Embleton High Common

Rising above the Vale of Lorton near Cockermouth, this grassy outlier provides a gentle introduction to the North Western fells. Largely bypassed by the crowds, the summit offers a peaceful vantage point with clear views across the Solway Plain towards the Scottish hills and the dark slopes of nearby Whinlatter.

• •The name derives from the Old English 'Emel's tun', meaning the farmstead of a man named Emel; 'Common' refers to the historic right of local villagers to graze livestock on this unenclosed land.
• •It is classified as a Synge, one of the summits documented by Tim Madgwick in his guide to the Lake District fells that were not included in Alfred Wainwright's original seven volumes.
• •The fell sits on the northern fringe of the Lake District National Park, acting as a transition point between the rugged fells of the interior and the softer, rolling landscape of the Solway Plain.
• •Looking east, the massive bulk of the Skiddaw group dominates the horizon, while to the south, the higher top of Graystones rises steeply above the plantations of Whinlatter Forest.
• •The terrain is frequently soft underfoot; it is the kind of hill that proves waterproof boots were a vital invention rather than a luxury.