Watermillock Common

About Watermillock Common

Rising above the northern shores of Ullswater, this expansive stretch of heathery moorland offers a quieter alternative to the busy Helvellyn paths. While its summit is broad and understated, it provides a superb vantage point across the lake toward the distinctive peaks of Place Fell and Hallin Fell.

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Did You Know?

• •The name is thought to combine the Old English 'wæter' with the Old Norse 'melr', meaning a sand-hill or dune, eventually evolving to describe this prominent high ground rising directly from the shores of the lake.
• •Though omitted from the Pictorial Guides by Alfred Wainwright, the hill is recognized as a Synge, a classification established by Tim Synge to identify significant Lakeland summits that warrant their own merit.
• •From the highest ground, you gain a clear, unobstructed perspective down the length of Ullswater, with the sharp profile of Catstycam and the sprawling Helvellyn range dominating the skyline to the southwest.
• •The common serves as a wild, less-trodden gateway for walkers ascending from Dockray towards the higher 'Dodds,' providing a stark contrast between its gentle heathery slopes and the steep crags of nearby Gowbarrow Fell.
• •In true Lakeland fashion, the term 'Common' is a polite way of warning walkers that the terrain is shared equally between sheep, heather, and several deceptively deep bogs.