Lake District
Middleboot Knotts
702M
2304FT
About Middleboot Knotts
Perched on the western slopes of the Scafell massif, this rugged rocky spur offers a dramatic, close-up perspective of the upper Wasdale valley. Overlooked by the higher giants, it provides a quieter, craggier viewpoint for those exploring the complex ground between the abyss of Piers Gill and the main Brown Tongue path.
Key Statistics
Rank
157th Highest in Region
Parent Range
Southern Fells
Prominence
?
14.9m
Nearest Town
Wasdale
Geology
You are walking on ancient lava flows and hardened volcanic debris. These rocks formed from explosive eruptions and magma cooling slowly deep beneath the surface.
Classifications
Nearby Fells
Find It
OS Grid Reference
NY213080
Latitude
54.4619°N
Longitude
3.2149°W
Did You Know?
- •The name likely stems from the Old Norse 'búð', meaning a booth or temporary summer shieling, combined with the Cumbrian term 'Knotts' for a rocky outcrop or hillock.
- •From the summit, walkers gain a spectacular and dizzying perspective into the depths of Piers Gill, the Lake District’s most formidable ravine, which carves a jagged slot toward the valley floor.
- •It is classified as a Synge, a list of Lake District hills compiled by Tim Synge in the 1990s to highlight significant tops that were often ignored by more traditional guidebooks.
- •The summit offers a rare front-row seat to the massive northern crags of Lingmell and the sprawling scree slopes of Great Gable across the Sty Head pass.
- •It serves as an excellent grandstand for observing the steady stream of walkers on the 'motorway' to Scafell Pike; you can enjoy the silence of a 700-metre summit while being just a few hundred yards from the crowds.