Eastern Fells · Book 1

Sheffield Pike

Sheffield Pike is a Wainwright, one of the 214 Lake District fells in Alfred Wainwright’s Pictorial Guides. At 676 m (2,218 ft) it is the 99th highest of the 214 and the 20th highest in the Eastern Fells.

Height: 676 m; 2,218 ft
Rank: 99; of 214
In area: 20; of 35
Difficulty: Moderate

Sheffield Pike in the Eastern Fells of the Lake District — Photo: Philip Halling via Geograph, CC BY-SA 2.0

About Sheffield Pike

A rugged eastern hill above Ullswater, craggy on top with heather lanes below. Great vistas to Helvellyn and Place Fell. Quiet routes from Glencoyne or Glenridding feel adventurous.

Nobody is sure where the name comes from. The Ordnance Survey first wrote down "Sheffield Pike" in 1859, and it may have been an estate name, or a garbled "Sheepfold Pike". Two estates certainly met on the top. Beside the summit cairn stands a boundary stone lettered H, M and E.R. with the date 1830, and iron posts put in in 1912 mark the line between the Howard and Marshall lands.

Glenridding is the start, with a National Park pay and display car park in the village and the Ullswater Steamers car park as a cheaper option in winter. Walk up Greenside Road past the Travellers Rest and take The Rake, a short, steep and obvious path up to the col between Glenridding Dodd and Heron Pike. It is easy to add Glenridding Dodd first, then climb the south east ridge over Heron Pike, a rock turret with a couple of tiny tarns behind it and the best view of Ullswater on the fell.

The ridge is heather and rock, and now and then you use your hands on a short step. Above it the plateau is a maze of small outcrops and boggy pools, and good navigation matters in mist.

For the best views of Ullswater, go to Heron Pike or the cairn on Black Crag. Come down west to Nick Head and past Greenside Mine, which ran from 1853 to 1962 and produced over a million tons of lead ore. Its old buildings are now a youth hostel. The full round is about 9.2 km with 610 m of climbing.

In winter

The summit plateau is a jumble of rock knolls and small pools that is hard to navigate in cloud, and the south east ridge climbs among crags with no easy way off until the top. In snow, come down west to Nick Head and the Greenside mine track rather than back down the ridge.

Great Views
Quiet & Remote
Dog Friendly

Sources: Wikipedia: Sheffield Pike, Walk Lakes: Glenridding Dodd, Heron Pike and Sheffield Pike. Updated 24 September 2026.

Summit

OS grid ref: NY 369 181
Latitude: 54.55492° N
Longitude: 2.97698° W
Area: Eastern Fells

Walking up Sheffield Pike

The nearest car park on foot is Bury Jubilee Hut, 2.5 km (1.5 miles) from the summit along mapped paths. Directions to the car park

Route from Bury Jubilee Hut

Distance: 2.5 km; 1.5 miles, one way
Ascent: 367 m; Total climb to the summit
Time up: 1 h 4 min; Allow 1 to 2 hours

Height in metres along the path from Bury Jubilee Hut to the summit.

Times use Naismith’s rule, 5 km/h on the flat plus extra time for the climb, with Langmuir’s corrections. It’s a rule of thumb for the way up only, so add stops, weather and the walk back down.

The route follows paths mapped by OpenStreetMap contributors and isn’t a guided line. This car park was picked automatically and hasn’t been checked by hand yet, so compare it with a map. Check the mountain forecast before you go and carry a map and compass.

Sheffield Pike questions

Is Sheffield Pike a Wainwright?

Yes. Sheffield Pike is one of the 214 fells Alfred Wainwright described in his Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells, in Book 1, The Eastern Fells.

How high is Sheffield Pike?

Sheffield Pike is 676 metres (2,218 feet) high. That makes it the 99th highest of the 214 Wainwrights and the 20th highest in the Eastern Fells.

Where do you park for Sheffield Pike?

The nearest car park on foot is Bury Jubilee Hut, 2.5 km (1.5 miles) from the summit along mapped paths.

How long does it take to climb Sheffield Pike?

From Bury Jubilee Hut it is 2.5 km with 367 m of ascent. Naismith's rule, with Langmuir's corrections, puts the climb at about 1 h 4 min, so allow 1 to 2 hours to reach the summit at your own pace, plus the walk back down.

How hard is Sheffield Pike?

Upfell rates Sheffield Pike as moderate. Check the mountain weather forecast before you set out and carry a map and compass.

Which Wainwrights are near Sheffield Pike?

The closest are Glenridding Dodd (442 m, 1.3 km SE), Hart Side (756 m, 1.9 km NW) and Birkhouse Moor (718 m, 2.3 km S).

What is the grid reference for the summit of Sheffield Pike?

The summit is at OS grid reference NY 369 181, or 54.55492, -2.97698 in latitude and longitude.