Lake District
Seat
561M
1841FT
About Seat
This modest Western Fell often serves as a brief resting point on the rugged traverse between High Crag and Haystacks. Despite its proximity to more famous neighbours, Seat offers a distinct, grassy character and a spectacular, direct perspective over the deep trough of Ennerdale and the formidable Pillar massif.
Key Statistics
Rank
309th
Parent Range
Western Fells
Prominence
?
30m
Nearest Town
Buttermere Village
Geology
Borrowdale Volcanic Group
Find It
OS Grid Reference
NY185134
Latitude
54.5096°N
Longitude
3.2594°W
Did You Know?
- •The name is derived from the Old Norse 'sætr', originally referring to a summer pasture or shieling, though in the context of Cumbrian summits, it often describes a 'seat-like' or flat-topped landform.
- •While it was omitted from Alfred Wainwright’s pictorial guides, the hill is classified as a Birkett and a Synge, recognized for its distinct position on the ridge dividing the Buttermere and Ennerdale valleys.
- •The summit marks a notable geological transition for walkers, sitting between the steep, red-tinted screes of Gamlin End on High Crag and the complex, glaciated knolls of Haystacks.
- •From the top, there is a particularly clear view down the full length of Buttermere towards Crummock Water, framed perfectly by the steep flanks of Robinson and Grasmoor to the north.
- •It is a hill that suffers from a persistent identity crisis, usually being treated by passing hikers as nothing more than a particularly large and inconvenient lump of grass encountered on the way to somewhere else.
