Sour Howes

About Sour Howes

Sitting on the broad, grassy ridge of Applethwaite Common above the Troutbeck Valley, this modest Wainwright offers a quiet alternative to the busier Central Fells. Its rounded, marshy slopes reward walkers with a superior vantage point over Lake Windermere and the dramatic silhouette of the Langdale Pikes across the water.

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Did You Know?

• •The name likely derives from the Old Norse 'surr', referring to sour, marshy ground or acidic soil poor for grazing, while 'Howes' comes from 'haugr', meaning small hills or mounds.
• •Alfred Wainwright gave this hill its own chapter in his 'Far Eastern Fells' guide, though he noted it was more of a pedestal for a view than a grand peak, specifically praising the vista of the Ill Bell ridge across the Kentmere valley.
• •It is almost always climbed in tandem with its neighbour, Sallows; the two fells form the high ground of Applethwaite Common and are easily reached via the historic Garburn Pass, an old packhorse route connecting Troutbeck and Kentmere.
• •From the summit cairn, the view south is dominated by the full length of Windermere stretching towards Newby Bridge, framed by the wooded slopes of Claife Heights and the distant sands of Morecambe Bay.
• •Despite being a classified Wainwright, the summit is so broad and featureless that many walkers have bagged the fell without ever being entirely sure they reached the actual highest point of the grassy plateau.