Hart Side: Height (756m), Walks and Eastern Fell Views

Hart Side is a broad, grassy fell on the eastern side of the Helvellyn range, overlooking the country west of Ullswater. At 756 metres, it has considerable height without the sharp outline of its better-known neighbours. Its appeal lies in open fell ground, an unassuming summit and the chance to explore beyond the main ridge: a quieter-looking corner of the Eastern Fells that rewards attention.

A rounded summit east of the main ridge

Hart Side rises to 756 metres (2,480 feet) on an eastern branch of the high ground around Stybarrow Dodd. Its summit, at grid reference NY359197, is broad rather than sharply defined. Grass and gently rounded slopes give the upper fell a markedly different character from the crags and narrow ridges associated with Helvellyn.

This is a fell best understood as part of a larger landscape. To the west, higher ground connects it with the Dodds and the main ridge; eastwards, the land falls towards the Ullswater side of the district. The contrast between upland turf and the lower country is central to its appeal. The summit's openness also means that cloud can make the surrounding slopes difficult to distinguish: a modest-looking top still calls for sound navigation.

Hart Side among the Eastern Fells

Hart Side appears in The Eastern Fells, the first volume of Alfred Wainwright's seven-book Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells. It ranks 61st by height among the 214 Wainwrights. That places it well above many more conspicuous summits, despite its relatively restrained profile.

Stybarrow Dodd is the key neighbouring summit for understanding its position. Great Dodd, Raise and Sheffield Pike are other Wainwrights in the surrounding fell country. Hart Side can therefore belong to a wider upland walk rather than simply an isolated summit visit. Its position off the main north–south ridge gives it a distinct role in this group: it draws attention towards the eastern slopes and Ullswater, rather than keeping the walker on the principal skyline.

Nearby Birkett Fell and the Ullswater story

One of the area's best-known historical connections belongs to nearby Birkett Fell, a subsidiary summit of Hart Side. It commemorates Lord Birkett, whose opposition in the House of Lords helped defeat a proposal to use Ullswater as a reservoir in 1962. A memorial cairn marks that association.

The connection adds a human story to otherwise largely open fell ground. Ullswater's landscape was not simply left unchanged by chance; its protection involved public argument and parliamentary action. For walkers exploring Hart Side and its surroundings, Birkett Fell provides a specific link between the high ground and the history of the lake below. It is a more distinctive local association than any dramatic summit feature on Hart Side itself.

Where Hart Side stands

Summit at grid reference NY359197 · open full map

The real Hart Side

Walking Hart Side

We make artwork, not route guides — these are the guides we'd point a friend to:

• Guide links to be curated.

Weather on Hart Side

Conditions estimated at summit height (756 m) via Open-Meteo. For a walker's forecast, use the Mountain Weather Information Service.

Hart Side on your wall

A painting of Hart Side can bring home the quieter character of the Eastern Fells: broad slopes, open sky and the changing colour of upland grass. As a print or canvas, it offers a familiar connection to days spent beyond the main ridge.

Own “Sunlight and Shadow on Hart Side” — our painting of Hart Side → or browse all Fells & Mountains artwork

Neighbouring Wainwrights in The Eastern Fells

• Sheffield Pike 676 m
• Stybarrow Dodd 844 m
• Great Dodd 857 m
• Raise 883 m

Part of our guide to all 214 Wainwrights — see the full index.