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.

• •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.