Flat Fell

Flat Fell is a modest grassy hill on the western edge of the Lake District in Cumbria. It stands just 272 m above sea level yet appears in Alfred Wainwright’s Outlying Fells of Lakeland. The book pairs it with Dent in a single chapter. Walkers usually start Wainwright’s clockwise route from Wath Brow. The hill’s shape is long and narrow, like a slug, with a steep eastern slope called Flatfell Screes. Below the screes runs the Nannycatch Beck, which the Coast to Coast Walk follows for part of its course. The open fell is grazed by sheep and horses, with bracken and gorse covering the southern and eastern slopes. Two public rights of way flank the hill: a bridleway along the south and a footpath along the north. The northern path leads to the Kinniside Stone Circle before rejoining the southern track at the end of Nannycatch road. From there no clear trail climbs to the top, leaving the final ascent to the walker’s choice. The summit is marked by a small cairn and offers wide views across West Cumbria. On clear days the fells of Dent, Grike, Blakeley Raise and Lank Rigg appear on the horizon. The open grassland and bracken give the summit a quiet, uncluttered feel. Sheep graze nearby while the distant Nannycatch Beck glints in the valley below. The contrast between the modest height and the sweeping panorama makes the short climb worthwhile.