Helvellyn

Helvellyn rises to 950 meters (3117 feet) between Thirlmere and Ullswater lakes and has two narrow ridges called Striding Edge and Swirral Edge. From the wide summit plateau you can see several valleys and other Lake District peaks, while steep rock faces drop away to the east.

The first recorded death here happened in 1805 when artist Charles Gough fell from Striding Edge. His dog guarded the body for three months, an event that later inspired several poems.

Samuel Taylor Coleridge and William Wordsworth climbed these slopes regularly in the late 18th century when both lived nearby. Their walks later shaped some of the most well-known Romantic poetry about England's mountain landscape.

Several routes lead up from Glenridding and Patterdale villages, with the path from Thirlmere offering the shortest way to the top. In fog or wind you should choose the wider paths instead, since the ridges become very narrow and exposed.

In 1926 an Avro 585 Gosport biplane landed on the summit plateau, a remarkable feat for early aviation. A stone tablet near the landing spot still marks this achievement today.

Location: Cumbria

Elevation above the sea: 950 m

GPS coordinates: 54.52699,-3.01760

Latest update: December 4, 2025 23:03