Glede Howe

Overlooking the quiet waters of Wet Sleddale Reservoir, this grassy Birkett offers a sense of seclusion rare in the Lake District. Situated in the Far Eastern Fells near Shap, the summit provides an excellent vantage point for the higher silhouettes of Selside Pike and Branstree against the western horizon.

• •The name 'Glede' is derived from the Old English 'glida', a traditional name for the Red Kite, suggesting this 'Howe' (from the Old Norse 'haugr' for hill) was once a noted haunt for birds of prey.
• •Bill Birkett included this summit in his 1994 guidebook 'Complete Lakeland Fells', noting it as part of the wild, undulating moorland that transitions from the high eastern fells toward the Shap granite works.
• •The hill is most frequently visited as part of a circuit from Wet Sleddale, often linked with its higher neighbours, Selside Pike and Artlecrag Pike, via the long, peat-heavy ridge.
• •From the summit, the view east is dominated by the broad expanse of the Eden Valley, with the distant, long wall of the Pennines—specifically the Cross Fell range—clearly visible on a crisp day.
• •Its location on the far eastern fringe ensures that while the popular Central Fells are crowded, your only company on Glede Howe is likely to be a few uninterested Swaledale sheep and a significant amount of standing water.