The Northern Fells are a part of the Cumbrian Mountains in the Lake District of England. Including Skiddaw, they occupy a wide area to the north of Keswick. Smooth, sweeping slopes predominate, with a minimum of tarns or crags. Blencathra in the south-east of the group is the principal exception to this trend.
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 Northern Fells are one of these divisions, covered by volume 5 of Wainwright's work. [4]
The Northern Fells form a self-contained unit, quite remote from the other ranges. The western boundary is formed by the course of the River Derwent north of Keswick and the southern perimeter by the River Greta, one of its principal feeders. The River Caldew bounds the eastern edge of the group, flowing away towards Carlisle. At Caldbeck the Calder is joined by the Whelpo Beck, which drains many of the northern slopes. Only on the east, between the headwaters of the Greta and Caldew, does a bridge of higher ground strike out to connect with the rest of Lakeland, a long ridge curving southward to connect with Great Mell Fell in the Eastern Fells. This ridge, whilst significant topographically, is in many places unnoticed on the ground. The deep trough of Bassenthwaite wards off the North Western Fells, while the Central Fells rise beyond Keswick and the Greta.
North of the area defined by Wainwright the countryside takes on a moorland character, gradually declining towards the Solway Firth. Some of the minor tops in this area were covered by Wainwright in his later Outlying Fells volume, published in 1974.
The Northern Fells occupy a circular area about 10 miles in diameter. The centre is slightly lower, an area of upland grazing and marshland known as Skiddaw Forest (although the only trees form the windbreak of Skiddaw House. This isolated building, 3 miles from roads or other habitation, was once a shepherd's bothy. It currently serves as a youth hostel. Skiddaw Forest stands at the head of the three major rivers of the Northern Fells. The Caldew begins eastward, Dash Beck flows north west and the Glenderaterra to the south. These streams divide the circular area into three distinct sections.
The highest ground is in the south-west, between the Glenderaterra and Dash Beck. This is the Skiddaw group, well known in views down Borrowdale and Derwentwater with its steep but sweeping slopes, deep folds and smooth texture. Skiddaw stands in the centre of the group, surrounded by its many satellites. Above Bassenthwaite are Ullock Pike, Long Side, Carl Side and the sometimes wooded Dodd. Eastward are Skiddaw Little Man, Lonscale Fell and the diminutive Latrigg, a short climb from Keswick.
The south-eastern sector is formed around Blencathra, with its crags and knife-edge ridges overlooking the Keswick to Penrith road. The northern ridges lead to Souther Fell, Bannerdale Crags, Bowscale Fell and Mungrisdale Common, with its barely discernible summit.
The northern section is known commonly as "Back o'Skiddaw" and contains many lower fells, although the paths to climb them can be long. In these hills is much evidence of historic mining activity. The group has a central apex at Knott with Great Calva standing to the south above Skiddaw Forest. High Pike (Caldbeck) and Carrock Fell rise to the east, marching along the Caldew valley. The western ridges are more complex and include Great Sca Fell, Meal Fell, Great Cockup, Little Cockup, Brae Fell and Longlands Fell. Alone to the extreme west across the tarn of Over Water stands Binsey.
The Northern Fells are entirely surrounded by roads, but traversed by none. Keswick and Threlkeld provide good access to the south from the A66 road for the Skiddaw and Blencathra groups respectively. The minor road along the eastern boundary connects the hamlets of Mosedale and Mungrisdale and gives equally good access to the Caldew and other eastern valleys. Further minor roads circuit the northern perimeter for Back o'Skiddaw, connecting finally to the Keswick–Carlisle road along the shore of Bassenthwaite. From here the Dash Valley and Longside Edge can be reached. A service track follows Dash Beck past its major fall (Whitewater Dash) to Skiddaw House, the easiest entrance to Skiddaw Forest.
The tourist route up Skiddaw will generally be busy, but solitude can easily be found in the northern fells.
The Cumbria Way is a linear 112-kilometre (70-mile) long-distance footpath in Cumbria, England. The majority of the route is inside the boundaries of the Lake District National Park. Linking the two historic Cumbrian towns of Ulverston and Carlisle, it passes through the towns of Coniston and Keswick. The route cuts through Lakeland country via Coniston Water, Langdale, Borrowdale, Derwent Water, Skiddaw Forest and Caldbeck. It is a primarily low-level route with some high-level exposed sections.
