Dunmallet Explained

Dunmallet or Dunmallard Hill^[1] is a small hill in the English Lake District, near Pooley Bridge, Cumbria. It is the subject of a chapter of Wainwright's book The Outlying Fells of Lakeland.^[2] It reaches 775feet and Wainwright describes the ascent, from Pooley Bridge, as a "simple after-dinner stroll". He lists two other early spellings: Dunmalloght and Dunmallock The hill is wooded and the views from the top limited.

Remains of an Iron Age hill fort have been detected on the hill.^[3]

Etymology

The name Dunmallet or Dunmallard may either be of Brittonic or Middle Irish origin. The most likely derivation is from Irish dùn-mallacht, meaning "fort of curses". Or else, the name may conserve a Brittonic formation of the elements dīn- ("fort") + mę:l ("bald") + -arδ ("height").^[4]

References

54.6142°N -2.8261°W

Notes and References

1. This name is used on Ordnance Survey 1:25,000 map.
2. Book: Wainwright, A.. Alfred Wainwright

   . Alfred Wainwright. The Outlying Fells of Lakeland. 1974. Westmorland Gazette. Kendal. 214–215. Dunmallet.

3. 11131 . Dunmallard Hillfort . 6 May 2012.
4. Web site: James . Alan . The Brittonic Language in the Old North . Scottish Place Name Society . 28 March 2021.