Lake District
Mungrisdale Common
632M
2073FT
About Mungrisdale Common
Located in the shadow of the mighty Blencathra, this is perhaps the Lake District’s most unassuming summit. It is a vast, peat-covered plateau where the challenge lies more in navigating the boggy ground than steep gradients. While lacking a dramatic peak, it offers a quiet, isolated perspective of the Skiddaw massif.
Key Statistics
Rank
230th Highest in Region
Parent Range
Northern Fells
Prominence
?
2.4m
Nearest Town
Mungrisdale
Geology
The ground beneath you belongs to the Kirk Stile Formation, made of ancient layers of mud and silt that hardened into this fell's solid base.
Classifications
Find It
OS Grid Reference
NY311292
Latitude
54.6532°N
Longitude
3.0684°W
Did You Know?
- •The name originates from the village of Mungrisdale several miles to the east, which itself is likely derived from the personal name 'Mungo' (the saint) and the Old Norse 'griss-dalr', meaning valley of the pigs.
- •Alfred Wainwright famously loathed this fell, ranking it as his least favourite of the 214 hills in his Pictorial Guides. He dismissed its appearance by stating it has 'no more pretension to elegance than a pudding that has been sat on'.
- •The summit is remarkably understated, marked only by a tiny pile of stones on a wide, grassy expanse. It is one of the few places in the Northern Fells where the ground is so featureless that the cairn can be genuinely difficult to locate in thick mist.
- •Despite its own flat profile, the Common offers an excellent 'backstage' view of the northern crags of Blencathra and the sharp profile of Lonscale Fell. To the north-west, the pyramidal shape of Great Calva stands out against the remote 'Back o' Skidda' landscape.
- •It is the only Wainwright summit where you might spend more time checking your compass to prove you are actually at the top than you do admiring the cairn.