Height: 505 metres / 1657 feet Grid reference: NY 42318 24027 Category: The Eastern Fells
Casper at the summit of Little Mell Fell
Little Mell Fell
Great Mell & Little Mell Fells
Start point: Brownrigg Farm (NY 407 247)
Great Mell Fell from Brownrigg Farm
Distance: 2 miles Total Ascent: 275 metres Time Taken: 45 minutes Start Time: 11:35
Weather: Dull (on many levels!). 8C
What can I say? Not my favourites as already documented…but I was out.
Great Mell Fell route map.
I'm looking through a hole in the sky.
The tree.
Little Mell Fell.
Matterdale.
The race to the top.
Great Mell Fell.
Do you think anyone will notice we're holding paws?
Sky.
The Dodds.
The leaning Scots Pines of Great Mell Fell. I am standing straight and I have not been on the Cumbrian Legendary Ales (yet - but think I need some to liven things up a bit).
Start point: The Hause (NY 423 235)
Little Mell Fell from The Hause
Distance: 0.7 miles Total Ascent: 120 metres Time Taken: 20 minutes Start Time: 12:30
Better views from this one but I drove round to it rather than walking.
Raining on the steep climb from The Hause.
Looking across to the High Street ridge across Ullswater.
Brooding sky from higher up.
Little Mell Fell.
Place Fell.
Hallin Fell and beyond.
A view across to Sandwick and it seems to be brightening.
Ullswater.
Gowbarrow Fell
Start point: Park Brow (NY 397 205)
Park Brow – Green Hill – Gowbarrow Fell – Great Meldrum (529) – Little Meldrum (530) – Watermillock Fell (531) – Little Mell Fell – Swinburn’s Park – Park Brow
Distance: 8 miles Total Ascent: 770 metres Time Taken: 4 hours 30 minutes
Weather: Overcast and windy. 10ºC.
The brief winter wonderland interlude is over and it seems to have returned to dull and damp weather. It was raining as I set off this morning for a boggy walk over Gowbarrow Park and beyond, but thankfully that soon let up. There was just a little celebration taking place today too…
Aira Force.
Looking down on the top of the falls from the bridge.
Place Fell across Ullswater.
The steamer steaming along Ullswater, the high fells at the lake head are covered by cloud.
Looks like Angus has picked up some foliage on the climb! It was a special treat for him this walk - he is 12 on Sunday and of course he has slowed right down these days, after all, none of us are getting any younger. This walk is over relatively easy terrain which suited him just fine - Happy Birthday Angus!
Don't forget about me!
The head of Ullswater from Green Hill.
Place Fell from Green Hill.
Little Mell Fell from the summit of Gowbarrow Fell.
The way ahead - Little Mell Fell and Watermillock Fell beyond Great and Little Meldrum.
The High Street ridge and a peep into Martindale from the summit of Great Meldrum.
The Nab, Beda Fell and Place Fell across Ullswater from the top of Little Meldrum. Take no notice of the Birkett grid reference on this one, it is way out.
Everything, including the kitchen sink, on the way to Watermillock Fell.
Little Mell Fell across The Hause from Watermillock Fell (un-named on the OS map).
Blencathra and Great Mell Fell from Little Mell Fell.
The summit of Little Mell Fell.
Swinburn's Park from Gate Crags.
Little Meldrum - the hump to the left of the trees - from Gate Crags, Swinburn's Park.
The remains of the shooting box, Gowbarrow Park.
The view from the path through Swinburn's Park is spoiled by the trees but finally it opens up again to give great views along Ullswater. The pointed Catstycam has made a brief appearance on the distant right.
Looking north along Ullswater with the end of the High Street ridge beyond Hallin Fell.
Hallin Fell.
I think he enjoyed his birthday outing today.
Briefly clearing skies over Ullswater gave some glimpses of sun.
Sunlight on Wordsworth's daffodils, Glencoyne.
Little Mell Fell
Start point: The Hause (NY 423 235)
Little Mell Fell (506) from The Hause
Distance: 0.7 miles Total Ascent: 120 metres Time Taken: 25 minutes
Weather: Overcast with drizzle. 15oC.
Firstly – boots! How long do yours last? You hear stories of people having them last for years and years and I can’t say that I’m impressed that my latest pair lasted all of 7 months before the sole started to come away, and the pair before that barely lasted 12 months. The first time, I accepted it as hard wear and tear – but not this time, I have duly returned them to the manufacturers via the shop where I bought them. Here’s hoping for a result – at this rate I will have an eternal pair of boots if I get them replaced every time the sole comes off! It’s a shame, because apart from that the boots are absolutely brilliant and they are great to wear, very comfortable and waterproof.
Enough of the rant, onto today’s walk. It has been wet and miserable for the last few days, so I decided on somewhere low and also a fell that I haven’t visited for over 3 years, which must be the longest of all of them, and went to Little Mell Fell. This was a rare Birkett ‘bag’ and my penultimate Wainwright (second time around), not that I have been actively pursuing either for a while. Anyway, I managed to pass through all the heavy rain for an easy and quick climb in dry conditions. I realised why I haven’t revisited for so long – there is not a lot going for this one as it surrounded by fells that are better walks and have better views. Whatever, it was nice to be out again and on the way back I stopped off at Aira Force for a quick look.
I think I found the only patch of blue sky anywhere today, here looking to Gowbarrow Fell from the climb to Little Mell Fell.
Looking across to Ullswater.
Great Mell Fell with Blencathra and the Back o' Skiddaw fells covered in cloud.
Casper at the summit of Little Mell Fell.
Hallin Fell across Ullswater - you can make out the obelisk at the summit. Beyond is the Steel Knotts ridge.
Little Mell Fell from Moorend Farm. On the way back, I paid a quick visit to Aira Force with the drizzle coming on stronger once again.
Aira Force, the spray from the falls causing the misting effect.
...and looking down from the bridge.
Arnison Crag and Birks from Aira Force.
Ullswater view.
Arnison Crag and Birks at the head of Ullswater.
3 Short walks
Walk 1 – Cow Bridge – Dovedale – Hart Crag – Hartsop Above How (193) – Cow Bridge
Cloud coming in on the tops with a cold wind.
Cow Bridge on 3rd February...
compared with the start of today's walk.
Brock Crags across Brothers Water.
Dovedale.
Dove Falls, Dovedale.
Hart Crag summit.
Hartsop Above How summit.
Brothers Water from Hartsop Above How.
Hartsop Dodd.
Angletarn Pikes.
Wordsworth's daffodils near Glencoyne Bridge.
Walk 2 – Great Mell Fell (194) from Brownrigg Farm
Weather worsening now, turning to rain with a lot of cloud.
Accessing Great Mell Fell.
Great Mell Fell summit, Little Mell Fell behind.
Little Mell Fell.
Walk 3 – Little Mell Fell (195) from The Hause
Weather even worse now with gale force winds.
Little Mell Fell summit.