Kirkby Moor [Lowick High Common]

About Kirkby Moor [Lowick High Common]

Standing as the highest point of the Furness Peninsula, this sprawling heather moorland offers a wild, wind-swept experience. The broad summit provides exceptional views across Morecambe Bay and the Duddon Estuary, framed by the jagged northern skyline of the Coniston Fells, including the Old Man of Coniston and Dow Crag.

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Did You Know?

• •The name 'Kirkby' is derived from the Old Norse 'kirkju' (church) and 'byr' (settlement), while the secondary name, Lowick High Common, reflects its historical status as shared grazing land for the nearby parish of Lowick.
• •From the summit trig pillar, walkers can clearly see the Hoad Monument above Ulverston to the south, while the western view opens up towards the Black Combe massif and the Irish Sea.
• •The moor is home to one of the oldest commercial wind farms in the UK; the original turbines were commissioned in 1993 and have since become a permanent landmark for those travelling the A595.
• •The hill sits directly above the Burlington Slate Quarries, a site that has been producing distinctive blue-grey slate for over 400 years, much of which is used in the surrounding drystone walls.
• •While its height falls short of mountain status, the biting wind off the Irish Sea frequently does its best to convince you that you are significantly higher than 335 metres.