Baugh Fell
Encyclopedia
Baugh Fell is a large, flat-topped hill in the northern Pennines
of England
. It lies in the north-western corner of the Yorkshire Dales
National Park, immediately to the east of the Howgill Fells
and to the north of Whernside
, the highest of the Yorkshire Three Peaks
. Formerly in the West Riding of Yorkshire
, since 1974 it has been part of the county of Cumbria
.
to the south and by the valley of the River Rawthey
to the west; on the north-eastern side it adjoins Swarth Fell
and Wild Boar Fell
. The fell
sprawls over a wide area, roughly 45 square kilometres (17.4 sq mi) in size, with generally steep slopes on the Garsdale side and gentler slopes to the west. The Rawthey rises high up on the summit plateau (where it is called Rawthey Gill) and initially flows north, before turning south to form the hill's western boundary. The eastern limit of the fell is marked by Grisedale Beck, the main tributary
of the Clough River
which flows through Garsdale.
The summit plateau
is L-shaped, incised in the middle by Rawthey Gill, and measures some 4 km (2.5 mi) from end to end. The rock of the plateau is millstone grit
, with sandstone
and limestone
on the flanks, and the Dent Fault
ends on the western slope. The highest point at Tarn Rigg Hill (678 m) is in enclosed ground (now with open access), but the trig point
on Knoutberry Haw is only two metres lower and provides excellent views of the Three Peaks
, the Howgill Fells
, the Lake District
and surrounding countryside as far as Blackpool Tower
on a clear day. Better views down Wensleydale
and the Eden
valley may be obtained from Grisedale Pike , a slight projection on the eastern flank of Baugh Fell just over a mile from the summit.
There are five small lakes or tarn
s, called the East Tarns, grouped together on the eastern part of the plateau just to the north of the summit of Tarn Rigg Hill. The West Tarn, meanwhile, lies at the north-western end of the summit plateau at , and is difficult to find on the almost flat top because it nestles in a slight hollow, even though it can be seen from the trig point. It may be located from the latter by following the western rim of the plateau, overlooking Sedbergh
, until two cairns point the way to the tarn.
and as such is designated as access land under the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000
, allowing walkers freedom to roam. There are several bridleways giving access to the open fell from the Rawthey
valley to the west, while a public footpath from Uldale to Grisedale forms the northern limit of Baugh Fell. There is also open access from Garsdale Foot and West Hind Keld on the south-western slopes, from Grisedale on the north-eastern slopes, and from parts of Fell End on the north-western slopes. There is no public access from Garsdale
, though some landowners might allow walkers to pass through cultivated land with permission. From the east the Grisedale road give access to the moor near Riggs giving an easy to follow route up to the trig point by simply following the wall. Once on the open fell there are no established routes to the summit, since the slopes are mostly gentle. Baugh Fell does not share the popularity of the nearby Lake District
or the Yorkshire Three Peaks
, and even on bank holiday weekends it is mostly unfrequented.
Pennines
The Pennines are a low-rising mountain range, separating the North West of England from Yorkshire and the North East.Often described as the "backbone of England", they form a more-or-less continuous range stretching from the Peak District in Derbyshire, around the northern and eastern edges of...
of England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It lies in the north-western corner of the Yorkshire Dales
Yorkshire Dales
The Yorkshire Dales is the name given to an upland area in Northern England.The area lies within the historic county boundaries of Yorkshire, though it spans the ceremonial counties of North Yorkshire, West Yorkshire and Cumbria...
National Park, immediately to the east of the Howgill Fells
Howgill Fells
The Howgill Fells are hills in Northern England between the Lake District and the Yorkshire Dales, lying roughly in between the vertices of a triangle made by the towns of Sedbergh, Kirkby Stephen and Tebay....
and to the north of Whernside
Whernside
Whernside is a mountain in the Yorkshire Dales and is one of the Yorkshire Three Peaks, the other two being Ingleborough and Pen-y-ghent. It is the highest point in the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire,Mickle Fell in southern Teesdale is the highest point within the boundaries of the historic...
, the highest of the Yorkshire Three Peaks
Yorkshire three peaks
The mountains of Whernside , Ingleborough and Pen-y-ghent are collectively known as the Three Peaks. The peaks, which form part of the...
