Capple Howe

Tucked away on the southern flanks of Applethwaite Common, this grassy Birkett offers a peaceful perspective on the Troutbeck Valley. While often bypassed for higher neighbours, its rocky outcrops provide an exceptional, uncrowded viewpoint over the lower reaches of Windermere and the distant fells of the Coniston range.

• •The name likely originates from the Old Norse 'kapall', meaning a workhorse or nag, and 'haugr', meaning a hill or mound, suggesting these slopes were once used as common grazing land for hardy local ponies.
• •Bill Birkett identified this as a distinct summit in his 'Complete Lakeland Fells', whereas Alfred Wainwright excluded it from his famous pictorial guides, choosing to treat the area as part of the higher Sour Howes.
• •The summit provides a clear, earned view of the Garburn Pass, an ancient and rocky packhorse route that served as a vital trade link between the Kentmere and Troutbeck valleys for centuries.
• •While the name suggests a place for ponies, the thick summer bracken on the lower slopes is far more likely to hide a tripping hazard than a convenient bridleway.