Whinlatter [Brown How]

About Whinlatter [Brown How]

Rising above England's only mountain forest, this fell offers a distinct hiking experience. The climb through the pines from the Whinlatter Visitor Centre eventually gives way to the open, heathery summit of Brown How, providing fantastic views over Bassenthwaite Lake and the Skiddaw range.

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Did You Know?

• •The name stems from Old Norse 'hvin-hlattr', meaning 'the gorse-covered slope', describing the fell's appearance before the Forestry Commission's 20th-century plantations.
• •Although the fell is named Whinlatter, the true summit is the rocky outcrop of Brown How; the name Whinlatter historically referred more specifically to the pass itself.
• •The fell is primarily composed of Skiddaw Slate, the oldest rock group in the Lake District, dating back roughly 500 million years to the Ordovician period.
• •Whinlatter Forest serves as a vital conservation site for native red squirrels and provides a perfect vantage point for spotting ospreys nesting near the shores of Bassenthwaite Lake.
• •Navigating the dense lower forest tracks is an exercise in humility, as it’s remarkably easy to blink and find yourself inadvertently wandering down a 'Black' graded mountain bike run.