. Formerly in the West Riding of Yorkshire
West Riding of Yorkshire
The West Riding of Yorkshire is one of the three historic subdivisions of Yorkshire, England. From 1889 to 1974 the administrative county, County of York, West Riding , was based closely on the historic boundaries...
, since 1974 it has been part of the county of Cumbria
Cumbria
Cumbria , is a non-metropolitan county in North West England. The county and Cumbria County Council, its local authority, came into existence in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972. Cumbria's largest settlement and county town is Carlisle. It consists of six districts, and in...
.
Topography
Baugh Fell is bounded by GarsdaleGarsdale
Garsdale is a civil parish occupying a narrow populated valley in Cumbria, England. It is on the western slopes of the Pennines, between Baugh Fell to the north, and Rise Hill to the south. The main hamlet, called “The Street”, lies on the A684 road, east of Sedbergh, and west of Hawes...
to the south and by the valley of the River Rawthey
River Rawthey
The River Rawthey is a river in Cumbria.The headwaters of the Rawthey are at Rawthey Gill Foot, where Rawthey Gill, whose own source is a confluence at Gill Head on East Baugh Fell, meets Haskhaw Gill....
to the west; on the north-eastern side it adjoins Swarth Fell
Swarth Fell
Swarth Fell is an approximately 1 mile stretch of high ground situated to the south of Wild Boar Fell, of which it is a continuation...
and Wild Boar Fell
Wild Boar Fell
Wild Boar Fell is a mountain in Mallerstang on the eastern edge of Cumbria, England. At , it is either the 4th highest fell in the Yorkshire Dales or the 5th, whether counting nearby High Seat or not...
. The fell
Fell
“Fell” is a word used to refer to mountains, or certain types of mountainous landscape, in Scandinavia, the Isle of Man, and parts of northern England.- Etymology :...
sprawls over a wide area, roughly 45 square kilometres (17.4 sq mi) in size, with generally steep slopes on the Garsdale side and gentler slopes to the west. The Rawthey rises high up on the summit plateau (where it is called Rawthey Gill) and initially flows north, before turning south to form the hill's western boundary. The eastern limit of the fell is marked by Grisedale Beck, the main tributary
Tributary
A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...
of the Clough River
Clough River
The Clough River is a river in Northern England.The river rises at Grisedale in south-eastern Cumbria, where a group of smaller streams draining Grisedale Pike converge as Grisedale Beck...
which flows through Garsdale.
The summit plateau
Plateau
In geology and earth science, a plateau , also called a high plain or tableland, is an area of highland, usually consisting of relatively flat terrain. A highly eroded plateau is called a dissected plateau...
is L-shaped, incised in the middle by Rawthey Gill, and measures some 4 km (2.5 mi) from end to end. The rock of the plateau is millstone grit
Millstone Grit
Millstone Grit is the name given to any of a number of coarse-grained sandstones of Carboniferous age which occur in the Northern England. The name derives from its use in earlier times as a source of millstones for use principally in watermills...
, with sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
and limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
on the flanks, and the Dent Fault
Dent Fault
The Dent Fault is a major fault on the boundary between the counties of Cumbria and North Yorkshire in northern England. The fault is named for the village of Dent in Dentdale on the western margin of the Yorkshire Dales....
ends on the western slope. The highest point at Tarn Rigg Hill (678 m) is in enclosed ground (now with open access), but the trig point
Trig point
A triangulation station, also known as a triangulation pillar, trigonometrical station, trigonometrical point, trig station, trig beacon or trig point, and sometimes informally as a trig, is a fixed surveying station, used in geodetic surveying and other surveying projects in its vicinity...
on Knoutberry Haw is only two metres lower and provides excellent views of the Three Peaks
Yorkshire three peaks
The mountains of Whernside , Ingleborough and Pen-y-ghent are collectively known as the Three Peaks. The peaks, which form part of the...
, the Howgill Fells
Howgill Fells
The Howgill Fells are hills in Northern England between the Lake District and the Yorkshire Dales, lying roughly in between the vertices of a triangle made by the towns of Sedbergh, Kirkby Stephen and Tebay....
