopes drop steeply away into the Duddon Valley, providing an excellent view of the remote Seathwaite Tarn and the craggy eastern face of Grey Friar.
- •It is the kind of summit where you often only realise you have reached the top because the wind hits you slightly harder just before the path starts going uphill again.