North Pennines
Drumaldrace
614M
2014FT
About Drumaldrace
Rising steadily above Hawes, this broad, grassy dome serves as the high point of Wether Fell. A straightforward Hewitt and Nuttall, its expansive summit plateau provides an immense sense of scale, offering clear perspectives across Wensleydale toward the gritstone cap of Addlebrough and the hidden waters of Semer Water.
Key Statistics
Rank
83rd Highest in Region
Parent Range
Yorkshire Dales
Prominence
?
67m
Nearest Town
Gayle
Geology
You are walking over stacked layers of sandstone, limestone, and flint-like chert. These rocks, along with muddy deposits, form the fell's sturdy foundation.
Find It
OS Grid Reference
SD873867
Latitude
54.2758°N
Longitude
2.1965°W
Did You Know?
- •The name Drumaldrace likely stems from the Cumbric 'drum', meaning a ridge, though the hill is more widely known by the name of the fell it crowns: Wether Fell.
- •The northern slopes are traced by the Cam High Road, an exceptionally well-preserved Roman road that once connected the forts at Bainbridge and Ribchester, providing a remarkably straight high-level route for modern walkers.
- •From the summit, the view to the east is dominated by the unique, stepped profile of Addlebrough, while to the south, the deep trench of Raydale unfolds toward the village of Countersett.
- •The term 'Wether' in the fell's alternative name is a traditional sheep-farming term for a castrated ram, highlighting the hill's long history as essential upland grazing pasture.
- •The summit is so remarkably flat that, in poor visibility, the primary challenge isn't the climb, but the navigational puzzle of identifying which particular tuft of grass represents the absolute highest point.
