Route: Low Fell
Area: Western Lake District
Date of walk: 8th July 2016
Walkers: Andrew and Gilly
Distance: 4.5 miles
Ascent: 1,500 feet
Weather: Cloudy but plenty of sunny spells, very clear
We only had time for a short local walk today thanks to miserable weather earlier in the day – Low Fell would fit the bill perfectly. We’ve been up here dozens of times and never tire of it
We started from our usual place, a small layby just outside the village of Thackthwaite. After walking into the village we turned off the lane and followed a stony path, quite overgrown at first but gradually opening out onto fields. We then joined the drove road above the intake wall which has lovely views towards Crummock Water, but which gradually disappear as the final push to the summit ridge is made
Once on the ridge we soon gained the north top, but it would be a major omission to turn back here. The views are good, but in order to enjoy the main attraction of the fell it’s necessary to continue further along the ridge to a cairn just below the south top from where, in the words of Alfred Wainwright ‘the view is of classical beauty, an inspired and inspiring vision of loveliness…a scene of lakes and mountains arranged to perfection’
AW’s words are no exaggeration and having gained the south top and gazed in silent awe for a while we retraced our steps back to the start
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)
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Looking across Lorton Vale from the layby at the start of the walk
Thackthwaite - watch out for speeding squirrels
We follow this line of trees as far as the intake wall ahead
Looking back to Whiteside
Mellbreak
Great Gable in the background
When we reach the intake wall ahead we turn right
Looking back across the valley
High Lorton
Crummock Water comes into view as we look back down the path
Lorton Dodd, leading up to Whiteside
Crummock Water again
Onwards and upwards
Looking back to Lorton Dodd again…
…and towards High Lorton
We walk round the redundant gate
Fellbarrow
Scotland just visible in the far distance
Not far to the summit ridge now
Bonnie
We’re now on the summit ridge, with several ups and downs before we reach its end
Rannerdale Knotts
Whiteside
Ladyside Pike and Lorton Dodd
Crummock Water - the view gets better further along the ridge
Looking down into Lorton Vale
The insignificant cairn on the north top of Low Fell - but this is not mission accomplished, carry on to the south top
Mellbreak is well seen from here
Gilly lifts the dog gate for Bonnie
The south top of Low Fell, it’s best to carry on to the next cairn for an even better view…
Loweswater and Holme Wood
Looking west to the Irish Sea
Looking down to Loweswater village and Crummock Water
Lonely Mosedale between Mellbreak and Hen Comb
The view described by Wainwright in the introduction…
…a timeless view - our children 20 years ago from this special place
After contemplating those views we retrace our steps and descend back to Lorton Vale
Later that day, sunset over Lorton Vale
