The North Western Fells are a part of the Cumbrian Mountains in the Lake District of England. Including such favourites as Catbells and Grisedale Pike, they occupy an oval area beneath the Buttermere and Borrowdale valley systems. The North Western Fells are characterised by soaring east-west ridges and an absence of mountain tarns.
The Lake District is a National Park in the north west of the country which, in addition to its lakes, contains a complex range of hills. These are known locally as fells and range from low hills to the highest ground in England. Hundreds of tops exist and many writers have attempted to draw up definitive lists. In doing so the compilers frequently divide the range into smaller areas to aid their description.
The most influential of all such authors was Alfred Wainwright whose Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells series has sold in excess of 2 million copies, [1] being in print continuously since the first volume was published in 1952. Wainwright divided the fells into seven geographical areas, each surrounded by valleys and low passes. While any such division must be arbitrary – and later writers have deviated to a greater or lesser extent from this blueprint [2] [3] – Wainwright's sevenfold division remains the best known partitioning of the fells into 'sub ranges', each with its own characteristics. The North Western Fells are one of these divisions, covered by volume 6 of Wainwright's work. [4]
The North Western Fells form a self-contained unit, its borders being well defined. The only link with other high ground is at the summit of Honister Pass in the extreme south. Across the depression are Fleetwith Pike and the Western Fells. The streams falling east and west from Honister turn gradually northward and flow along roughly parallel courses for around 12 miles. On the west is the River Cocker and its headwaters, passing through the lakes of Buttermere and Crummock Water. The eastern boundary is formed by the Derwent system, including Derwent Water and Bassenthwaite Lake. The Derwent ultimately turns westward and is joined by the Cocker at the town of Cockermouth, completing the circuit.
Unusually for areas of high fell, the North Western Fells are traversed by two roads. Both cross east to west, connecting the bordering valleys. Newlands Pass runs from Braithwaite village to Buttermere while Whinlatter Pass takes a more northerly route from Braithwaite to High Lorton. These passes divide the North Western Fells into three sectors.
The most southerly sector consists of a ridge running broadly north east to south west. Beginning with the family favourite of Catbells, the high ground continues over Maiden Moor, High Spy, Dale Head, Hindscarth and Robinson. An outlier of High Spy in the 'Jaws of Borrowdale', Castle Crag is listed as a separate fell by Wainwright.
The central area is based around two parallel east-west ridges. The southerly line begins above Derwent Water with the knobbly outline of Causey Pike and then marches west over Scar Crags, Sail, Eel Crag, Wandope and finally Grasmoor. This is the highest of the North Western Fells at 2,795 ft, standing above a dramatic fall to Crummock Water. Outliers to the south of this ridge are Ard Crags, Knott Rigg, Whiteless Pike and Rannerdale Knotts, while Barrow and Outerside stand to the north. The parallel northern ridge includes Grisedale Pike, visible as a fine triangular pyramid from Keswick, Hopegill Head and Whiteside.
The fells to the north of Whinlatter are generally lower and less rugged. They include Whinlatter, Graystones, Broom Fell, Lord's Seat, Barf (with its famous 'Bishop'), Sale Fell and Ling Fell.
The North Western Fells are entirely surrounded by roads, and additionally traversed by two more. Keswick and Buttermere provide good bases to the north and west while the summits of Honister, Newlands and Whinlatter passes all provide parking. The most popular climb in the area is Cat Bells via Hause End, a walk which can be made from Keswick via the Derwentwater launches.
Dale Head is a fell in the north-western sector of the Lake District, in northern England. It is 753 metres or 2,470 foot above sea level and stands immediately north of Honister Pass, the road between Borrowdale and Buttermere.
Robinson is a fell in the English Lake District, its southern slopes descending to Buttermere, while its northern side is set in the Newlands Valley. Paths lead to the summit from the village of Buttermere, from the nearby summit Dale Head and from various locations in the valleys to the north.
Grasmoor is a mountain in the north-western part of the Lake District, northern England. It is the highest peak in a group of hills between the villages of Lorton, Braithwaite and Buttermere, and overlooks Crummock Water.
Crag Hill is a mountain in the North Western part of the English Lake District. It was formerly known as Eel Crag; however, the Ordnance Survey now marks Eel Crag as referring to the northern crags of the fell. It is not to be confused with another Crag Hill lying on the border of North Yorkshire.
