Millstone Grits

Sitting on the high, peaty plateau of the Western Fells, this 411-metre Tump offers a rugged perspective of the Mallerstang valley. Characterised by the exposed gritstone that gives it its name, the summit provides clear lines of sight toward the bulky mass of Wild Boar Fell and the rolling Howgill Fells.

• •The name derives from the geological Millstone Grit, a hard-wearing, coarse sandstone that was traditionally quarried across Northern England to produce millstones for grinding flour and corn.
• •Located on the western fringes of the North Pennines, the hill serves as a quiet vantage point for observing the Settle-Carlisle railway line as it snakes through the valley floor far below.
• •The terrain here is typical of the high Pennine moors, often requiring careful navigation through peat hags and boggy depressions that characterize the approach from the Eden Valley side.
• •Calling it 'Millstone Grits' might suggest a collection of peaks, but it is effectively a single high point on the sprawling moorland ridge south of Kirkby Stephen.