Bleaberry Fell
Encyclopedia
Bleaberry Fell is a fell
in the Lake District
in Cumbria
, England
, with a height of 590 metres (1,936 feet). It stands on the main watershed between Borrowdale
and Thirlmere
and can be climbed from either flank. Walla Crag
is a subsidiary top of Bleaberry Fell.
of the national park, four kilometres south of Keswick
, Bleaberry Fell is the northernmost top on the ridge that separates the valleys containing the lakes of Derwent Water
(Borrowdale
) and Thirlmere
. This ridge, which also contains the fells of High Seat
and High Tove
, is notoriously boggy underfoot, but Bleaberry Fell is mostly dry and the heather covered summit gives an excellent all round vista. To the east the fell has the rock faces of Iron Crag and Goat Crags as it falls away towards the Thirlmere valley.
, firstly ascending Walla Crag
via Cat Gill and then continuing south easterly for two kilometres to Bleaberry Fell which is clearly in view. The fell can also be climbed from Keswick, an 11 kilometre round trip, again going by Walla Crag. Walla Crag is in fact part of Bleaberry Fell, being the outlying north western crags, but is given the status of a separate fell by Lake District writers due to its excellent views and popularity.
Another possible starting point is the hamlet of Dale Bottom on the main Keswick to Ambleside road. It is possible to continue from Bleaberry Fell southerly along the ridge to take in the other Wainwright fells of High Seat and High Tove following a line of old fence posts. This ridge is very boggy.
-phyric andesite
lavas and subordinate sills. To the south en route to High Seat are garnet
-bearing porphyric andesite
. Much of the northern section is overlain by peat and till.
s. Bleaberry Fell's central position is rewarded by a fine all round view, all of the major fell groups being visible. Derwentwater can be brought into sight by moving to the north west cairn.
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 :...
in 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...
in 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...
, 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...
, with a height of 590 metres (1,936 feet). It stands on the main watershed between Borrowdale
Borrowdale
Borrowdale is a valley and civil parish in the English Lake District in the Borough of Allerdale in Cumbria, England.Borrowdale lies within the historic county boundaries of Cumberland, and is sometimes referred to as Cumberland Borrowdale in order to distinguish it from another Borrowdale in the...
and Thirlmere
Thirlmere
Thirlmere is a reservoir in the Borough of Allerdale in Cumbria and the English Lake District. It runs roughly south to north, with a dam at the northern end, and is bordered on the eastern side by the A591 road and on the western side by a minor road....
and can be climbed from either flank. Walla Crag
Walla Crag
Walla Crag is a fell in the English Lake District, near Keswick. The fell is a popular short walk from Keswick and gives superb views over Derwentwater...
is a subsidiary top of Bleaberry Fell.
Topography
Situated in the central areaCentral Fells
The Central Fells are a group of hills in the English Lake District. Reaching their highest point at High Raise , they occupy a broad area to the east of Borrowdale. Perhaps unexpectedly the Central Fells are generally lower than the surrounding hills, the Lake District's general dome-like...
of the national park, four kilometres south of Keswick
Keswick, Cumbria
Keswick is a market town and civil parish within the Borough of Allerdale in Cumbria, England. It had a population of 4,984, according to the 2001 census, and is situated just north of Derwent Water, and a short distance from Bassenthwaite Lake, both in the Lake District National Park...
, Bleaberry Fell is the northernmost top on the ridge that separates the valleys containing the lakes of Derwent Water
Derwent Water
Derwentwater is one of the principal bodies of water in the Lake District National Park in north west England. It lies wholly within the Borough of Allerdale, in the county of Cumbria....
(Borrowdale
Borrowdale
Borrowdale is a valley and civil parish in the English Lake District in the Borough of Allerdale in Cumbria, England.Borrowdale lies within the historic county boundaries of Cumberland, and is sometimes referred to as Cumberland Borrowdale in order to distinguish it from another Borrowdale in the...