Skiddaw is a mountain in the Lake District National Park in England. Its 931-metre (3,054 ft) summit is the sixth-highest in England. It lies just north of the town of Keswick, Cumbria, and dominates the skyline in this part of the northern lakes. It is the simplest of the Lake District mountains of this height to ascend and, as such, many walking guides recommend it to the occasional walker wishing to climb a mountain. This is the first summit of the fell running challenge known as the Bob Graham Round when undertaken in a clockwise direction.
Blencathra, also known as Saddleback, is one of the most northerly hills in the English Lake District. It has six separate fell tops, of which the highest is the Hallsfell Top at 2,848 feet.
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.
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.
Knott is a mountain in the northern part of the English Lake District. It is the highest point of the Back o'Skiddaw region, an area of wild and unfrequented moorland to the north of Skiddaw and Blencathra. Other tops in this region include High Pike, Carrock Fell and Great Calva. The fell's slopes are mostly smooth, gentle, and covered in grass, with a few deep ravines. It stands a long way from a road and requires a long walk across the moor top get to it; this, as well as the fact that it is hidden from the rest of the Lake District by the two aforementioned giants, make it one of the most unfrequented tops in the Lakes. When it is climbed it is most often from Mungrisdale or from the north via Great Sca Fell. The word Knott is of Cumbric origin, and means simply "hill".
High Rigg is a small fell located in the English Lake District, approximately three miles southeast of the town of Keswick. It occupies an unusual position, surrounded on all sides by higher fells but not connected by any obvious ridge. This separation from its fellows ensures that it is a Marilyn.
Carl Side is a fell in the English Lake District, forming a part of the Skiddaw "family" near the town of Keswick and prominently visible from its streets. It is listed in Alfred Wainwright's Pictorial Guides to the Lakeland Fells as one of the Northern Fells.
Mungrisdale Common, pronounced mun-grize-dl, with emphasis on grize, is a fell in the English Lake District. Although Alfred Wainwright listed it as one of the 214 featured hills in his influential Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells it was his least favourite. He commented that it "has no more pretension to elegance than a pudding that has been sat on". There is some speculation that Wainwright included the fell in his guide simply as a way to fill space, but that has never been proven. Mungrisdale Common is oddly named, as it is a number of miles from the village of Mungrisdale, which lies in a different river catchment.
Latrigg is one of the lowest fells in the Lake District in North West England, but is a popular climb due to its convenient location overlooking the town of Keswick and the beautiful views down the valley of Borrowdale from the summit. It is the least mountainous of the Skiddaw fells, the summit being almost entirely devoid of rock. The slopes of Latrigg are partially wooded, and logging work is currently being undertaken. One lone tree just south of the summit is prominently viewed in silhouette when approaching Keswick from the west along the A66. It also has petrified trees on top.
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.
Bakestall is a fell in the English Lake District, it is situated seven kilometres north of Keswick in the quieter, even secluded northern sector of the national park known as ‘Back o’ Skiddaw’.
Great Sca Fell is a fell in the English Lake District, seven kilometres southwest of the village of Caldbeck. It is the highest of the four Uldale Fells, the other three being Longlands Fell, Meal Fell and Great Cockup. It is a Wainwright, and the lowest of the lakeland ‘Sca fells’, the other two being Scafell and Scafell Pike.
Great Calva is a fell in the Lake District, England. It is in the Northern Fells, lying roughly at the centre of this region of high ground. As a result, it is distant from roads and quite remote by Lakeland standards. Great Calva stands at the head of a major geological fault running through the centre of the Lake District, and so from the summit it is possible to see all the way south over Thirlmere. The subsidiary summit of Little Calva lies to the west.
Bannerdale Crags is a fell in the English Lake District. It stands between Blencathra and Bowscale Fell in the Northern Fells.
Bowscale Fell is a hill in the English Lake District. It rises above the village of Mungrisdale in the Northern Fells. Bowscale Fell stands at the extreme north east the Blencathra group, connected to this higher fell by the intervening Bannerdale Crags. In common with many fells the western slopes are smooth and convex while the eastern side exhibits crags.
Lonscale Fell is a hill in the English Lake District. Its pointed second top is instantly recognisable, standing at the eastern end of the Skiddaw massif. The fell is easily climbed from Keswick or from Skiddaw House to the north. Although now primarily a sheep pasture, it once saw considerable mining activity beneath the long eastern wall of crag.
Souther Fell is a fell in the English Lake District. It stands to the south of Mungrisdale village in the Northern Fells. It is most famous for the appearance of a "spectral army", said to have been seen marching along its crest on Midsummer's Day, 1745. No such force was in the District at the time.
