Northern Fells facts for kids
The Northern Fells are a group of mountains in the English Lake District. They are found north of Keswick. These mountains usually have smooth, gentle slopes. You won't find many lakes or cliffs here. However, Blencathra is different. It stands out with its rugged look in the southeast part of the group.
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What are the Lakeland Fells?
The Lake District is a special National Park in northwest England. It's famous for its beautiful lakes. But it also has many hills, which locals call fells. These fells can be small hills or some of the tallest peaks in England. There are hundreds of them! Many people have tried to make lists of these fells. They often divide the area into smaller parts to make them easier to describe.
Alfred Wainwright's Famous Guides
One very important writer was Alfred Wainwright. He wrote the Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells books. These books have sold over 2 million copies since 1952. Wainwright split the fells into seven different areas. Each area is surrounded by valleys or low passes. This way of dividing the fells is still the most popular. The Northern Fells are one of these seven areas. You can find them in Volume 5 of Wainwright's books.
Where are the Northern Fells Located?
The Northern Fells are a separate group of mountains. They are quite far from the other mountain ranges. The River Derwent forms their western edge, north of Keswick. The River Greta makes up the southern border. The River Caldew runs along the eastern side. It flows towards Carlisle.
At Caldbeck, the Whelpo Beck joins the Caldew. This stream drains many of the northern slopes. There is only one place where higher ground connects the Northern Fells to the rest of the Lake District. This is a long ridge that goes south towards Great Mell Fell in the Eastern Fells. The deep valley of Bassenthwaite separates the Northern Fells from the North Western Fells. The Central Fells are beyond Keswick and the River Greta.
North of the area Wainwright described, the land becomes more like open moorland. It gently slopes down towards the Solway Firth. Wainwright wrote about some of these smaller hills in his later book, Outlying Fells, published in 1974.
Exploring the Northern Fells' Landscape
The Northern Fells form a round area, about 10 miles across. The middle part is a bit lower. It's an area of marshland and grazing land called Skiddaw Forest. This name can be confusing because the only trees there are around Skiddaw House. Skiddaw House is a very isolated building. It's 3 miles from any roads or other homes. It used to be a shepherd's hut. Today, it's a youth hostel.
Skiddaw Forest is where three main rivers of the Northern Fells begin. The Caldew flows east. Dash Beck flows northwest. The Glenderaterra flows south. These streams divide the circular area into three distinct parts.
The Skiddaw Group
The highest ground is in the southwest. It's between the Glenderaterra and Dash Beck. This is the Skiddaw group. You can often see these mountains from Borrowdale and Derwentwater. Their slopes are steep but smooth. They look like a heavy velvet sheet draped over a frame. Skiddaw is in the middle of this group. Many smaller peaks surround it.
Above Bassenthwaite, you'll find Ullock Pike, Long Side, Carl Side, and Dodd. Dodd even has some trees. To the east are Skiddaw Little Man, Lonscale Fell, and the small Latrigg. Latrigg is an easy climb from Keswick.
Blencathra and its Neighbors
The southeastern part of the Northern Fells is centered around Blencathra. This mountain has rugged cliffs and sharp, narrow ridges. It overlooks the road from Keswick to Penrith. Its northern ridges lead to Souther Fell. This fell is famous for stories of a 'Spectral Army'. You'll also find Bannerdale Crags, Bowscale Fell, and Mungrisdale Common here. Mungrisdale Common is a very flat fell with a hard-to-spot summit.
The 'Back o'Skiddaw' Area
The northern section is often called 'Back o'Skiddaw'. It has many lower, gentler fells. The paths to climb them can be long. You can see many signs of old mining activity in these hills. This shows how much mineral wealth was once found here. The main peak in this group is Knott. Great Calva stands to the south, above Skiddaw Forest. High Pike (Caldbeck) and Carrock Fell rise to the east. They follow the Caldew valley.
The western ridges are more complex. They include Great Sca Fell, Meal Fell, Great Cockup, Little Cockup, Brae Fell, and Longlands Fell. Alone to the far west, across the small lake of Over Water, stands Binsey.
How to Access the Northern Fells for Walking
Roads surround the Northern Fells, but none go through them. Keswick and Threlkeld offer good starting points in the south. You can reach the Skiddaw and Blencathra groups from the A66 road. A smaller road along the eastern border connects the small villages of Mosedale and Mungrisdale. This road gives good access to the Caldew and other eastern valleys.
Other small roads go around the northern edge. These are good for exploring the 'Back o'Skiddaw' area. They connect to the Keswick - Carlisle road along Bassenthwaite lake. From here, you can reach the Dash Valley and Longside Edge. A service track follows Dash Beck past its big waterfall, Whitewater Dash. This track leads to Skiddaw House. It's the easiest way to enter Skiddaw Forest.
The main path up Skiddaw can be busy with tourists. But you can easily find quiet and solitude on the northern fells.
