High Seat: 609m, Walks and Views in the Central Fells

High Seat is a broad-backed fell between Derwentwater and Thirlmere, with a rocky summit rising above rough, often wet moorland. At 609m, it offers a wide outlook without the sharp ridges or dramatic profile of some better-known neighbours. Its appeal lies in that contrast: open upland underfoot, a modest summit outcrop, and a skyline that brings much of the northern and central Lake District into view.

A rocky summit above open moorland

High Seat stands on the north–south upland ridge separating the Derwentwater and Borrowdale side of Lakeland from Thirlmere. Bleaberry Fell lies to the north and High Tove to the south. The broad shape of the fell can make its top seem understated from a distance, but the summit is a distinct rocky rise, marked by a trig pillar.

At 609m (1,998ft), High Seat falls just short of 2,000ft. Its summit grid reference is NY287180. The surrounding ground is a mixture of grass, heather and bog, rather than the sustained stony ridges associated with the higher fells. This is an important part of its character: the height alone says little about how the ground will feel underfoot.

High Seat in the Central Fells

High Seat belongs to The Central Fells, Book Three of Alfred Wainwright’s seven-volume guide to the Lakeland fells. It ranks 128th in height among the 214 Wainwrights. Alongside Bleaberry Fell and High Tove, nearby Wainwrights include Armboth Fell and Raven Crag, which help define the upland country west of Thirlmere.

The ridge linking High Seat and High Tove is particularly associated with wet ground. The Pewits, on this stretch of moorland, is well known to walkers for its boggy conditions. A ridge here does not necessarily mean a dry, firm crest: broad watersheds can hold considerable water, and progress may be slower than the contours suggest.

Ashness and Watendlath are familiar starting areas for walks involving High Seat. It is also commonly linked with neighbouring summits, especially Bleaberry Fell or High Tove. Those combinations belong to a proper day’s planning rather than a simple judgement based on summit height; dedicated route guides are useful for assessing distance, ascent and the nature of the terrain.

A wide view without a dramatic profile

The summit’s chief reward is its outlook. Skiddaw and Blencathra occupy the northern skyline, while the Helvellyn range rises across the Thirlmere valley to the east. To the west, the view reaches towards the fells beyond Derwentwater and Borrowdale.

High Seat is better understood as a viewpoint within this landscape than as a conspicuous landmark in its own right. In clear weather, its open top gives walkers space to pick out the surrounding ranges and understand how the valleys divide them.

Where High Seat stands

Summit at grid reference NY287180 · open full map

The real High Seat

Walking High Seat

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

• A Short Walk From Ashness Bridge to High Seat (walklakes.co.uk)
• Walla Crag, Bleaberry Fell and High Seat (keswick.org)
• High Seat (ramblingman.org.uk)

Weather on High Seat

Conditions estimated at summit height (609 m) via Open-Meteo. For a walker's forecast, use the Mountain Weather Information Service.

High Seat on your wall

A painting of High Seat can bring home the quieter side of Lakeland: rough moorland, a rocky crown and distant ridgelines beneath changing cloud. As a print or canvas, it is a reminder of days when the view mattered more than the summit’s reputation.

Own “High Seat Over Vibrant Fields” — our painting of High Seat → or browse all Fells & Mountains artwork

Neighbouring Wainwrights in The Central Fells

• Bleaberry Fell 590 m
• High Tove 515 m
• Armboth Fell 475 m
• Raven Crag 461 m

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