Rydal Fell
| Rydal Fall | |||
| Westmorland | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 On Rydal Fell | |||
| Range: | Lake District Eastern Fells | ||
| Summit: | 2,037 feet NY357086 54°28’9"N, 2°59’36"W | ||
Rydal Fell or Heron Pike North Top is a Westmorland hill which is considered a subsidiary top of Heron Pike but higher than the 'main' summit, reaching 2,037 feet, while the top listed as the summit of Heron Pike is at 2,008 feet.
The North Top is 45 yards north of the main summit of Heron Pike, at the top of Erne Crag, the two linked by a footpath which continues north to Fairfield: Heron Pike and Rydal Fell are part of the Fairfield Group. Though considered a subsidiary top, the North Top is significant enough on its own to make the "Nuttall" list.
The deliberate choice by Alfred Wainwright of the lower top to be the summit in his Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells is one of the many oddities which differentiate Wainwrights from more logical hill lists such as 'Nuttalls' or 'Hewitts'.
References
- Birkett, Bill: Complete Lakeland Fells: Collins Willow (1994): ISBN 0-00-218406-0