) and Thirlmere
Thirlmere
Thirlmere is a reservoir in the Borough of Allerdale in Cumbria and the English Lake District. It runs roughly south to north, with a dam at the northern end, and is bordered on the eastern side by the A591 road and on the western side by a minor road....
. This ridge, which also contains the fells of High Seat
High Seat (Lake District)
High Seat is a fell in the centre of the English Lake District. Despite being below 2,000 ft it is the highest point for about 5 miles in any direction; a consequence of the curious fact that the centre of the district is lower than the surrounding parts.-Topography:The main watershed of...
and High Tove
High Tove
High Tove is a fell in the English Lake District, close to the geographical centre of the Cumbrian hills. It forms part of the watershed between the Derwentwater and Thirlmere catchments, a ridge running broadly north-south.-Topography:...
, is notoriously boggy underfoot, but Bleaberry Fell is mostly dry and the heather covered summit gives an excellent all round vista. To the east the fell has the rock faces of Iron Crag and Goat Crags as it falls away towards the Thirlmere valley.
Ascents
The fell is usually climbed from the car park in Great Wood in BorrowdaleBorrowdale
Borrowdale is a valley and civil parish in the English Lake District in the Borough of Allerdale in Cumbria, England.Borrowdale lies within the historic county boundaries of Cumberland, and is sometimes referred to as Cumberland Borrowdale in order to distinguish it from another Borrowdale in the...
, firstly ascending Walla Crag
Walla Crag
Walla Crag is a fell in the English Lake District, near Keswick. The fell is a popular short walk from Keswick and gives superb views over Derwentwater...
via Cat Gill and then continuing south easterly for two kilometres to Bleaberry Fell which is clearly in view. The fell can also be climbed from Keswick, an 11 kilometre round trip, again going by Walla Crag. Walla Crag is in fact part of Bleaberry Fell, being the outlying north western crags, but is given the status of a separate fell by Lake District writers due to its excellent views and popularity.
Another possible starting point is the hamlet of Dale Bottom on the main Keswick to Ambleside road. It is possible to continue from Bleaberry Fell southerly along the ridge to take in the other Wainwright fells of High Seat and High Tove following a line of old fence posts. This ridge is very boggy.
Geology
The summit of the fell is representative of the Birker Fell Formation. This is composed of plagioclasePlagioclase
Plagioclase is an important series of tectosilicate minerals within the feldspar family. Rather than referring to a particular mineral with a specific chemical composition, plagioclase is a solid solution series, more properly known as the plagioclase feldspar series...
-phyric andesite
Andesite
Andesite is an extrusive igneous, volcanic rock, of intermediate composition, with aphanitic to porphyritic texture. In a general sense, it is the intermediate type between basalt and dacite. The mineral assemblage is typically dominated by plagioclase plus pyroxene and/or hornblende. Magnetite,...
lavas and subordinate sills. To the south en route to High Seat are garnet
Garnet
The garnet group includes a group of minerals that have been used since the Bronze Age as gemstones and abrasives. The name "garnet" may come from either the Middle English word gernet meaning 'dark red', or the Latin granatus , possibly a reference to the Punica granatum , a plant with red seeds...
-bearing porphyric andesite
Andesite
Andesite is an extrusive igneous, volcanic rock, of intermediate composition, with aphanitic to porphyritic texture. In a general sense, it is the intermediate type between basalt and dacite. The mineral assemblage is typically dominated by plagioclase plus pyroxene and/or hornblende. Magnetite,...
. Much of the northern section is overlain by peat and till.
Summit and View
The top is heather clad and carries a number of cairnCairn
Cairn is a term used mainly in the English-speaking world for a man-made pile of stones. It comes from the or . Cairns are found all over the world in uplands, on moorland, on mountaintops, near waterways and on sea cliffs, and also in barren desert and tundra areas...
s. Bleaberry Fell's central position is rewarded by a fine all round view, all of the major fell groups being visible. Derwentwater can be brought into sight by moving to the north west cairn.