Peak District
Mount Famine
473M
1552FT
About Mount Famine
Rising steeply above the hamlet of Wash, this sharp-crested grassy ridge offers a more dramatic profile than its modest height suggests. It serves as a quieter alternative to the Kinder plateau, providing a steep, lung-bursting ascent and exceptional views across the Sett Valley towards the gritstone edges of Kinder Scout.
Key Statistics
Rank
74th Highest in Peak District
Parent Range
The Peak District
Prominence
?
44m
Nearest Town
Wash
Geology
You’re walking on layers of rugged sandstone, mudstone, and siltstone. These durable rocks form the Kinderscout, Shale, and Millstone Grit foundations that define this fell.
Find It
OS Grid Reference
SK056849
Latitude
53.3607°N
Longitude
1.9158°W
Did You Know?
- •The name Mount Famine likely stems from the poor quality of the thin, acidic soil on its steep slopes, which historically offered little sustenance for grazing livestock compared to the lusher valleys below.
- •It is almost always climbed in tandem with its near-identical twin, South Head; the two hills create a striking 'double-humped' skyline when viewed from the bypass near Chapel-en-le-Frith.
- •The summit provides one of the best vantage points for observing Kinder Downfall from a distance; on a windy day, you can clearly see the water being blown back up the cliff face of the Kinder Scout plateau.
- •The hill is skirted by the Roych Clough track, a rugged section of the Pennine Bridleway that follows an ancient packhorse route once used to transport salt and goods between Hayfield and Sheffield.
- •Despite the imposing 'Mount' in its name, the hill is technically a Tump, falling significantly short of the 600-metre threshold required to be considered an actual mountain in the UK.