Windrigg Hill

Rising quietly above the market town of Sedbergh, this modest grassy hump marks the transition between the rolling pastures of the Rawthey Valley and the loftier Howgill Fells. Though it reaches just over a thousand feet, its position offers an uncluttered perspective of the steep southern flanks of Winder and Settlebeck Gill.

• •The name is a hybrid of the Old English 'wind' and the Old Norse 'hryggr', meaning an exposed or windy ridge, reflecting the mixed linguistic heritage common in the valleys around the Dales and Cumbrian border.
• •The summit provides an excellent vantage point for viewing the 'sleeping elephant' profile of the Howgills to the north and the deep, winding entrance to Dentdale to the south-east.
• •Despite its modest height, the hill is classified as a Tump because it possesses a drop of at least 30 metres on all sides, making it a distinct geographical feature rather than just a shoulder of a larger neighbour.
• •At 313 metres, the hill narrowly clears the 1,000-foot mark, granting it 'mountain' status in older surveys, though it remains a very gentle outing compared to the 600-metre peaks looming directly across the valley.