Honister Pass is a mountain pass in the Lake District in Cumbria, England. It is located on the B5289 road, linking Seatoller, in the valley of Borrowdale, to Gatesgarth at the southern end of Buttermere. The pass reaches an altitude of 1,167 feet (356 m), making it one of the highest in the region, and also one of the steepest, with gradients of up to 1-in-4 (25%). The saddle at the watershed is known as Honister Hause, using the Cumbrian word hause for such a feature.
Causey Pike is a fell in the English Lake District. It is situated in the Newlands Valley, 5 kilometres south-west of the town of Keswick. Even though it has a modest height of 637 metres (2,090 ft) it is one of the most distinctive fells when viewed from the Derwent Water and Keswick area due to its distinguishing summit "knobble" which catches the eye. The fell is one of 214 fells described by Alfred Wainwright in his series of Pictorial Guides to the Lakeland Fells: Causey Pike features in Book Six, The North Western Fells.
Hindscarth is a mountain between the valleys of Buttermere and Newlands, in the north-western part of the English Lake District. The fell's name is derived from two words from the Old Norse language, Hind and Skarth, and means the pass used by the red deer.
Fleetwith Pike is a fell in the English Lake District in the county of Cumbria which reaches a height of 648 metres. The fell is a well-known feature of the area as it casts an imposing presence over Buttermere and the Honister Pass on the B5289 motor road between Borrowdale and Buttermere.
Rannerdale Knotts is a fell in the Lake District of Cumbria, England. Rising from the Buttermere valley, it is one of the smaller Cumbrian hills and is overlooked by a number of surrounding fells, such as Grasmoor, Whiteless Pike and, across Crummock Water, Mellbreak and the High Stile ridge. Rannerdale Knotts is said to be the site of a battle between the native Cumbrians and Norsemen and the invading Normans in the late 11th or early 12th century.
Grisedale Pike is a fell in the Lake District, Cumbria, England, situated 4+1⁄2 miles west of the town of Keswick in the north-western sector of the national park. At a height of 791 metres it is the 40th-highest Wainwright in the Lake District; it also qualifies as a Hewitt, Marilyn and Nuttall. Grisedale Pike presents a striking appearance when viewed from the east, particularly from the vicinity of Keswick. It possesses two subsidiary summits: one unnamed ; the other Hobcarton End.
Outerside is a fell in the Lake District in Cumbria, England. It is located 6 kilometres west of Keswick in the north western part of the national park and is a smaller member of the Coledale group of fells with a height of 568 metres (1863 feet). The fell is part of a ridge on the southern side of Coledale which descends from the higher fell of Scar Crags and continues over the neighbouring smaller fell of Barrow before reaching the valley at the village of Braithwaite.
Hopegill Head is a fell in the English Lake District in Cumbria. It is located nine kilometres west of the town of Keswick and is well seen from the B5292 road which crosses the Whinlatter Pass.
Whiteside is a fell in the north-western area of the English Lake District. It stands at the western end of the Grisedale Pike- Hopegill Head ridge overlooking Crummock Water.
Wandope is a fell in the north-western area of the English Lake District. It lies to the east of Crummock Water and south of Crag Hill. From the summit there are excellent panoramas of the Sca Fell and High Stile ranges.
Whiteless Pike, 660 metres (2,170 ft) high, is a fell in the north-western English Lake District. It stands immediately east of Crummock Water and forms a pyramid shape when viewed from Rannerdale. In his celebrated guide to the Lakeland fells, A Wainwright called it "the Weisshorn of Buttermere". There are good views of Great Gable and the Scafells from the summit.
Maiden Moor is a fell in the English Lake District, it stands 6 km (3.7 mi) south of the town of Keswick and is part of the high ground that separates the Newlands Valley and Borrowdale, it has a modest height of 576 m (1,890 ft) and so fails to be mentioned on many UK mountain lists but it does have a separate chapter in Alfred Wainwright’s Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells.
Sail is a hill in the English Lake District, lying between Derwentwater and Crummock Water.
The Whinlatter Pass is a mountain pass in the Lake District in Cumbria, England. It is located on the B5292 road linking Braithwaite, to the west of Keswick, with High Lorton to the south of Cockermouth.
The Western Fells are a part of the Cumbrian Mountains in the Lake District of England. Centred on Great Gable they occupy a triangular area between Buttermere and Wasdale. The Western Fells are characterised by high ridges and an abundance of naked rock.
The Newlands Pass, also known as Newlands Hause, is a mountain pass in the Lake District in Cumbria, England. It is located on an unclassified road linking the Newlands Valley, to the west of Keswick and Derwent Water, with the village of Buttermere. The highest point on the pass is at an altitude of 1,093 feet (333 m), and it has gradients of 1 in 4 on both sides.
