Top o'Selside facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Top o'Selside |
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The summit behind Arnsbarrow Tarn
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| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 335 m (1,099 ft) |
| Prominence | 191 m (627 ft) |
| Parent peak | Old Man of Coniston |
| Listing | Marilyn, Outlying Wainwright |
| Geography | |
 Top o'Selside
Location in Lake District
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| Location | Cumbria, England |
| Parent range | Lake District South-Eastern Fells |
| OS grid | SD309919 |
| Topo map | OS Landranger 96 |
Top o'Selside is a hill found in the beautiful Lake District area of Cumbria, England. It stands at 335 meters (about 1,099 feet) tall. This makes it the highest point among the hills located between two famous lakes: Coniston Water and Windermere.
This group of hills also includes Black Fell, which is one of the "Wainwrights." A "Wainwright" is a hill or mountain listed in special guidebooks written by Alfred Wainwright, a famous British fellwalker. Top o'Selside is not in the middle of this area. Instead, it sits in the southwest corner, close to Grizedale Forest. It is also less than a mile from the eastern shore of Coniston Water. Because it stands so much taller than the land around it, Top o'Selside is called a Marilyn. A Marilyn is a hill in the British Isles that has a height of at least 150 meters (about 492 feet) above the surrounding land.
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How to Climb Top o'Selside
Top o'Selside is a popular spot for walkers. Here are some ways to reach its top:
Wainwright's Walking Route
The famous fellwalker Alfred Wainwright wrote about Top o'Selside in his book, Pictorial Guide to the Outlying Fells. He described a circular walk that starts from High Nibthwaite. This route goes in a counter-clockwise direction.
On this walk, you would pass a few other spots before reaching the main summit. These include a nameless spot at 228 meters (748 feet), and then Low Light Haw and High Light Haw. The full walk is a little over four miles long. It involves climbing about 300 meters (1,000 feet). It's important to know that the exact spot Wainwright described as the summit is actually 100 meters west and 1 meter lower than the true highest point of the hill.
The Shortest Way Up
If you are looking for the quickest way to the top, there is a path on the western side of the hill. This side is called Selside, which is where the hill gets its name. This path zigzags up the steep hillside. You can find a parking area at grid reference SD 299927. From there, the path is about two miles long (round trip).
What Can You See From the Top?
The view from the summit of Top o'Selside is truly amazing! Even though you can only see a small part of Coniston Water from the very top, the wider views are impressive. You can clearly see other famous peaks like the Old Man of Coniston and Black Combe. The Helvellyn and High Street mountain groups are also visible. On a clear day, you might even spot Ingleborough in the Yorkshire Dales.
As you walk up or down the hill, especially from the two cairns (piles of stones) that Wainwright mentioned, you get even more wide-open views of Coniston Water.
Arnsbarrow Tarn: A Small Lake
To the south of the summit, you will find a small body of water called Arnsbarrow Tarn. A "tarn" is a small mountain lake, often formed by glaciers. This tarn is shown in the picture at the top of this page.
According to a writer named Heaton Cooper, this tarn was formed by two glaciers. These glaciers moved down the valleys and left behind piles of rock and dirt called moraines, which created a basin for the water.
Heaton Cooper also shared an interesting story about this area. In the 14th century, around the 1300s, this region was home to a group of lawless people. They were led by a person named Adam de Beaumont. These people caused trouble in the area for seventeen years, from 1346 to 1363, until they were finally caught. The name "Arnesbarrow" comes from an old Norse word. It means "burial place" or "stronghold" of someone named Arne.
