Plover Hill

Often overlooked in favour of its celebrated neighbour, Pen-y-ghent, this broad, grassy plateau offers a quieter, wilder experience of the Southern Fells. Reached via a steady ridge walk, the summit provides a distinctive perspective of the Ribblehead Viaduct and the gritstone caps of Ingleborough and Whernside.

• •The name is a direct reference to the Golden Plover, a ground-nesting bird that frequents these high, peat-rich plateaus. Their haunting, whistling call is a hallmark of the Yorkshire Dales moorland during the breeding season.
• •Most walkers visit the summit as a northern extension to the popular Pen-y-ghent circuit. This involves crossing 'The Moss', a notorious stretch of saturated peat hags that remains stubbornly boggy even during the height of a dry summer.
• •From the summit cairn, you earn an excellent view of the Settle-Carlisle railway as it snakes through the valley towards Blea Moor, with the massive bulk of Whernside dominating the western horizon.
• •While Pen-y-ghent attracts thousands of visitors via the Pennine Way, Plover Hill remains relatively solitary, making it a preferred spot for those looking to escape the crowds while still 'bagging' a Hewitt and Nuttall.
• •The transition from the stone-pitched paths of the main Three Peaks route to the pathless peat of Plover Hill serves as a swift, damp reminder that the National Park’s paving budget is not infinite.