Fleetwith Pike facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Fleetwith Pike
Fleetwith Pike seen from the end of Buttermere
Highest point
Elevation	648 m (2,126 ft)
Prominence	117 m (384 ft)
Parent peak	Great Gable
Listing	Hewitt, Nuttall, Wainwright
Geography
Fleetwith Pike Location in Lake District Show map of Lake District Fleetwith Pike Location in Allerdale Show map of Allerdale
Location	Cumbria, England
Parent range	Lake District, Western Fells
OS grid	NY205141
Topo map	OS Landrangers 89, 90, Explorer OL4

Fleetwith Pike is a cool fell (which is a type of mountain or hill) in the Lake District in England. It's located in the county of Cumbria and stands tall at 648 metres (about 2,126 feet) high. This fell is super well-known in the area because it looks really impressive over Buttermere lake and the Honister Pass. You can see it clearly from the B5289 road that connects Borrowdale and Buttermere.

What Fleetwith Pike Looks Like

Fleetwith Pike is like the north-western "shoulder" of another fell called Grey Knotts. It has the Honister Pass on its north side and a valley called Warnscale Bottom to its south-west. Streams from these two areas meet up below the fell in Buttermere.

A really striking part of Fleetwith Pike is its north-west ridge, which rises almost straight from the edge of the lake at a place called Gatesgarth. This ridge is known as Fleetwith Edge. The very top of the fell is right at the end of this edge. There's also a slightly lower peak to the east, on top of Honister Crag.

Fleetwith Pike is surrounded by steep, rocky cliffs (called crags) on almost all sides. The only exception is a wide, flat area that connects it to Grey Knotts, going past a spot called Drum House.

The Honister Slate Mine

The side of Fleetwith Pike that overlooks Honister Pass is actually called Honister Crag. This area has been used for mining high-quality green slate since the 1750s! Slate is a type of rock that can be split into thin, flat pieces, often used for roofs or floors.

Mining and quarrying at Honister stopped for a while in 1986. But don't worry, it started up again in February 1997, so the mine is still active today!

Climbing Fleetwith Pike

People often climb Fleetwith Pike along with other nearby fells like Haystacks and Grey Knotts. If you're a really strong walker, you might even try to include the peaks of Great Gable and Green Gable in your trip.

There are two main places to start your climb up Fleetwith Pike, and both have car parks:

• Gatesgarth, in the Buttermere valley.
• The top of Honister Pass.

Starting from Honister Pass is a bit easier because you begin at a higher point (about 356 metres or 1,167 feet up!). This route takes you through the old quarry workings of the Honister Slate Mine and over a spot called Black Star. Black Star is the highest point of Honister Crag itself, at 630 metres (2,067 feet). Honister Crag was officially added to the list of "Nuttall" fells (which are mountains in England and Wales over 2,000 feet high with a certain prominence) in November 2004. After crossing Honister Crag, it's a pretty simple walk to reach the top of Fleetwith Pike.

The climb from Gatesgarth goes up the impressive-looking Fleetwith Edge. It might look a bit scary, but you can actually get around all the really steep parts without too much trouble. On this route, you'll pass a white cross that you can easily see from the valley. It has a sad message that says, "Erected by Friends of Fanny Mercer, accidentally killed 1887."

The Summit View

When you reach the top, you'll find a small pile of stones called a cairn a few yards from the very edge. It sits among nice grass and heather. The view from the summit is amazing! You get a fantastic look at the Buttermere valley, and you can also see two other lakes, Crummock Water and Loweswater. The fells of Pillar and Great Gable are very close by and look great from here.

Gallery

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  Buttermere seen from the summit of Fleetwith Pike

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  Honister Crag on the eastern side of Fleetwith Pike seen from Combe Gill

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  Fleetwith Pike under cloud