Lake District
Bull How
308M
1010FT
About Bull How
Tucked away above Eskdale near the village of Boot, this modest Synge summit is characterized by its rocky, bracken-clad slopes. It sits close to the peaceful Eel Tarn, offering an excellent vantage point to study the sprawling mass of Harter Fell across the valley and the distant, jagged Scafell skyline.
Key Statistics
Rank
765th Highest in Region
Parent Range
Southern Fells
Prominence
?
19m
Nearest Town
Eskdale
Geology
Bull How is built from a blend of ancient volcanic ash, lava, and hard granite that formed deep underground.
Classifications
Find It
OS Grid Reference
NY205019
Latitude
54.4072°N
Longitude
3.2252°W
Did You Know?
- •The name combines the Old Norse 'haugr', meaning a hill or mound, with the name for a male bovine, marking its historical role as a specific grazing ground for livestock from the farms around Boot.
- •Though often overlooked by those heading for the higher Scafells, the summit offers an intimate view of the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway snaking through the valley floor far below.
- •It is classified as a Synge, a list compiled by Tim Synge in his 1995 guidebook that identifies every Lake District summit over 300 metres with a distinct topographic prominence.
- •The hill sits on an undulating plateau of granite and peat, situated between the quiet waters of Eel Tarn and Stony Tarn.
- •At 308 metres, it officially qualifies as a mountain with just eight metres to spare, though the steep, bracken-heavy climb from the valley floor suggests the surveyors might have been slightly conservative.