Northern Fells - Look at the photos
It's a beautiful day and today I am going to visit the Northern Fells behind Skiddaw, although the temptation to stop at Blencathra is very strong because it looks magnificent today.
Take the A591 signposted to Carlisle at the roundabout junction with the A66 near Keswick and after about 4 miles turn into the small road on the right signposted to Orthwaite. This is not a good road on which to meet a tractor coming in the opposite direction and fortunately I didn't. Continue on past Orthwaite to Longlands, both of these places are unsignposted, turned around at Longlands and took the road signposted to Ulldale in order to get to the car parking area near to Over Water.
I walked back along the road to Longlands where a gate with a name plate showing Ulldale Common leads on to the open fell. The way up is obvious towards what could be described as a ridge if something green and smooth deserves that name. The way upwards isn't that steep but it must have been walking on long grass without a path that made my calf muscles complain, it was harder than I was expecting.
The weather was glorious and warm enough to walk without a jacket, the view was of the hamlet of Longlands, tucked away just off the road and Binsey with Over Water at its foot, it was quite hazy for this time of year.
The summit of Longlands Fell is unremarkable although it must have taken a long time to find enough stones to build the cairn. From the summit an easy walk to the col with Lowthaite Fell and then over pathless grass to Charleton Gill, the only interesting feature of the whole day. The gill has carved a way through the hills and landslips at various times have created an unusual landscape with many mini ridges leading down to the gill. I walked down one of the mini ridges in order to cross the gill and then had a steep climb up the other side.
The walk up to the summit of Brae Fell was easy enough, the flat grassy terrain reminds me of the Central Fells but at least here the ground isn't waterlogged so walking is easy. The summit of Brae Fell has a considerable cairn and a small shelter, it seems impossible that so many stones could be found locally.
The walk to Little Sca Fell involves a little bit of effort and its summit also has an improbable collection of stones in the considerable cairn and unusual sunken shelter. It was only by referring to my Pictorial Guide that I knew that this was Little Sca Fell as opposed to its Great companion which is an easy half mile further that bears a much smaller cairn that Wainwright never saw.
This is the quietest place that I have ever been, even the cold breeze that makes it necessary to put my jacket on is quiet.
The walking by now is a stroll with hands in pockets on a lovely sunny day and the summit of Knott also contains a cairn of a size that shouldn't be possible given the lack of available stones. At least from this summit there is something to see apart from grass and sky, Great Calva looks interesting but the view of Skiddaw is hazy and although it is large it is impossible to see any detail.
The path downwards in the direction of Little Calva and the climb upwards at least provide a change from the easy walk over grass and the plateau of Little Calva is boggy, the first wet ground of the day. A fence leads all of the way to the summit of Great Calva which at least feels like a mountain, the first bare rock and lying stones that I have seen all day.
I walked down the ridge then through the heather down to the Skiddaw Forest road, a place that is so brown and boring that it is fascinating. The only break in the monotony of the brown heather is the patchwork effect of what seems to be paths on the flanks of Little Calva and the strange rectangular patches of grey, dead heather at one point at the foot of Sale How.
I followed the road past the spectacular Dash Falls and then followed the Dash Farm road taking the left turn at the track leading towards Orthwaite. I was stopped by a farmer at this point who asked if I was aware that this wasn't a right of way, although I can't see what the problem is because there is only half a mile of track before it meets the bridleway to Orthwaite. I offered to go back along the road but I think he was happy having made his point.
Anyway he spent quarter of an hour telling me about the idiosyncrasies of English Nature who try to dictate the how many reeds are allowed to grow on his grazing commons whilst I made a fuss of his dogs. A strange collection of dogs for a shepherd, he had his collie, a greyhound and a Lancashire heeler and it was only when they got bored and all started barking that he went on his way.
The track joins the road at Orthwaite and there was then a mile and half to walk back along the road to where the car was parked.
An easy walk on a sunny day but I don't really feel the need to return to this part of the Lake District and I don't think I'll ever get to walk the fells that I missed today.
Andy Wallace 15th March 2003