Sleet Fell

About Sleet Fell

Sitting on the northern shoulder of the Place Fell massif, this modest Birkett offers a quieter perspective on Ullswater. Often bypassed by those heading for the main summit, it provides a grassy ascent from Howtown with rewarding, unobstructed views across the water to the steep, green pyramid of Hallin Fell.

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Did You Know?

• •The name likely derives from the Old Norse 'sléttr', meaning level or smooth. This describes the relatively flat, plateau-like nature of the summit area when compared to the craggier, more complex terrain found further south on the Place Fell ridge.
• •Though it lacks the height of its more famous neighbours, Sleet Fell is included in Bill Birkett’s 'Complete Lakeland Fells' and Tim Synge’s 'The Lakeland Fells', making it a staple for those ticking off the region's secondary tops.
• •The summit provides an excellent vantage point for the lower reaches of Ullswater; looking north, the view extends past the wooded islet of Wall Holm toward Pooley Bridge and the gentler hills of the Eden Valley.
• •It is most frequently climbed as a short detour from the popular lakeside path between Howtown and Patterdale, requiring a steep pull through the bracken to reach the quiet, sheep-grazed top.
• •Despite the name, there is no meteorological evidence that this specific fell attracts more frozen rain than any other hill in the Far Eastern range; it was simply a victim of descriptive Norse naming rather than a weather warning.