Lake District
Seathwaite Fell South Top
631M
2070FT
About Seathwaite Fell South Top
Standing as the true high point of the Seathwaite Fell massif, this rugged plateau offers a quiet vantage point overlooking the busy Sty Head pass. While often bypassed for the nearby Scafell giants, its rocky, undulating ground provides a wilder, more intimate perspective on the Great End crags and the head of Borrowdale.
Key Statistics
Rank
231st Highest in Region
Parent Range
Southern Fells
Prominence
?
19m
Nearest Town
Borrowdale
Geology
You are walking on layers of volcanic sand and rocky rubble, along with hardened lava that once squeezed through the earth's crust.
Classifications
Find It
OS Grid Reference
NY227094
Latitude
54.4742°N
Longitude
3.1932°W
Did You Know?
- •The name Seathwaite derives from the Old Norse 'sef', meaning sedges or rushes, and 'thveit', meaning a clearing. It effectively describes a marshy clearing, a character reflected in the boggy depressions found between the rocky knobs of the summit plateau.
- •While the northern top is the one featured in Alfred Wainwright's Pictorial Guides, this southern top is the true geographical summit. It is classified as a Nuttall and a Synge, standing some 30 metres higher than the point marked with the prominent cairn to the north.
- •The summit offers an exceptional, close-up view of the massive north face of Great End. From here, the dark gashes of Central Gully and Cust’s Gully are clearly visible, providing a grand-stand view of one of the Lake District’s most imposing mountain walls.
- •Located just a short detour from the popular 'corridor route' to Scafell Pike, this top remains remarkably quiet. It serves as a peaceful escape for walkers who wish to look down on the crowds gathering at Styhead Tarn below.
- •It is a fell that forces a choice: most walkers visit the lower northern end to tick a Wainwright, while only the more meticulous continue to this southern rise to satisfy their conscience about reaching the actual top.