Lake District
Swinside
245M
803FT
About Swinside
Tucked away near Portinscale, this small, wooded hill is a notable Marilyn despite its modest height. While surrounded by the giants of the North Western Fells, it offers a unique perspective over Derwent Water. Access is restricted due to private ownership, but a forestry track leads through recent clear-felling toward the summit.
Key Statistics
Rank
856th Highest in Region
Parent Range
North Western Fells
Prominence
?
151.9
Nearest Town
Portinscale
Geology
You are walking on a foundation of sandstone, siltstone, and mudstone. These rocks formed as ancient sand and fine mud hardened into the ground beneath your feet.
Find It
Latitude
54.5915°N
Longitude
3.1725°W
Did You Know?
- •The name originates from the Old Norse 'svín-seter', meaning a hill-pasture for pigs, reflecting the hill's historical use as seasonal grazing land for local farms.
- •Despite standing at just 803 feet, it qualifies as a Marilyn—a peak with at least 150 metres of prominence—because it is separated from the higher masses of Catbells and Barrow by a low-lying 'moat' of boggy ground.
- •Alfred Wainwright chose to omit the hill from his Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells, likely due to its lack of public rights of way and its status as private forestry land.
- •Recent felling of the summit’s plantation has revealed a rare, low-angle view of Derwent Water and the town of Keswick, framed by the massive silhouettes of Skiddaw and Blencathra to the north.
- •It is perhaps the only Marilyn in the Lake District where you are more likely to encounter a commercial quad bike tour than a hiker with a map.