6: The North Western Fells (Page Four)

1. The EASTERN FELLS
2. The FAR EASTERN
FELLS
3. The CENTRAL FELLS
4. The SOUTHERN FELLS
5. The NORTHERN FELLS
6. The NORTH WESTERN
FELLS
7. The WESTERN FELLS

Wainwright's North Western Fells

The North Western Fells • 4

THE FELLS IN THIS AREA:

ARD CRAGS • BARF • BARROW • BROOM FELL • CASTLE CRAG • CATBELLS • CAUSEY PIKE • DALE HEAD • EEL CRAG (Crag Hill) • GRASMOOR • GRAYSTONES • GRISEDALE PIKE • HIGH SPY • HINDSCARTH • HOPEGILL HEAD • KNOTT RIGG • LING FELL • LORD'S SEAT • MAIDEN MOOR • OUTERSIDE • RANNERDALE KNOTTS • ROBINSON • SAIL • SALE FELL • SCAR CRAGS • WANDOPE • WHINLATTER • WHITELESS PIKE • WHITESIDE

OUTERSIDE
Height: 1863', (568m)
Grid Ref: NY 211215

One of the most popular walks in the North Western Fells is the Coledale Horseshoe, which usually ends (when done in an anti-clockwise direction) by traversing Causey Pike. However, a close look at the map shows a lower inner ridge with three distinct summits running parallel with Causey Pike, suggesting an alternative end to the circuit. The highest of these summits is called Outerside, an excellent place to view the Coledale skyline, surrounded as it is on three sides by much higher fells in close proximity. The other summits on the ridge are Stile End and Barrow.

RANNERDALE KNOTTS
Height: 1165', (355m)
Grid Ref: NY 167182

ROBINSON
Height: 2418', (753m)
Grid Ref: NY 202169

SAIL
Height: 2536', (773m) (Wainwright has the summit as 2530')
Grid Ref: NY 198203

Sail is rarely climbed for its own sake, though its summit is one of several traversed on the fine ridge which runs east from Eel Crag down into the Newlands valley. In mist, the summit cairn may not be visible from the path, which passes no more than twenty yards to the south.

SALE FELL
Height: 1178', (359m)
Grid Ref: NY 194297

TOP

SCAR CRAGS
Height: 2205', (672m)
Grid Ref: NY 207206

Like its neighbour Sail, Scar Crags is another summit on the long east ridge which descends from Eel Crag (more correctly, Crag Hill). The southern side drops away into the steep crags which give the fell its name, the northern side drops more gently before a spur rises to the well defined summit of Outerside. To the west of Scar Crags' summit, and a little below Sail Pass, is the small hollow of Long Comb where Lakeland's only cobalt mine was sited.

WANDOPE
Height: 2533', (722m)
Grid Ref: NY 188197

WHINLATTER
Height: 1696', (517m)
Grid Ref: NY 191251

The height given above refers to the summit in Wainwright's chapter, (also known as Brown How). The true summit would now appear to be the East top at 1722' (525m) NY 197249. (In Wainwright's day the East top had no official spot height, though in his chapter on Whinlatter, AW wrote an extraordinary paragraph were he estimates the height using schoolboy trigonometry, complete with diagrams).

Summit shelter on Whinlatter, looking to Hopegill Head

TOP

WHITELESS PIKE
Height: 2165', (660m)
Grid Ref: NY 180190

WHITESIDE
Height: 2319', (707m)
Grid Ref: NY 171220

In his guidebook, Wainwright treated the 2317' west top as the summit, though he recognised that the east top at 2359' (719m) NY 175221 was higher ground, though there was no spot height here on contemporary maps. Whatever the heights are, both summits should be visited as between them is a fine ridge walk which carries on along to Hopegill Head.

Previous Page

Back to the Top