Rivings

Sitting on the western shoulder of Sale Fell, this grassy Birkett offers a quieter vantage point than its more popular neighbour. The walking is straightforward across soft turf, providing an excellent view down the Wythop Valley toward the distinctive profile of Ling Fell and the coastal plains of West Cumbria.

• •The name likely derives from the Old English 'rifing', referring to a piece of land that has been cleared or 'riven' from the surrounding moorland, a common element in Cumbrian place names identifying distinct parcels of ground.
• •Bill Birkett identifies Rivings as a distinct summit in his guide to the Lake District fells. While many walkers bypass it on their way to the higher summit of Sale Fell to the east, it marks the logical end of the ridge before it drops toward the Bassenthwaite road.
• •The ascent from near the old church at Wythop is one of the gentlest in the Lake District, following ancient grassy tracks that once served the small, isolated farmsteads tucked into this quiet corner of the North Western fells.
• •From the summit, the view west provides a direct line of sight to the perfectly symmetrical 'pudding basin' shape of Ling Fell, allowing you to clearly trace the corkscrew path that winds its way to that hill's top.
• •It is an ideal choice for days when the Lake District weather is being particularly 'Cumbrian', offering a genuine sense of the fells without the risk of being blown into the next county by high-altitude winds.