Sale Fell facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Sale Fell |
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Seen from the lower slopes of Ling Fell.
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| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 359 m (1,178 ft) |
| Prominence | c. 125 m |
| Parent peak | Lord's Seat |
| Listing | Wainwright |
| Geography | |
 Sale Fell
Location in Lake District
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| Location | Cumbria, England |
| Parent range | Lake District, North Western Fells |
| OS grid | NY194297 |
| Topo map | OS Landranger 89, 90, Explorer OL4 |
Sale Fell is a small, friendly hill located near Cockermouth in the beautiful Lake District in England. Even though it's one of the smaller hills listed by the famous walker Alfred Wainwright, many people love to visit it. It's perfect for easy walks and offers amazing views of Bassenthwaite Lake and the big mountain Skiddaw.
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Where is Sale Fell?
The North Western Fells are a group of hills found between two rivers, the Derwent and the Cocker. This area is shaped like a long oval, running north to south. Two main roads cut across this area, splitting the fells into three easy-to-understand groups. Sale Fell is in the most northern part, located between Whinlatter Pass and a flat area called the Vale of Embleton.
Sale Fell and its nearby friend, Ling Fell, are the last hills in this part of the Lake District that feel like proper mountains. Further north, there are some very low hills, but most guidebooks don't include them.
What are the boundaries of Sale Fell?
Sale Fell has natural borders all around it. To the east, you'll find Bassenthwaite Lake. To the south and west, there's the Wythop Valley. And to the north, it's bordered by the Vale of Embleton.
Sale Fell is like a smaller, connected part of Lord's Seat, which is the tallest hill north of Whinlatter. The land connecting them is quite narrow. It runs along the edge of Bassenthwaite Lake before turning inland towards Lord's Seat.
Two streams, Wythop Beck and Beck Wythop, flow side by side down from Lord's Seat. Then they split up to flow around Sale Fell. Wythop Beck goes west around Sale Fell and then joins another stream, flowing east into the northern end of Bassenthwaite Lake. Beck Wythop goes straight into the lake.
What does Sale Fell look like?
Sale Fell itself is a ridge, or long hill, that stretches for about a mile from east to west. It's mostly covered in grass and bracken, which is a type of fern. The eastern side of the fell is covered in a thick forest called Wythop Wood. These trees are mostly conifers, like pine trees, but the types of trees are slowly changing. You can also find some Forestry Commission offices hidden among the trees at the bottom of the hill.
The very top of Sale Fell is towards the western end of this ridge. There are also two other smaller tops to the east called Rivings and Lothwaite.
What is Sale Fell made of?
Sale Fell is mostly made of very old rocks from a time called the Ordovician period. These rocks are a type of sandstone. The southern parts of the hill are made of different kinds of mudstone and siltstone.
Reaching the Top of Sale Fell
When you get to the top of Sale Fell, you'll find a small pile of stones called a cairn on a grassy area. The view from here is amazing! You can see the entire Skiddaw group of mountains very clearly. The long Helvellyn range is also visible from end to end.
Unfortunately, the Lord's Seat ridge blocks the view of most of the other parts of the Lake District. But you can still see Bassenthwaite Lake right in front of you to the east. On a clear day, you might even spot the hills of Galloway across the Solway Firth in Scotland, and the Isle of Man to the west!
How to Walk Up Sale Fell
There are a few ways to climb Sale Fell, and they are generally easy walks.
Starting from the Pheasant Inn
From the Pheasant Inn, which is at the northern end of Bassenthwaite Lake, you can take a small road west towards Routenbeck and Wythop Mill. Look for a footpath that turns left before you reach St Margaret's Church. This path goes up the hillside and joins a wider path higher up. From there, you can choose to go towards the western end of the top ridge or join it closer to the forest fence on the east.
Starting from Wythop Mill
Another good starting point is the village of Wythop Mill. There's a road between Ling Fell and Sale Fell. You can start your walk by branching off up the hillside at the gate of Kelswick Farm.
Even though Ling Fell and Sale Fell are close, there isn't a direct path connecting their tops. However, you can easily climb both of them if you start from Wythop Mill.
