Mungrisdale Common: Height, Walks and Fell Views

Mungrisdale Common is a broad, gently rounded fell on the north-western side of Blencathra, quite unlike its neighbour’s sharp ridges and steep southern slopes. At 631.8m, it offers open moorland rather than a commanding summit. Some walkers find it underwhelming; others value the space and the different perspective on the Northern Fells. Its character lies in the surrounding country as much as in the top itself.

A broad summit beneath Blencathra

Mungrisdale Common is defined by its lack of a sharply defined summit. Its upper ground spreads into a wide expanse of grass and rushes, with a cairn marking the top at grid reference NY311292. The recorded height is 631.8m, or 2,073ft, placing it 122nd by height among the 214 Wainwrights. Those figures describe a substantial elevation, but not a prominent peak: the ground rises towards the much higher mass of Blencathra.

This is a useful distinction when looking at the fell on a map or from a neighbouring summit. Mungrisdale Common belongs to the broad northern side of the Blencathra massif, away from the crags and ridges that dominate views from the A66. Underfoot, its moorland can be wet and boggy. The modest summit cairn is a destination rather than a dramatic landmark.

Views across the Northern Fells

The setting gives Mungrisdale Common much of its interest. Blencathra rises to the south-east, while the Skiddaw group stands across the Glenderaterra valley to the west. Great Calva lies to the north, beyond the Caldew valley. Together, these fells frame the open country around the common and give it a distinctly different feel from the busier lake valleys farther south.

Views are shaped by the common’s position below higher ground. This is not an unrestricted panorama from an isolated summit; it is a closer study of the Northern Fells, their slopes, ridgelines and intervening valleys. Blencathra’s northern aspect is particularly important to the scene. For walkers familiar with its steep southern face, the common offers a useful reminder of how differently a fell can appear from another side.

Its place among the Wainwrights

Mungrisdale Common appears in The Northern Fells, Book Five of Alfred Wainwright’s Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells. Its inclusion makes it a recognised objective for anyone completing the 214, despite its limited prominence. Neighbouring Wainwrights include Blencathra, Bowscale Fell, Bannerdale Crags and Great Calva, placing it within a varied group of craggy summits, rounded moorland and broad upland valleys.

Walks taking in the common involve open fell terrain, where indistinct ground and wet conditions deserve attention. In cloud, the absence of strong summit features makes sound navigation particularly important. Its appeal is quieter than that of the nearby ridges: a wide stretch of upland, a modest cairn and room to appreciate the shape of the surrounding fells.

Where Mungrisdale Common stands

Summit at grid reference NY311292 · open full map

The real Mungrisdale Common

Walking Mungrisdale Common

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

• Mungrisdale Common (ramblingman.org.uk)
• Bowscale Fell, Blencathra, and Bannerdale (alltrails.com)
• Lake District Walk: Souther Fell - Mungrisdale (walklakes.co.uk)

Weather on Mungrisdale Common

Conditions estimated at summit height (632 m) via Open-Meteo. For a walker's forecast, use the Mountain Weather Information Service.

Mungrisdale Common on your wall

Mungrisdale Common lends itself to a painting that gives space to open ground and the weight of Blencathra beyond. A print on the wall can recall that quieter side of the Northern Fells: broad slopes, changing cloud and the familiar outline of higher ground.

Own “Sunlit Plateau on Mungrisdale Common” — our painting of Mungrisdale Common → or browse all Fells & Mountains artwork

Neighbouring Wainwrights in The Northern Fells

• Blencathra 868 m
• Bowscale Fell 702 m
• Bannerdale Crags 684 m
• Great Calva 691 m

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