Sheffield Pike: 676m, Walks and Views of Ullswater

Sheffield Pike rises above Glenridding and Ullswater, with a broad, rough summit that feels quite different from the sharper outlines of the Helvellyn range. At 676.1m, it offers substantial fell country without the height of its western neighbours. Its appeal lies in the contrasts: wooded lower slopes, rocky shoulders, wet upland ground and views that change markedly as you move between the summit and the eastern edge.

A broad fell above Ullswater

Sheffield Pike stands between Glencoyne to the north and the Glenridding valley to the south. Its eastern slopes face Ullswater, while higher ground towards Stybarrow Dodd lies to the west. From below, its rocky flanks give it a more imposing outline than the broad summit alone might suggest. Above those flanks, the ground opens into an uneven expanse of grass, heather, rock and bog.

The summit is not a narrow peak, and that matters when thinking about the views. Ullswater is particularly rewarding from the eastern shoulders, rather than simply from the highest point. Heron Pike, the fell’s prominent eastern top, is an important part of that outlook. Across the surrounding country, the Helvellyn range and the fells beyond Ullswater provide a strong contrast between high ridges and the long lake basin.

Sheffield Pike in the Eastern Fells

At 676.1 metres, or 2,218 feet, Sheffield Pike ranks 99th among the 214 Wainwrights. It appears in The Eastern Fells, the first book of Alfred Wainwright’s Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells. Its summit grid reference is NY369181. Although lower than the principal tops of the Helvellyn range, it belongs firmly to their eastern setting, overlooking the valleys through which many walkers approach the higher fells.

Glenridding Dodd is its lower neighbour towards Ullswater, while Hart Side, Birkhouse Moor and Catstye Cam are other nearby Wainwrights. Glenridding is a common starting point for walks on Sheffield Pike, and the fell is often considered alongside Glenridding Dodd. The difference between their heights makes for a varied outing, but Sheffield Pike should not be treated as merely an extension of a lakeside walk: its upper ground is rough, exposed and often wet.

The Greenside mining connection

The fell’s southern side overlooks the former Greenside Mine, one of the Lake District’s important lead-mining sites. The mine closed in 1962, leaving a substantial industrial history within a valley now strongly associated with walking. Surviving buildings and workings around Greenside are reminders that this landscape was a workplace as well as a destination for visitors.

That history adds another layer to Sheffield Pike’s character. Lake views and high-fell surroundings are only part of the picture; the Glenridding valley also bears the marks of mining and its supporting infrastructure. Looking across it from the fell brings those different uses of the landscape into the same view.

Where Sheffield Pike stands

Summit at grid reference NY369181 · open full map

The real Sheffield Pike

Walking Sheffield Pike

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

• Sheffield Pike and Glenridding Dodd (treksandtors.co)
• Lake District Walk: Glenridding Dodd (walklakes.co.uk)
• Hiking: Glenridding Dodd, Sheffield Pike, Raise & White Side (explore.osmaps.com)

Weather on Sheffield Pike

Conditions estimated at summit height (676 m) via Open-Meteo. For a walker's forecast, use the Mountain Weather Information Service.

Sheffield Pike on your wall

A painting of Sheffield Pike can recall more than the summit: the rough eastern shoulder, a glimpse of Ullswater or the darker folds above Glenridding. As a print or canvas at home, that familiar outline keeps a particular day on the fells close.

Own “Sunlit Meadow Beneath Sheffield Pike” — our painting of Sheffield Pike → or browse all Fells & Mountains artwork

Neighbouring Wainwrights in The Eastern Fells

• Glenridding Dodd 442 m
• Hart Side 756 m
• Birkhouse Moor 718 m
• Catstye Cam 890 m

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