Place Fell

Place Fell above Ullswater

Place Fell is a 657 m fell above the eastern side of Ullswater, looking across to the Helvellyn range. Patterdale and Rooking provide the usual southern approach. Although its height is modest beside the surrounding mountains, the climb is steep and the upper ground is rough and exposed to the weather.

Which summit?

The trig pillar is a useful landmark, but it is not the precise highest point. DoBIH records a rock outcrop 4 m south-east of the cairn, 0.3 m higher than the trig point roughly 30 m to the east. The cairn is the Wainwright summit. Take care on the summit rocks, especially in wet or icy conditions.

Boredale Hause, Steel Edge and Round How

From Patterdale, cross to Rooking and take the rising path to Boredale Hause. This is a junction of several routes, not the summit. The Place Fell path turns north and climbs Steel Edge to Round How, where a short rocky gully interrupts the walk. A bypass is described in published guides, but find its line on your map rather than improvising a shortcut. Continue across the upper ground to the summit area.

Returning the same way makes a shorter outing. A start at the Rooking fell gate omits the village approach, so its distance cannot be used for a walk from a Patterdale or Glenridding car park.

Longer circuits and the lakeshore

The northern descent leads towards Low Moss. From there, one circuit drops towards Scalehow Beck and returns along the Ullswater shore through Silver Point to Side Farm. Another continues by Sleet Fell; the main published line passes beside High Dodd, with its summit requiring a separate detour. The higher path beside Silver Crag is another variation, distinct from staying on the lower shore route.

A shore-first circuit published by UKHillwalking starts and finishes at Sandwick: walk south to Rooking before climbing Boredale Hause and Place Fell, then return north via Low Moss. Sandwick can also be used for an eastern valley approach through Boredale to the hause. These are different itineraries. Walking around the fell through Boredale and beside Ullswater does not automatically include its summit.

The lakeshore return is not flat. It has rocky steps, repeated climbs and sections above the water. Do not descend directly down the craggy western slopes towards Silver Point.

Conditions and route choice

Carry a map and compass and know how to use them, particularly at the hause and on the upper moorland in mist. Expect wet peat near Low Moss and slippery rock after rain; summer bracken can conceal minor tracks around High Dodd. Snow and ice make the steep paths and rocky steps a substantially more serious outing. Leave enough daylight for the shore section after the summit.

Getting there

Patterdale has limited parking convenient for the southern ascent. Glenridding has larger paid car parks, public toilets and village services, but requires extra walking to the fell approach. Space around Sandwick and Martindale is limited; respect clearways, farm access and passing places.

Stagecoach 508 connects Penrith railway station with Glenridding and Patterdale. Check the service for the day and the last bus home. A boat-assisted walk begins at Howtown, reached by Ullswater Steamers, and can finish at Glenridding after crossing Place Fell. Howtown is not Sandwick; the walk between them is part of that itinerary. Take the boat first where practical, and check the operator’s current sailings.

Before setting out, consult the Lake District National Park’s path-closure and missing-bridge notices, especially after storms.

Landscape and name

Place Fell’s crags are associated with the Borrowdale Volcanic Group, and the Ullswater valley has been shaped by repeated glaciations. The name’s origin remains uncertain: scholarly research suggests an Old English open-place element with Norse fell or fjall, while noting that medieval spellings complicate a definite interpretation.