| Silver How | |
|---|---|
 Silver How above Grasmere village from Stone Arthur | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 395 m (1,296 ft) |
| Prominence | c. 30 m |
| Parent peak | Harrison Stickle |
| Listing | Wainwright |
| Coordinates | 54°27′01″N3°02′33″W / 54.45029°N 3.04252°W /54.45029; -3.04252 |
| Geography | |
  Silver How Location in Lake District, UK | |
| Location | Cumbria,England |
| Parent range | Lake District,Central Fells |
| OS grid | NY325066 |
| Topo map | OSExplorer OL7 |
Silver How is afell in the EnglishLake District, standing over thevillage of Grasmere. How, derived from theOld Norse wordhaugr, is a common local term for a hill or mound.
Silver How forms part of theBlea Rigg ridge and would be considered just another of the many tops on that fell, were it not forWainwright's decision to accord it a separate chapter in hisPictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells.
West of Silver How the ridge gains in height over a series of tops, principally Lang How, Swinescar Pike, Little Castle How and Great Castle How, towardBlea Rigg. South and then east of the summit, the ridge narrows and drops to the wooded depression of Red Bank, before rising to its terminus onLoughrigg.
The eastern slopes of Silver How above Grasmere are steep and carry trees to the intake wall at half height, the final rise to the summit being craggy. It is this aspect of the fell, seen to great effect from thelake of Grasmere, which has made it so popular with walkers and photographers where a number offootpaths cross the ridge. There are also crags on the southern side of the ridge, overlooking Chapel Stile inGreat Langdale.
The Grasmere flank is drained by Wray Gill, which forms the northern boundary of the fell as it sweeps around to make a direct entry into the lake. Meg's Gill, a tributary of Great Langdale Beck, marks the eastern edge, dropping through a ravine above Elterwater village. Below the fell's eastern extremity of Dow Bank[citation needed], the depression of Red Bank carries a road from Grasmere to Langdale, a scenic route between the two. Near the road summit is High Close Youth Hostel, set amid woodland.
There are numerous paths on the fell, which added to the large selection of rounded tops can make navigation confusing. The true summit, marked by a large tumbled cairn, sits directly above Grasmere and provides fine all-round views. Grasmere and its valley provide the highlight, backed by theFairfield horseshoe. TheLangdale Pikes andConiston Fells are also well seen.[1][2]
Ascents are possible from Grasmere, Chapel Stile, Elterwater and High Close, the climber being spoilt for choice by countless variations. The Grasmere approaches provide fine scenery throughout, whilst that from Elterwater starts in more dreary surroundings. The ascent from Chapel Stile is actually the shortest. Silver How can be combined withBlea Rigg to give a longer walk, making New Dungeon Ghyll (Great Langdale) another possible starting point.[1][3]