Seathwaite Fell

Seathwaite, at the foot of the fell, is the wettest place in England that keeps rainfall statistics, at around 3,552 mm a year. A rain gauge on the slopes of Seathwaite Fell recorded 314.4 mm in 24 hours on 20 November 2009, a provisional UK record at the time.

Seathwaite Farm, at the end of the Borrowdale road, is the start. Follow the track to Stockley Bridge, then the bridleway towards Sty Head past the waterfall of Taylorgill Force. Leave it at the intake wall and cross open ground towards Aaron Crags. A steep grass gully to the right of a prominent rock tower leads up to the traditional northern summit. It is about 2 miles with 1,720 feet of climbing, all on steep grass with no scrambling. You can also join the ridge at Sprinkling Tarn, coming from Sty Head or Esk Hause, and walk north along it.

The ground is rough. Two tiers of crag, Aaron Crags and Black Waugh, guard the prow above Stockley Bridge, and a long line of crags runs above Grains Gill on the east. Along the ridge are several small tops and a scatter of unnamed tarns.

Of the three tops, Wainwright chose the northern one at 601 metres, the most prominent from the valley. The highest point is 632 metres near Great Slack, about a third of a mile south, and a South Top is almost as high. From the north top you look down the length of upper Borrowdale and south to the cliffs of Great End. With Sprinkling Tarn below on the south-east, the fell is almost surrounded by water.