Bessyboot (Rosthwaite Fell)

Bessyboot is the rocky high point of the broader Rosthwaite Fell plateau, looming directly over the village of Rosthwaite in Borrowdale. It’s a rugged, craggy summit that requires a bit of easy scrambling and careful navigation around the hidden hollows and the nearby Tarn at Leaves.

• •The name Rosthwaite originates from the Old Norse 'hreysi', meaning a heap of stones, and 'thveit', meaning a clearing in the woods.
• •While Bessyboot is the summit recognised by Alfred Wainwright, the actual highest point of the Rosthwaite Fell is the slightly higher Rosthwaite Cam located further south.
• •Tarn at Leaves, situated just south of the summit, is a small upland pool that serves as a vital landmark in the otherwise confusing and undulating terrain of the fell top.
• •The steep western slopes of the fell overlook the impressive glacial valley of Combe Gill, which contains evidence of historic lead mining and slate quarrying.
• •The plateau is famously labyrinthine; hikers often find that 'Bessyboot' is less of a peak and more of a complex obstacle course where the 'path' frequently vanishes into a boggy abyss.