7: The Western Fells (Page Three)

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 Western Fells

The Western Fells • 3

THE FELLS IN THIS AREA:

BASE BROWN • BLAKE FELL • BRANDRETH • BUCKBARROW • BURNBANK FELL • CAW FELL • CRAG FELL • FELLBARROW • FLEETWITH PIKE • GAVEL FELL • GREAT BORNE • GREAT GABLE • GREEN GABLE • GREY KNOTTS • GRIKE • HAYCOCK • HAYSTACKS • HEN COMB • HIGH CRAG • HIGH STILE • KIRK FELL • LANK RIGG • LOW FELL • MELLBREAK • MIDDLE FELL • PILLAR • RED PIKE (Buttermere) • RED PIKE (Wasdale) • SCOAT FELL • SEATALLAN • STARLING DODD • STEEPLE • YEWBARROW

HAYSTACKS
Height: 1959', (597m)
Grid reference: NY 193132

Though not quite reaching the 2000' contour, Haystacks is one of the finest fells in the district. It seems to have been Wainwright's favourite mountain* - his ashes were left at Inominate Tarn near the summit. There was talk a few years back of renaming Inominate Tarn to Wainwright's Tarn, an idea of which AW himself would surely have disapproved, (he'd have argued that 'inominate' means 'nameless', and something with no name couldn't be renamed anyway).

*In the TV programme made about the Coast to Coast walk, AW is seen talking in the Black Sails Hut at the foot of Haystacks, were he comments that "your favourite mountain is the one which you happen to be climbing at that moment".

TOP

Inominate Tarn

Blackbeck Tarn on Haystacks

HEN COMB
Height: 1670', (509m)
Grid Ref: NY 132181

TOP

HIGH CRAG
Height: 2442', (744m)
Grid Ref: NY 180141

HIGH STILE
Height: 2644', (807m)
Grid Ref: NY 170148

High Stile is the highest peak on the long ridge which runs between Buttermere and Ennerdale, the traverse of which is one of the finest walks in the district. The Buttermere side is particularly impressive, with a wall of crags which deny the village of much of its sunshine during the winter. These crags rise above Burtness Comb and Bleaberry Comb, two deep corries which are divided by High Stile's north eastern spur. This spur offers a rough scramble to the summit.

Though the generally accepted summit of High Stile is at the large cairn on the main ridge path which links it with Red Pike and High Crag, the OS map shows an 807m point (NY 170148) a short distance away on the north eastern spur.

KIRK FELL
Height: 2630', (802m)
Grid reference:NY 195105

Kirk Fell takes its name from the church which stands at its base in Wasdale Head, and it should be said that the direct climb to the summit from here would be a fitting penance for any sin. This was probably the hardest climb I ever did, during a heatwave, the final third being a relentless treadmill of scree.

The fell has two distinct summits, the south top being appreciably higher than the north top (2582' / 787m). They are separated by a hollow containg two small tarns,collectively marked as Kirkfell Tarn on the map.

LANK RIGG
Height: 1775', (541m)
Grid reference: NY 092120

This one could have been in the Outlying Fells book. Though not one of the glamorous fells, it's one I like due to its remoteness. There is a trig pillar and a small tarn on the summit.

In his chapter on Lank Rigg, Wainwright claimed he left two shillings on the summit, probably to induce visitors to this lonely hill. Don't bother to look for it now though - it was found within weeks of Book Seven's publication, not surprisingly by a local from Whitehaven, the closest town.

To the north east is the minor summit of Whoap, which drops down to an area called Black Pots, where I've camped a couple of times.

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