Ullock Pike

Ullock Pike
Ullock Pike and Longside Edge from the Whinlatter Pass road.
Highest point
Elevation	692 m (2,270 ft)
Prominence	14 m (46 ft)
Parent peak	Long Side
Listing	Wainwright
Coordinates	54°38′53″N 3°10′23″W / 54.648°N 3.173°W / 54.648; -3.173Coordinates: 54°38′53″N 3°10′23″W / 54.648°N 3.173°W / 54.648; -3.173
Geography
Ullock Pike Location in Lake District, UK
Location	Cumbria, England
Parent range	Lake District, Northern Fells
OS grid	NY244287
Topo map	OS Landranger 89, 90, OS Explorer 4

Ullock Pike is a fell situated in northern part of the English Lake District. It is located seven kilometres north west of Keswick and achieves a height of 692 metres (2270 feet). The fell sits on Skiddaw’s south western ridge along with two other fells (Long Side and Carl Side), this ridge is regarded as the finest way to ascend Skiddaw, with Alfred Wainwright commenting:

“There is no doubt in my mind that by far the best approach to the top of Skiddaw is by way of its north-west ridge. This offers a fine expedition along a narrow crest in exciting surroundings and provides excellent views throughout … for the collector of summits here are three waiting to be picked off in addition to Skiddaw”.

The fell's name comes from the Old Norse language and translates as "The peak where the wolves play". With úlfr meaning wolf and leikr meaning play, there is records that the fell was called Ulvelaik in the 13th century.

Ullock Pike drops away steeply on its eastern side to the little-known valley of Southerndale while its western slopes which are clothed in woodland lower down fall to Bassenthwaite Lake. When viewed from the north Ullock Pike is observed as a slender peak which catches the eye but from other directions it is seen as just a bump at the end of Longside Edge. The fell of Long Side is just 600 metres away along the ridge to the south west and Ullock Pike has just 14 metres of Topographic prominence from it and therefore fails to qualify as a Hewitt or a Nuttall and relies on Wainwright to give it the status of a separate fell, which he does mainly because of the quality of the view and the excellence of its form from the north.

There is a low lying outlying top to Ullock Pike, which stands 1.5 kilometres away along the northern ridge and has the unusual name of Watches, with a height of 333 metres it is a distinctive summit made more remarkable by an unusual rash of Igneous rocks amongst the grass and local Skiddaw slate which give the initial impression of being an ancient stone circle or even a small quarry but are apparently a natural rock formation.