North Pennines
Thack Moor
610M
2000FT
About Thack Moor
Rising above the village of Renwick, this rounded moorland whaleback marks the western edge of the North Pennines. Reaching exactly 2000 feet after a 2013 survey, it offers a steady, grassy climb. From the summit fence, the view opens dramatically across the Eden Valley toward the distant silhouettes of Blencathra and Skiddaw.
Key Statistics
Rank
89th Highest in Region
Parent Range
North Pennines
Prominence
?
59m
Nearest Town
Renwick
Geology
Thack Moor is built from layers of sandstone, mudstone, and limestone. These solid rocks form the rugged foundation you are trekking across today.
Find It
OS Grid Reference
NY611462
Latitude
54.8091°N
Longitude
2.6068°W
Did You Know?
- •The hill gained its status as a Hewitt and Nuttall as recently as 2013, when a precision GPS survey revealed its summit reached 609.65 metres—or 2000.03 feet—scraping into the mountain classifications by a mere centimetre.
- •Its name originates from the Old Norse word þak, which passed into local dialect as 'thack', referring to a place where coarse grass or rushes were harvested for use as roof thatching.
- •The summit offers a grandstand view of the northern Lake District across the Eden Valley, with the distinctive profiles of Blencathra and the Skiddaw massif visible on clear days.
- •It is the most northerly of the 2,000ft fells on the Pennine edge, sitting on a high plateau that overlooks the village of Gamblesby and the fertile Cumbrian lowlands.
- •It is arguably the most precarious mountain in England; should a future surveyor arrive with a slightly more pessimistic GPS unit, it could lose its hard-won status in an afternoon.