Dent Fell: The First Mountain on Wainwright’s Coast to Coast

For anyone who’s ever walked the legendary Coast to Coast route devised by Alfred Wainwright, Dent Fell holds a special place in the heart — and in the legs.

It’s the first real climb.

After setting off from St Bees and strolling along the coastal cliffs, walkers begin to turn inland, eyes adjusting from sea to summit. Then it begins: the first test, the first pulse of the fells — Dent Fell.

It rises unexpectedly from the forested fringe, offering panoramic views over the Irish Sea and the rolling hills of West Cumbria. On a clear day, you can turn your head and see both the sea behind you and the high peaks of Lakeland waiting ahead. It’s a threshold — from coast to mountains, from farmland to freedom.

Wainwright knew exactly what he was doing when he routed his iconic path over Dent Fell. It’s not the highest or the hardest, but it’s a rite of passage — a symbolic crossing into the true spirit of the walk. And for many, it’s where the adventure really begins.

To cover this fell with industrial solar infrastructure is more than an environmental issue. It’s a cultural wound. It’s a strike against one of the most beloved long-distance walks in the world. Dent Fell may not be in the National Park, but it’s in the hearts and memories of tens of thousands who’ve walked Wainwright’s line across England.

We’re not against clean energy. We’re against placing it on top of legacy, beauty, and irreplaceable experience.

Dent Fell isn’t just a hill — it’s a chapter in one of the greatest walking journeys ever devised.

The Coast to Coast deserves to begin in wonder — not in wires and steel.

👉 Join us at Save Dent Fell on Facebook or sign up below to take part in our mass action when the time comes. Together we can stop the Dent Fell development before it opens the floodgates.

Let’s protect what we all value — before it’s too late.

Our Landscape, Our Legacy.