North Pennines
Great Haw
544M
1785FT
About Great Haw
Rising as a broad, peat-covered whaleback between Wharfedale and Littondale, this summit offers a sense of immense scale. Often visited alongside neighbouring Birks Fell, its grassy slopes provide a quiet vantage point over the limestone scars of the southern Dales and the steep-sided trough of Upper Wharfedale below.
Key Statistics
Rank
143rd Highest in Region
Parent Range
Yorkshire Dales
Prominence
?
29m
Nearest Town
West Scrafton
Geology
This fell is built from layers of hard sandstone, siltstone, and mudstone. These rocks form the rugged Millstone Grit foundation that you are walking on today.
Classifications
Find It
OS Grid Reference
SE073793
Latitude
54.2094°N
Longitude
1.8896°W
Did You Know?
- •The name 'Haw' stems from the Old Norse word haugr, typically describing a prominent hill or mound. This linguistic footprint is a reminder of the Viking settlers who farmed these dales, with 'Great' added to differentiate it from its slightly lower southern neighbour, Little Haw.
- •It occupies a central position on the ridge of Old Cote Moor, serving as a massive natural boundary between the river systems of the Wharfe and the Skirfare.
- •The summit offers a commanding view of the 'stepped' limestone terraces of Buckden Pike to the east and the deep, narrow cleft of Littondale to the west.
- •Hikers often combine the peak with a traverse to Birks Fell, a route that follows a high-altitude drystone wall which has marked local land boundaries for generations.
- •For those navigating in thick mist, the 'Great' in the name may feel like a slight exaggeration, as the summit is a remarkably subtle rise within a vast, undulating plateau of moorland grass.