, the Lake District
Lake District
The Lake District, also commonly known as The Lakes or Lakeland, is a mountainous region in North West England. A popular holiday destination, it is famous not only for its lakes and its mountains but also for its associations with the early 19th century poetry and writings of William Wordsworth...
and surrounding countryside as far as Blackpool Tower
Blackpool Tower
Blackpool Tower Eye is a tourist attraction in Blackpool, Lancashire in England which was opened to the public on 14 May 1894. . Inspired by the Eiffel Tower in Paris, it rises to 518 feet & 9 inches . The tower is a member of the World Federation of Great Towers...
on a clear day. Better views down Wensleydale
Wensleydale
Wensleydale is the valley of the River Ure on the east side of the Pennines in North Yorkshire, England.Wensleydale lies in the Yorkshire Dales National Park – one of only a few valleys in the Dales not currently named after its principal river , but the older name, "Yoredale", can still be seen...
and the Eden
River Eden, Cumbria
The River Eden is a river that flows through Cumbria, England on its way to the Solway Firth.-Course of river:The Eden rises in Black Fell Moss, Mallerstang, on the high ground between High Seat, Yorkshire Dales and Hugh Seat. Here it forms the boundary between the counties of Cumbria and North...
valley may be obtained from Grisedale Pike , a slight projection on the eastern flank of Baugh Fell just over a mile from the summit.
There are five small lakes or tarn
Tarn (lake)
A tarn is a mountain lake or pool, formed in a cirque excavated by a glacier. A moraine may form a natural dam below a tarn. A corrie may be called a cirque.The word is derived from the Old Norse word tjörn meaning pond...
s, called the East Tarns, grouped together on the eastern part of the plateau just to the north of the summit of Tarn Rigg Hill. The West Tarn, meanwhile, lies at the north-western end of the summit plateau at , and is difficult to find on the almost flat top because it nestles in a slight hollow, even though it can be seen from the trig point. It may be located from the latter by following the western rim of the plateau, overlooking Sedbergh
Sedbergh
Sedbergh is a small town in Cumbria, England. It lies about east of Kendal and about north of Kirkby Lonsdale. The town sits just within the Yorkshire Dales National Park...
, until two cairns point the way to the tarn.
Access and routes
Although there are no public rights of way to the summit of Baugh Fell, most of the fell is uncultivated moorlandMoorland
Moorland or moor is a type of habitat, in the temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome, found in upland areas, characterised by low-growing vegetation on acidic soils and heavy fog...
and as such is designated as access land under the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000
Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000
The Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 is a UK Act of Parliament which came into force on 30 November 2000.As of September 2007, not all sections of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act have yet come into force...
, allowing walkers freedom to roam. There are several bridleways giving access to the open fell from the Rawthey
River Rawthey
The River Rawthey is a river in Cumbria.The headwaters of the Rawthey are at Rawthey Gill Foot, where Rawthey Gill, whose own source is a confluence at Gill Head on East Baugh Fell, meets Haskhaw Gill....
valley to the west, while a public footpath from Uldale to Grisedale forms the northern limit of Baugh Fell. There is also open access from Garsdale Foot and West Hind Keld on the south-western slopes, from Grisedale on the north-eastern slopes, and from parts of Fell End on the north-western slopes. There is no public access from Garsdale
Garsdale
Garsdale is a civil parish occupying a narrow populated valley in Cumbria, England. It is on the western slopes of the Pennines, between Baugh Fell to the north, and Rise Hill to the south. The main hamlet, called “The Street”, lies on the A684 road, east of Sedbergh, and west of Hawes...
, though some landowners might allow walkers to pass through cultivated land with permission. From the east the Grisedale road give access to the moor near Riggs giving an easy to follow route up to the trig point by simply following the wall. Once on the open fell there are no established routes to the summit, since the slopes are mostly gentle. Baugh Fell does not share the popularity of the nearby Lake District
Lake District
The Lake District, also commonly known as The Lakes or Lakeland, is a mountainous region in North West England. A popular holiday destination, it is famous not only for its lakes and its mountains but also for its associations with the early 19th century poetry and writings of William Wordsworth...
or the Yorkshire Three Peaks
Yorkshire three peaks
The mountains of Whernside , Ingleborough and Pen-y-ghent are collectively known as the Three Peaks. The peaks, which form part of the...
, and even on bank holiday weekends it is mostly unfrequented.
External links
- Hillwalkers Gallery – Baugh Fell (illustrated walk with map)