Height: 468 metres / 1535 feet Grid reference: NY 21467 26740 Category: The North Western Fells

The summit of Barf looking back to Lord’s Seat

Bassenthwaite from Barf

The Bishop of Barf – a whitewashed rock which can be seen for miles around
Height: 468 metres / 1535 feet Grid reference: NY 21467 26740 Category: The North Western Fells
The summit of Barf looking back to Lord’s Seat
Bassenthwaite from Barf
The Bishop of Barf – a whitewashed rock which can be seen for miles around
Walked on
Start point: Darling How (NY 181 255)
Darling How – Brown How on Whinlatter – Whinlatter Top – Tarbarrel Moss – Ullister Hill – Lord’s Seat – Barf – Broom Fell – Graystones – Spout Force – Darling How
Distance: 8.6 miles Total Ascent: 786 metres Time Taken: 5 hours Start Time: 07:10
Weather: Mist at first, improving to sunny spells. 10C.
The rain was absolutely bouncing before dawn this morning and I was wondering whether it was indeed a good idea to venture out in such conditions. As it was the rain eased and stopped before I met up with Andy Lang and Gary Jones for a walk around the Whinlatter fells and the weather was ever improving with particularly good views from Barf today. There was plenty of boggy ground to be traversed today though after the recent wet weather.
A murky start climbing through the old tree stumps of Aiken Plantation, Broom Fell in cloud to the left and distant Lord's Seat. We had an 'interesting' climb through the upper plantation slopes!
As we climbed to Whinlatter, the mist engulfed us for a while, here parting briefly to give a glimpse of Lorton Vale.
Walked on
Start point: Darling How (NY 181 255)
Darling How – Brown How on Whinlatter – Whinlatter Top – Tarbarrel Moss – Ullister Hill – Lord’s Seat – Barf – Broom Fell – Graystones – Spout Force – Darling How
Distance: 8.6 miles Total Ascent: 786 metres Time Taken: 3 hours 40 minutes
Weather: Sunny spells, strong winds. 9°C.
I finally made it back to Whinlatter – I have lost count of the number of times that I have been on my way to do this walk and then been swayed by something else on the way for one reason or another. The most recent example was last week when I was enticed by Blencathra even though I was all set to do this round. The last time I was here was 2004 BC (Before Casper) and I kept thinking back to Angus being with me on this walk, back in those early website days…
Climbing up the faint path alongside the wall. This section has all been deforested since last time I was here but there are already signs of regrowth.
Grisedale Pike, Hopegill Head and Grasmoor are the main fells in this photo looking from the wind shelter on Brown How, the Wainwright summit of Whinlatter.
The sun tries to break through the clouds to the east from Whinlatter Top, the higher of the two tops on Whinlatter.
After a boggy traverse back to Lord's Seat, this is the view to Broom Fell with the clouds fleeting across the sky now in a strong - and cold - wind.
Whinlatter from Todd Fell. The route I used in the ascent of Whinlatter is the wall line up the deforested area to the edge of the trees.
Heading for Graystones and no wonder Casper is running for it, it was blowing a gale along here. It was a blessed relief to get down to Widow Hause and take shelter from the wind behind the trees.
Walked on
Start point: Thornthwaite (NY 220 264)
Thornthwaite – Barf (241) – Lord’s Seat (242) – Broom Fell (243) – Graystones (244) – Kirk Fell on Lorton (245) – Spout Gill – Brown How on Whinlatter (246) – Whinlatter Top (247) – Tarbarrel Moss (248) – Ullister Hill (249) – Seat How (Thornthwaite) (250) – Thornthwaite
Weather: Dull, overcast – gale force winds and driving rain.
Today’s walk started with a steep ascent up to Barf from Thornthwaite – I think I found out why it is called Barf going up there! The weather was absolutely atrocious – gale force winds and driving rain, especially on the exposed sections from Lord’s Seat to Broom Fell and across Whinlatter. The forest sections came as a welcome relief from the constant battering today.
Walked on
Spout Force Car Park – Brown How on Whinlatter – Whinlatter (154) – Tarbarrel Moss – Ullister Hill – Lord’s Seat (155) – Barf (156) – Lord’s Seat – Broom Fell (157) – Graystones (158) – Kirk Fell on Lorton – Spout Force – Spout Force Car Park
A clear day, warm for the time of year.