Ullock Pike facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ullock Pike
Ullock Pike and Longside Edge from the Whinlatter Pass road.
Highest point
Elevation	691 m (2,267 ft)
Prominence	14 m (46 ft)
Parent peak	Long Side
Listing	Wainwright
Geography
Ullock Pike Location in Lake District
Location	Cumbria, England
Parent range	Lake District, Northern Fells
OS grid	NY244287
Topo map	OS Landranger 89, 90, OS Explorer 4

Ullock Pike is a beautiful mountain, or "fell," found in the northern part of England's Lake District. It stands about seven kilometers (four miles) northwest of Keswick and reaches a height of 691 meters (2,264 feet).

This fell is part of Skiddaw’s southwestern ridge. It sits alongside two other fells, Long Side and Carl Side. Many people think this ridge is the best way to climb Skiddaw. A famous fell-walker named Alfred Wainwright once said that this route offers an amazing adventure with fantastic views all the way up. He also noted that you can "collect" three other summits on your way to Skiddaw!

What's in a Name?

The name of Ullock Pike comes from the old Norse language. It means "The peak where the wolves play." The word úlfr means wolf, and leikr means play. Records show that in the 13th century, the fell was called Ulvelaik. This suggests that wolves might have once roamed these hills!

How Ullock Pike Looks

Ullock Pike has a very steep eastern side that drops down into a quiet valley called Southerndale. Its western slopes are covered with trees lower down and lead towards Bassenthwaite Lake.

If you look at Ullock Pike from the north, it appears as a slender, eye-catching peak. However, from other directions, it looks more like a small bump at the end of Longside Edge. The fell of Long Side is only about 600 meters away along the ridge to the southwest. Ullock Pike rises just 14 meters above Long Side. Because of this, it isn't listed as a Hewitt or a Nuttall (these are lists of mountains that meet certain height and prominence rules).

However, Alfred Wainwright included Ullock Pike as a separate fell in his famous guidebooks. He did this mainly because of its amazing views and how good it looks from the north.

The "Watches" Outlier

Ullock Pike also has a lower, separate top about 1.5 kilometers (one mile) to the north. It has a unique name: "Watches." This spot is 333 meters (1,093 feet) high. It's special because of some unusual igneous rocks mixed in with the grass and local Skiddaw slate. At first glance, these rocks might look like an ancient stone circle or a small quarry, but they are actually a natural rock formation!

Climbing Ullock Pike

There are two main ways to start climbing Ullock Pike from the north. One starting point is near the Ravenstone Hotel. Parking can be tricky there, but there is a bus stop. You can also find parking about 1.5 kilometers south in Dodd Wood.

The other starting place is on a smaller road to Orthwaite. Both of these routes use the northern ridge to climb the fell. As you hike, you'll see a "false top" that looks like the summit for a long time before you reach the actual top.

The Summit Views

The very top of Ullock Pike is a small, neat area covered with heather. From here, you get fantastic views all around. Even though the huge mass of Skiddaw blocks some of the view to the east, you can still see a lot of the beautiful Lake District scenery.

Images for kids

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  Ullock Pike (center) and Long Side (left) from the northeast.