North Pennines
Sails
667M
2187FT
About Sails
Situated on the high, peat-covered plateau of Mallerstang Common, this Hewitt occupies the lonely ground between High Seat and Gregory Chapel. It offers a remote, pathless experience for walkers seeking solitude, with the gritstone edges of Wild Boar Fell providing a dramatic backdrop across the deep trench of the Mallerstang valley.
Key Statistics
Rank
50th Highest in Region
Parent Range
Yorkshire Dales
Prominence
?
Data coming soon
Nearest Town
North Yorkshire
Geology
You are walking over a solid foundation of sandstone, limestone, and hardened mud. These rugged layers of rock form the very core of the fell beneath your boots.
Find It
OS Grid Reference
SD808965
Latitude
54.3892°N
Longitude
2.2110°W
Did You Know?
- •The name 'Sails' is a local topographic term found in the Northern Pennines and Dales, likely referring to the wind-exposed, flat-topped ridges or 'sails' of land characteristic of this moorland.
- •The hill sits on a significant watershed; rainfall on its eastern slopes feeds the River Swale and eventually the North Sea, while the western side drains into the River Eden and the Irish Sea.
- •From the summit cairn, the view to the west is dominated by the massive profile of Wild Boar Fell and Swarth Fell, with the rounded shapes of the Howgill Fells visible in the distance beyond them.
- •Navigation here can be challenging in mist, as the summit plateau lacks distinct landmarks and the terrain between here and High Seat is a complex maze of deep peat hags.
- •At a height of 666 metres, the hill possesses a somewhat sinister elevation, though visitors are more likely to be troubled by the waist-deep 'black holes' in the surrounding peat than by anything supernatural.