Great Stony Hill

About Great Stony Hill

Located in the remote North Pennines above the Eden Valley, this high, sprawling plateau offers a true sense of isolation. Often tackled alongside its neighbour, Burnhope Seat, the terrain is typically Pennine—heather-clad and occasionally boggy—rewarding walkers with expansive views across the northern fells and the distant Lake District peaks.

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Did You Know?

• •The name is a straightforward Anglo-Saxon descriptor, where 'Stony' distinguishes this gritstone-capped rise from the more uniform peat hags of the surrounding moorland.
• •The summit marks a significant point on the historic county boundary between Westmorland and County Durham, serving as a high frontier for centuries.
• •Walking here is almost always a dual-peak affair; it is most logically bagged in tandem with Burnhope Seat, though the terrain between them requires a keen eye for avoiding the deepest peat hags.
• •On a clear day, the summit offers a commanding perspective of the massive Cross Fell range to the west and the blue waters of Cow Green Reservoir nestled in the folds of Teesdale to the east.
• •Despite its name, many walkers find that 'Great Peaty Hill' would be a more geographically accurate title for the approaches after a week of Pennine rain.