Lake District
Swarth Fell (Kinniside)
335M
1099FT
About Swarth Fell (Kinniside)
Rising gently above the Kinniside stone circle, this grassy Western Lake District outlier serves as a quiet shoulder to its higher neighbor, Grike. While modest in height, its position on the fell's edge provides an uninterrupted perspective over the West Cumbrian coastal plain and the Irish Sea.
Key Statistics
Rank
704th Highest in Region
Parent Range
Western Fells
Prominence
?
39m
Nearest Town
Ennerdale Bridge
Geology
Swarth Fell is built from layers of sandstone and mudstone. These rocks, part of the Latterbarrow and Buttermere formations, provide the firm ground beneath your boots.
Find It
OS Grid Reference
NY064120
Latitude
54.4951°N
Longitude
3.4454°W
Did You Know?
- •The name Swarth Fell is rooted in the Old Norse word svartr, signifying 'dark' or 'black', likely referring to the appearance of its heathery slopes or the dark peat found in the surrounding moorland.
- •The fell sits near the Kinniside Stone Circle, a Bronze Age monument located on the approach from the Ennerdale Bridge side, marking the ancient human history of these western commons.
- •While the view east toward the high Ennerdale fells is impressive, the western horizon is dominated by the West Cumbrian coastline, with the Isle of Man often clearly visible across the water.
- •Walkers often include this summit as a brief detour when bagging the more prominent Crag Fell and Grike, as it marks the transition from the coastal lowlands to the high fells.
- •It is perhaps the only summit in the Lake District where the most unmistakable landmark on the horizon is a nuclear power station rather than a mountain peak.