Route: Fellbarrow
Area: Western Lake District
Date of walk: 1st January 2018
Walkers: Andrew and Gilly
Distance: 6.0 miles
Ascent: 1,200 feet
Weather: Sun, then rain
For our New Year’s Day walk we chose to revisit Fellbarrow, a grassy fell situated on the edge of the Lake District which offers tremendous views into it. The fell is relatively unknown, and so we’d be untroubled by crowds of walkers in some of the honeypot locations seeking, like us, to blow away the cobwebs
We parked in Low Lorton and after crossing the bridge over the River Cocker we followed the Rogerscale road for a short distance before turning off to climb up the old Mosser Road. The road is unfit for vehicles and is an ideal approach to the ridge leading to Fellbarrow. At the highest point of the road we turned left along a track leading to Hatteringill, which is a ruin and not a settlement. Contrary to the negative weather forecasts the weather was good and there were some superb views across Lorton Vale to mighty Skiddaw in the distance
We left the Hatteringill track just after a gate and climbed up the grassy slopes to the summit of Fellbarrow. From here we continued along the ridge which eventually leads to Low Fell, leaving it after a while to walk across to the path which snakes around the flanks of Sourfoot Fell. The weather deteriorated during our descent to Thackthwaite and by the time we reached the village it was raining and the camera had to be stowed away
From Thackthwaite we followed the quiet country lane back to Low Lorton in ever worsening weather. Despite this we’d enjoyed the outing, especially the valley views seen on our ascent
For other walks here, visit my Find Walks page and enter the name in the ‘Search site’ box
Click on the icon below for the route map (subscribers to OS Maps can view detailed maps of the route, visualise it in aerial 3D, and download the GPX file. Non-subscribers will see a base map)
Scroll down – or click on any photo to enlarge it and you can then view as a slideshow
Happy New Year to this red squirrel as we set off to Low Lorton
The start of the walk from Low Lorton as we cross the bridge over the River Cocker
We join the old Mosser Road, well maintained at the start, where it serves a couple of houses, but becoming rougher beyond them
An early view back to Lorton and Kirk Fell
The old Mosser Road
Further up the road the ridge to Fellbarrow comes into view
Broadmoor Hill, and Low Fell beyond
Kirk Fell
Approaching the high point of the Mosser Road
Looking back
Having left the Mosser Road we join the track to Hatteringill - on a clear day Scotland would be visible in the distance from here
Herdy
Further along the track
Broadmoor Hill
Wonderful views across Lorton Vale as we continue along the track...
Gilly and Bonnie
Skiddaw in the distance
Low Lorton, with High Lorton beyond it
Looking back along the track
Broadmoor Hill and the North Western fells
Having left the track we climb uphill beside the fence, with more lovely retrospective views over Lorton
The Fellbarrow ridge
That wonderful view again - Broadmoor Hill. Lorton and Skiddaw
Whiteside and Grasmoor
We cross this stile and the ladder stile behind it
Bonnie
Cockermouth
Looking back to the ladder stile as we continue up the ridge
Looking west from the OS trig point at the summit of Fellbarrow
Gilly admires the view to the east
We descend southwards along the ridge in the direction of Low Fell...
The zigzag path down Sourfoot Fell which will be our descent route
Looking across Lorton Vale
We leave the ridge here and follow a sometimes pathless course towards Sourfoot Fell
A short marshy section before we reach the path
We descend into Lorton Vale - it's raining by now
Lorton Dodd, leading up to Whiteside
The view over Crummock Water and the Buttermere fells is normally superb seen from here but is obscured by showers
Descending to Thackthwaite
We arrive in Thackthwaite, and from here we follow the quiet lane back into Low Lorton
The end of our first walk of 2018 - a dull and wet end which will soon be forgotten but the earlier views from Fellbarrow will live long in our memories
