Fellbarrow and Low Fell

Wednesday 22nd December 2010 

I tried to go up these fells that are on the western edge of the Lake District last year only to be thwarted by a washed away bridge (which still doesn't appear to have been replaced). This year, with less snow on the ground, and taking a different route, I was finally able to accomplish what I’d failed to do before. I parked at the Lanthwaite Wood National Trust car park and set off along a side road to the small hamlet of Thackthwaite where a charming, tree-lined track took me steeply up the hillside onto the open fell. At a bend in the track I veered off and headed towards the most northerly point of this complex system of fells. Eventually, and with much effort wading through the bracken and snow, I reached the top of Hatteringill Head where I turned around and beheld the higher tops of Fellbarrow behind me. 

Striding forth from Hatteringill Head I passed along the top of the fells in glorious sunshine to the trig point at the top of Fellbarrow and on over other tops in the range, Smithy Fell and Sourfoot Fell. Eventually, after stopping at Watching Crag for the awesome views it affords of the Lorton Valley, I climbed up to the top of Low Fell, actually the highest point in this range of fells. The Wainwright top is further south, but even Wainwright himself didn’t think it was the highest point suspecting that the north top was even higher than Fellbarrow, as the Ordnance Survey have now confirmed. Onward I walked to the cairn that marks Wainwright's top, and it affords an amazing view across Crummock Water with the fells of Buttermere as a backdrop. It was sheer perfection spoilt only by the sun directly in my eyes. All that remained for me now was to descend steep slopes to Crabtree Beck and contour Darling Fell down to the road. A long walk past Loweswater (lake and village) took me back to my car. 

This was a fabulous little walk spoilt only by its shortness. With much of the afternoon left I considered doing my next day's planned walk but eventually abandoned it just after starting. In the end, with the sun quickly setting, I went up Binsey, a small hill that I walked up a couple of years ago in the dark. This time I also returned to my car in the dark.