Knott: Height, Walks and Views in the Northern Fells

Knott is a broad, grassy fell in the quieter country north of Skiddaw and Blencathra. At 710.1 metres, it is the highest summit in the group commonly called Back o’ Skiddaw, yet its rounded shape attracts less attention than those better-known neighbours. Its appeal lies in open ground, long views and the freedom to link several Northern Fells into a substantial day’s walking.

A broad summit in Back o’ Skiddaw

Knott rises to 710.1 metres (2,330 feet), with its summit at grid reference NY296329. Its shape is quite unlike the sharp ridges and craggy tops that many walkers associate with Lakeland. Broad slopes lead towards a rounded crown, and the surrounding ridges spread into an extensive area of open upland. Grass and heather are characteristic of this northern fell country, with wet ground in some of the intervening hollows.

The summit’s height is not immediately obvious from its gentle outline. Knott stands above the other fells of Back o’ Skiddaw, the informal name for the country behind the Skiddaw massif. It is not, however, the highest of the Northern Fells as a whole: Skiddaw and Blencathra both rise considerably higher.

Views and neighbouring fells

Skiddaw and Blencathra are important features of the outlook, giving a more rugged backdrop to Knott’s rounded surroundings. To the north, the fell country falls away towards the Cumbrian lowlands. The pleasure of the view is partly in that contrast: the high Lakeland skyline in one direction and a much more open horizon in the other.

Great Sca Fell, Great Calva, Meal Fell and Brae Fell are neighbouring Wainwrights. Great Calva lies to the south, while Great Sca Fell is close by to the north-west. These nearby summits help explain Knott’s appeal as part of a longer fell walk rather than simply an isolated ascent. Across this group, the walking is more often about broad ridges and grassy slopes than scrambling or exposed rock.

Knott in Wainwright’s Northern Fells

Knott appears in Book Five of Alfred Wainwright’s Pictorial Guide, The Northern Fells. It ranks 82nd by height among the 214 Wainwrights. Within that collection, it represents a quieter side of the district, away from the famous ridges of Blencathra and the well-used approaches to Skiddaw.

Walking approaches come from several sides of the group, including the areas around Longlands, Fell Side and Mosedale. The choice matters because linking neighbouring summits can make the day considerably longer than Knott’s rounded profile might suggest. Open slopes do not remove the need for careful navigation: in cloud, broad tops offer fewer obvious landmarks, and wet ground can slow progress. A detailed walking guide and an appropriate map are useful companions when choosing a circuit.

Where Knott stands

Summit at grid reference NY296329 · open full map

Walking Knott

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

• Guide links to be curated.

Weather on Knott

Conditions estimated at summit height (710 m) via Open-Meteo. For a walker's forecast, use the Mountain Weather Information Service.

Knott on your wall

A painting of Knott can bring home the quieter character of the Northern Fells: broad slopes, a long skyline and light moving across open ground. On the wall, that familiar outline can recall a day linking summits, or the welcome space beyond Skiddaw.

Own “Frosted Knott Above Sunlit Moorland” — our painting of Knott → or browse all Fells & Mountains artwork

Neighbouring Wainwrights in The Northern Fells

• Great Sca Fell 651 m
• Great Calva 691 m
• Meal Fell 549 m
• Brae Fell 586 m

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