Dunmallet facts for kids
Dunmallet or Dunmallard Hill is a small, interesting hill located in the beautiful Lake District in England. It's found close to a village called Pooley Bridge in Cumbria. This hill is even mentioned in a famous walking guide by Alfred Wainwright called The Outlying Fells of Lakeland.
Dunmallet stands about 775 feet (236 meters) tall. Wainwright, who wrote many books about walking in the Lake District, described climbing Dunmallet from Pooley Bridge as a "simple after-dinner stroll." This means it's an easy and enjoyable walk for most people.
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Exploring Dunmallet Hill
Dunmallet is covered in trees, which means the views from the very top can be a bit limited. However, it's still a great place for a short hike and to explore nature.
Where is Dunmallet?
Dunmallet is located in the northern part of the Lake District National Park. It's very close to the northern end of Ullswater, one of the most beautiful lakes in the area. The nearby village of Pooley Bridge is a popular starting point for walks around the hill.
What's the View Like?
Because Dunmallet is mostly covered in trees, the wide-open views you might expect from a hill are a bit hidden. However, you can still catch glimpses of the surrounding countryside and the nearby lake as you walk up. It's a peaceful place, perfect for a quiet adventure.
A Look Back in Time: Dunmallet's History
Dunmallet isn't just a pretty hill; it also has a secret history! Archaeologists have found signs of an ancient Iron Age hill fort on its slopes. This means that thousands of years ago, people lived and built defenses on this very hill.
What is a Hill Fort?
A hill fort was a type of fortified settlement built on a hill. People in the Iron Age (which was from about 800 BC to AD 100 in Britain) would build these forts for protection. They often had large earthworks, ditches, and wooden walls to keep out enemies. Finding remains of a hill fort on Dunmallet tells us that it was an important place long, long ago.
What Does "Dunmallet" Mean?
The name "Dunmallet" or "Dunmallard" is very old, and its exact meaning is a bit of a mystery! Experts think it might come from either an ancient British language (called Brittonic) or an old Irish language (Middle Irish).
One idea is that the name comes from the Irish words dùn-mallacht, which means "fort of curses." This sounds a bit spooky, but it might refer to a place where ancient rituals or warnings took place.
Another idea is that the name comes from Brittonic words. It could combine dīn- (meaning "fort"), mę:l (meaning "bald"), and -arδ (meaning "height"). If this is true, then "Dunmallet" could mean something like "fort on the bald height." This might describe how the hill looked before it became so wooded.
Wainwright also mentioned two other old ways the name was spelled: Dunmalloght and Dunmallock. These different spellings show how names can change over many centuries.
