Ulthwaite Rigg

About Ulthwaite Rigg

Tucked away in the quiet eastern fringes of the Lake District near Shap, this broad, grassy moorland ridge offers a lonely alternative to the busier central fells. Part of the Wet Sleddale Horseshoe, it provides expansive views across the reservoir towards the distant High Street range and the North Pennines.

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Did You Know?

• •The name likely derives from the Old Norse 'ulfr' (wolf) or a personal name, combined with 'thveit' (clearing) and 'hryggr' (ridge), suggesting a wolf’s clearing on the upland.
• •Alfred Wainwright included the hill in his 'Outlying Fells of Lakeland' guide, describing a clockwise circuit from the Wet Sleddale Reservoir dam that also bags Sleddale Pike and Great Saddle Crag.
• •The fell sits within the Shap Fells Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), noted for its extensive blanket bog and heathland which provide important breeding grounds for birds like the golden plover.
• •The summit offers a specific, layered view: looking west, the high peaks of the Far Eastern Fells dominate the skyline, while to the east, the M6 motorway can be seen snaking toward the Howgill Fells.
• •Despite being a classified summit, the top is so broad and level that finding the highest point often feels less like mountaineering and more like a gentle stroll across a very high, very damp field.