Helvellyn, Cumberland

Historical Description

Helvellyn, a mountain on the mutual border of Cumberland and Westmorland, between Legberthwaite and Patterdale, 9 miles SE of Keswick. Its W side rises gradually up in a range of regular acclivities, its E side sends off long, sharp, high spurs, between alpine ravines, its N and S ends descend in slopes to hollows of separation from adjacent mountains, and its summit is a tabular ridge culminating at an altitude of 3116 feet above the level of the sea. A conical hill, called Catstycam, crowns a north-easterly projection. The rock-structure of one part of the mountain is slate, and that of another part is quartzose porphyry. The views from the summit on all sides are extensive and rich.

Land and Property

The Return of Owners of Land in 1873 for Cumberland is available to browse.

Maps

Online maps of Helvellyn are available from a number of sites:

• Bing (Current Ordnance Survey maps).
• Google Streetview.
• National Library of Scotland. (Old maps)
• OpenStreetMap.
• old-maps.co.uk (Old Ordnance Survey maps to buy).
• Streetmap.co.uk (Current Ordnance Survey maps).
• A Vision of Britain through Time. (Old maps)