Simmerson Hill

Sitting on the high ground between Swaledale and Wensleydale, this Yorkshire Dales Tump offers a quiet escape from the busier valley trails. The terrain is a blend of rough grazing and heather moorland, steeped in the industrial history of the surrounding lead mines and the nearby Grinton Smelt Mill.

• •The name likely stems from a local family surname, marking an era when these moorland slopes were divided and managed by specific daleside inhabitants.
• •The hill is a prime vantage point for viewing the 'hushings' on the nearby slopes—man-made scars in the hillside where miners once released dammed water to strip away soil and reveal lead veins.
• •Looking north from the summit, the view is dominated by the steep gritstone escarpment of Fremington Edge, which towers over the village of Reeth across the River Swale.
• •Navigating the summit plateau requires a keen eye for boggy patches, providing a useful reminder that in the Dales, 400 metres is more than enough height to ruin a good pair of boots.