Great How (Thirlmere)

About Great How (Thirlmere)

This wooded knoll sits between the A591 and Thirlmere’s dam, offering a quick escape from the valley road. Though low in stature, it provides a superb vantage point for judging the massive scale of Helvellyn’s western flanks and the brooding cliffs of Raven Crag across the water.

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Did You Know?

• •The name 'How' derives from the Old Norse word haugr, typically describing a hill or mound. This reflects the deep-rooted Viking influence in the Thirlmere valley, which was known as Leathes Water before the reservoir was created.
• •Both Bill Birkett and Timothy Synge included this summit in their respective guides to the Lake District. Birkett notes that while largely wooded, the summit is a fine place to appreciate the engineering of the Manchester Corporation's reservoir project.
• •The dense coniferous forest was deliberately planted by the Manchester Corporation in the late 19th century. This was intended to stabilise the soil and prevent silt from washing into the newly created reservoir, which still supplies water to Manchester via a 96-mile aqueduct.
• •The summit offers a specific, 'birds-eye' view of the Thirlmere Dam. Looking south, you can trace the entire length of the water toward Dunmail Raise, with the massive scree-covered slopes of Helvellyn and Lower Man dominating the eastern skyline.
• •Despite being named Great How, its northern neighbour—Little How—actually stands nearly twenty metres taller, proving that local naming conventions occasionally ignored the tape measure.