Caer Mote

Caer Mote is a hill in North West England, standing 289 metres high near Bothel in Cumbria. Its summit lies just outside the Lake District National Park and overlooks Bassenthwaite Lake. The hill appears in Wainwright’s book The Outlying Fells of Lakeland, where he describes a walking route from Bothel to the northern summit, St. John’s Hill. The route continues south to the main summit before turning southeast towards a minor road beside a Roman fort. Wainwright originally listed the height as 920 feet, but later editions corrected it to 948 feet. The hill is home to an ancient earthwork enclosure called The Battery on St. John’s Hill. Below the southern slope, traces of a first-century AD Roman fort can still be seen. Both summits are recognised as Wainwright Outlying Fells and listed in the Database of British and Irish Hills as a TuMP. The northern summit is also given the subtitle Caermote Hill N Top. The site blends natural beauty with historical layers from different eras. Visitors find open moorland paths leading to the grassy summits, with wide views across the Lake District. The Battery’s earthworks stand near the northern summit, offering a quiet spot to pause. Nearby, the remains of the Roman fort hint at the hill’s long history. The route follows Wainwright’s anticlockwise circuit, passing through varied terrain. The contrast between the ancient earthworks and sweeping landscapes makes the walk memorable.