Calf Top

Calf Top
Calf Top Yorkshire Dales, England
Highest point
Elevation	609.58 m (1999.9 ft)
Prominence	312 m[1]
Parent peak	Whernside
Listing	Marilyn, Dewey
Coordinates	54°15′55″N 2°31′00″W / 54.265178°N 2.516612°W / 54.265178; -2.516612Coordinates: 54°15′55″N 2°31′00″W / 54.265178°N 2.516612°W / 54.265178; -2.516612
Geography
Location	Yorkshire Dales, England
OS grid	SD 66449 85624
Topo map	OS Landranger 98

Calf Top is an armchair-shaped hill in the western part of the Yorkshire Dales, England. It is located in the county of Cumbria, although Lancashire and North Yorkshire are not far away. The hill is a dominating profile in the view from many of the smaller hills to its west, such as Lambrigg Fell and Hutton Roof Crags.

The height was formerly shown on Ordnance Survey maps as 609 metres. The closeness of this figure to 609.6 metres, or 2000 feet, led to the summit being surveyed using precision GPS and levelling equipment.^[2][3] The height was found to be 609.58 ± 0.1m, or fractionally below 2,000 feet. The result was discussed with the authors of the Nuttalls, Hewitts and Deweys who all agreed that the hill should retain its current status as a member of Dewey's list of hills at least 500 metres but less than 609.6 metres high.^[4] Current OS maps show the height rounded to 610 metres.

Calf Top is separated from its neighbours, Great Coum and Aye Gill Pike by the deep trench of Barbondale, meaning that although it is lower than most of the hills in its region, it has high relative height and is a Marilyn.

Calf Top is best climbed from Barbon to its south-west, passing over its subsidiary summits of Eskholme Pike (307m) and Castle Knott (538m). The return should be made the same way as there are no field paths to relieve the trudge back down the valley on tarmac.

Walkers from Barbon should take the footpath east from Eskholme. After passing through a gate and climbing up the hillside look for a prominent cairn to the left on Eskholme Pike. This lies alongside an easy and clear track leading directly to the summit, a short distance north of the indistinct line of the right of way.

References

Marilyns of Northern England 1. Northumberland The Cheviot Housedon Hill Long Crag Peel Fell Ros Hill Shillhope Law Sighty Crag Tosson Hill 2. Northern Lakeland Binsey Blencathra Knott Skiddaw 3. Western Lakeland Blake Fell Dale Head Dent Grasmoor Great Gable Grisedale Pike High Stile Kirk Fell Lord's Seat Low Fell Mellbreak Pillar Robinson Seatallan Swinside Watch Hill 4. Central and Southern Lakeland Black Combe Claife Heights Coniston Old Man Hard Knott Harter Fell High Raise High Rigg Holme Fell Illgill Head Kirkby Moor Lingmoor Fell Loughrigg Fell Muncaster Fell Pike of Blisco Scafell Pike Top o' Selside Whitfell 5. Eastern Lakeland Arnside Knott Fairfield Grayrigg Forest Great Mell Fell Gummer's How Hallin Fell Helvellyn High Street Hutton Roof Crags Lambrigg Fell Little Mell Fell Place Fell Red Screes St Sunday Crag Seat Sandal Stony Cove Pike Tarn Crag Wansfell Whitbarrow 6. North Pennines and Durham Burnhope Seat Cold Fell Cross Fell Dufton Pike Mickle Fell 7. Northern Yorkshire Dales Baugh Fell The Calf Great Shunner Fell Hoove Kisdon Nine Standards Rigg Rogan's Seat Wild Boar Fell Yarlside 8. Southern Yorkshire Dales Aye Gill Pike Birks Fell Buckden Pike Calf Top Cracoe Fell Dodd Fell Hill Fountains Fell Great Coum Great Knoutberry Hill Great Whernside Ingleborough Pen-y-ghent Rombald's Moor Sharp Haw Whernside 9. North York Moors to the Humber Bishop Wilton Wold Cringle Moor Gisborough Moor Urra Moor 10. Forest of Bowland Easington Fell Fair Snape Fell Longridge Fell Ward's Stone White Hill