Sheffield Pike

About Sheffield Pike

Rising steeply between the Glencoyne and Glenridding valleys, this Wainwright fell offers some of the finest views over Ullswater. Once a busy site of lead mining, its craggy eastern face and the distinctive sub-peak of Heron Pike provide a rugged contrast to the grassy slopes of the main Helvellyn range nearby.

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Did You Know?

• •The name is likely a corruption of 'shippon-fell', deriving from the Old Norse for a peak above a sheep fold. It has no historical connection to the industrial city in South Yorkshire.
• •The fell’s southern flanks were once home to Greenside Mine, which became one of the most productive lead mines in Europe. Walkers can still see the remains of the 'Glencoyne Leat' and various levels where miners worked deep into the hillside for over 140 years.
• •Alfred Wainwright considered the summit to be the premier vantage point for Ullswater, noting that it is one of the few places where the lake can be seen in its entirety, framed by the slopes of Place Fell and Hallin Fell.
• •A massive, upright boundary stone stands near the summit. Marked with the initials of local landowners, it traditionally delineated the border between the Howard estate of Greystoke and the Marshall estate of Patterdale Hall.
• •Many walkers are frequently deceived by Heron Pike, a rocky prow on the fell's eastern ridge. While it looks like a formidable summit from the valley floor at Glenridding, it is actually just a subsidiary top on the way to the higher, flatter plateau of the true peak.
• •Despite its name, hikers hoping for a vibrant steel-working heritage or a decent Henderson’s Relish factory will be disappointed to find nothing but Herdwick sheep and very wet peat.