Whitbarrow
One of Lakeland's best examples of natural limestone habitat.
Plan Around Whitbarrow
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Whitbarrow Details
Designated a biological Site of Special Scientific Interest and national nature reserve, Whitbarrow forms part of the Morecambe Bay Pavements Special Area of Conservation; it supports some of the best European examples of natural limestone habitats. The hill offers a mixture of woodland, grassland and limestone pavement and is prominent from the A590 road with its steep limestone cliffs, laid down in the Carboniferous period some 350 million years ago. Whitbarrow, like most of the Lake District, shows many signs of the last ice age, including glacial erratics (boulders left behind when the ice retreated), and the limestone pavement itself, formed when ice left bare limestone exposed to the elements which eroded it and left the grikes and clints you can see today. The limestone has been used for many purposes including building, agricultural fertiliser, and production of millstones, but is now protected by law and it is an offence to remove any. The summit of Whitbarrow Scar is known as Lord's Seat, and an anticlockwise walk to here from Witherslack, returning along the valley to the west, forms a chapter in The Outlying Fells of Lakeland by Alfred Wainwright. He describes it as "the most beautiful [walk] in this book; beautiful it is every step of the way. ... All is fair to the eye on Whitbarrow." Grid Reference: SD 44100 87000
Difficulty
Low
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Nearby Parks Around Whitbarrow
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Nearby Points of Interest Around Whitbarrow
Use nearby POIs to quickly expand your options beyond Whitbarrow while the map context is still fresh.
3.3 mi away
Gummer's How
Gummer's How, the highest of the foothills in the area, is easy for most people to climb and commands excellent views, particularly along Windermere.
3.6 mi away
The Lovely Yurt Company
Three yurts overlooking Lake Windermere.
3.6 mi away
Levens Hall
A magnificent Elizabethan mansion with award-winning topiary gardens.
3.6 mi away
Sizergh Castle
A castle and landscaped gardens featuring a limestone rock garden and the national collection of Hardy Ferns. The property is in the care of The National Trust.
3.7 mi away
Fell Foot Park
Lakeshore Park owned by the National Trust with stunning mountain views.
