Lake District
Plough Fell
448M
1470FT
About Plough Fell
Rising above the Eskdale valley, this unassuming Birkett offers a quiet escape onto the rough, often damp moorland of Birker Fell. While modest in height, its position provides a clear, uncrowded perspective across the valley toward the dramatic crags of the Scafell massif and the distinctive profile of the Eskdale Needle.
Key Statistics
Rank
512th Highest in Region
Parent Range
Southern Fells
Prominence
?
13m
Nearest Town
Ulpha
Geology
You are walking over layers of hardened volcanic ash and volcanic rock. These materials form the rugged foundation of the fell beneath your feet.
Find It
OS Grid Reference
SD161911
Latitude
54.3093°N
Longitude
3.2902°W
Did You Know?
- •The name 'Plough' is an unusual find in the Lake District fells; it likely derives from the Old English 'plōh', referring to a measure of land that could be tilled by a single ox-team in a year.
- •Author Tim Synge included this peak in his 1995 guidebook 'The Lakeland Summits', noting its position as a fine viewpoint for the granite-strewn landscape of the south-western fells.
- •It is most frequently visited as part of the 'Devoke Water Seven', a circular route that bags several minor peaks around the largest high-level tarn in the Lake District.
- •The summit offers a particularly stark view of Harter Fell’s western face, contrasted against the deep trench of the Eskdale valley and the distant Irish Sea to the west.
- •The terrain is a classic Lakeland mix of heather and hidden moss-holes; a dry crossing between here and the nearby Birker Moor road is generally considered a minor local miracle.