Glade How

About Glade How

Sitting above the massive screes of Wastwater, this rocky Birkett forms the true high point of the Buckbarrow massif. The terrain is a mix of bracken and crag, offering a superb, bird's-eye vantage point over the lower reaches of Wasdale and the intimidating bulk of the Screes across the water.

Key Statistics

Find It

Did You Know?

• •The name Glade How combines the Middle English 'glade'—meaning a bright, open space—with the Old Norse 'haugr', denoting a hill or mound. It likely refers to a clearing in the ancient woodland that once covered the lower western fells.
• •While many walkers target the famous crags of Buckbarrow, Glade How is the actual high point of the fell. It was included in Bill Birkett’s list of Lakeland peaks for this reason, sitting slightly further back from the steep western edge.
• •The summit offers an uninterrupted line of sight across the lake to the Wastwater Screes, where the distinctive profiles of Illgill Head and Whin Rigg drop steeply into the deepest water in England.
• •It is typically climbed from Greendale as part of a three-peak loop, connecting the cairn here with the higher slopes of Middle Fell and the broad, grassy dome of Seatallan.
• •The summit cairn is positioned with typical Cumbrian pragmatism; it is high enough to be the top, but just far enough from the edge to ensure you don't accidentally descend the cliffs in a thick mist.