Height: 715 metres / 2346 feet Grid reference: NY 28544 27171 Category: The Northern Fells Birkett names two separate tops on Lonscale Fell; Lonscale Pike and Lonscale Fell. Lonscale Pike Height 703 metres/2306 feet Grid Reference NY 28887 27289
The Northern Fells are particularly independent from other high level regions of the Lake District. Writing about it, Wainwright states “Circular in plan, the area of the Northern Fells is completely severed from all other mountainous parts … by Bassenthwaite Lake, the Vale of Keswick and the low country of the Glenderamackin River, which extend like a
Today the weather was a lot better than yesterday and the sun was trying to burn through the haze and cloud most of the morning. My original intention was to go to Blencathra but I soon changed my mind when I saw the stubborn cloud on the top and Skiddaw looked a better bet with its wispy cloud which looked as though it would disappear at some point. It was noticeable how busy all the walking areas seemed to be today too, perhaps it is an indication that winter truly is over and the promise of better weather has brought people back to the area. We were recognised on Lonscale Fell today by a couple of Striding Edge fans and it was good to stop and have a chat for a while.
After the sunshine and blue skies of the last few days, the clouds were hanging ominously over Skiddaw when I set off for a circuit of Skiddaw Forest from Gale Road this morning. From Lonscale Fell onwards, I was in the clouds with Skiddaw being windswept and cold as it so often is. The main objective today was Great Calva as I completed my second recorded set of 214 Wainwright fells on it. I haven’t been actively pursuing that goal and it has taken me 3 years to get round them all again.
Height: 368 metres / 1207 feet Grid reference: NY 27886 24685 Category: The Northern Fells Latrigg is probably the easiest ‘best view for least effort’ fell in the Lake District, with it being a 10 minute stroll from the car park at at the end of Gale Road.
I was up early again today to catch the sunrise and it was well worth it to see the beautiful rising sun across a temperature inversion. Once above the haze layer the air was very clear – a fantastic and memorable day to be out on the fells.
The blue skies of the early morning gave way to a rather more leaden one and it was one of those ‘never above freezing’ days today. Skiddaw was quiet with hardly anyone around (although I did bump into the current second on the GtF leader board Jon and Hils) and although a different sort of day to the Blencathra one I enjoyed last week, the winter skies were a treat and there were some fantastic views from up there today
Today’s walk was a long circuit of the quiet fells known as ‘The Back o’ Skiddaw’. The weather was very pleasant, not as hot and muggy as it has been recently with a slight, welcome, cooling breeze. The views were absolutely superb at times and I was glad I chose today to do this long walk. The only problem was I forgot my food and 26 miles is a long way without any fuel…
Bowscale – Bowscale Tarn – Bowscale Fell (71) – Bannerdale Crags (72) – Blencathra (73) – Lonscale Fell (74) – Skiddaw Little Man (75) – Skiddaw (76) – Bakestall (77) – Little Calva – Knott (78) – Great Lingy Hill – High Pike (79) – Carrock Fell (80) – Mungrisdale – Bowscale Bowscale Tarn. Blencathra
The Birkett Fells are the 541 fells described by Bill Birkett in his book ‘The Complete Lakeland Fells’. The book covers all the fell tops over 1000 feet in the English Lake District National Park, which with an area of more than 880 square miles is the largest of its kind in Britain. Below is
