Graystones [North Top]

About Graystones [North Top]

Tucked away behind the plantations of Whinlatter Forest, this rounded Wainwright marks the northernmost point of the North Western Fells. While the summit is a broad, grassy plateau, its perimeter offers an expansive, unimpeded outlook across the Solway Firth toward the distinctive silhouettes of the Scottish Galloway hills.

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Did You Know?

• •The name is derived from the Old English 'græg' and 'stān', simply meaning 'grey stones', likely referring to the scattered boulders found amongst the heather and grass on the fell's western slopes near Darling How.
• •Alfred Wainwright was famously dismissive of this fell, describing the ascent from Whinlatter as 'uninteresting' and 'a dull grind,' though he admitted the summit outlook over the Lorton Vale was a redeeming feature.
• •Most walkers approach the summit by following the old wire fence lines that run along the ridge from Broom Fell, providing a high-level circuit around the head of the Aiken Beck valley.
• •The summit offers a particularly clear perspective of the massive Skiddaw massif to the east, appearing as a dark wall across the shimmering expanse of Bassenthwaite Lake.
• •Despite its status as a Wainwright, the hill remains one of the quietest in the district, largely because most visitors to the area are distracted by the mountain bike trails and play areas in the forest nearby.