Bonscale Pike
Encyclopedia
Bonscale Pike is a fell
in the English
Lake District
, standing above Howtown on Ullswater
. It is the northern end of a spur running north north west from Loadpot Hill
on the main ridge of the Far Eastern Fells
.
–falls to Ullswater through a ravine. The western boundary is formed by Fusedale Beck which also flows to the lake.
Bonscale Pike would be unlikely to register as a separate fell, but for the craggy western face. This is seen to best effect from Howtown or from a steamer on Ullswater, and swayed Wainwright
to give the top a chapter in its own right.
s) may be prominent in the views from below. Bonscale Tower is the lower one, and both are placed on the rim of the crags. The actual summit is marked by a small cairn on a grassy mound, some yards behind. The view is masked to the south by Loadpot Hill, but the Helvellyn
s are well seen across the lake.
, a path slanting up across the breast of the fell. The crags can either be rounded to the north via the beacons, or via a more direct line to the south. The latter has no clear path. A fair path runs along the ridge to Loadpot Hill, crossing the High Street roman road to the south of Brock Crag, a number of old boundary stones being encountered on this route. A traverse can also be made to Arthur's Pike, crossing Swarthbeck Gill near its source.
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 English
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...
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...
, standing above Howtown on Ullswater
Ullswater
Ullswater is the second largest lake in the English Lake District, being approximately nine miles long and 0.75 miles wide with a maximum depth of slightly more than ....
. It is the northern end of a spur running north north west from Loadpot Hill
Loadpot Hill
Loadpot Hill is a fell in the English Lake District, between Haweswater and Ullswater.-Topography:Although of moderate height, Loadpot Hill and its descending ridges cover an area of around...
on the main ridge of the Far Eastern Fells
Far Eastern Fells
The Far Eastern Fells are a group of hills in the English Lake District. Reaching their highest point at High Street they occupy a broad area to the east of Ullswater and Kirkstone Pass. Much quieter than the central areas of Lakeland they offer in general easier but less exciting walking as the...
.
Topography
From Loadpot Hill the ridge gradually narrows on the approach to Bonscale Pike, first crossing a marshy area and then the domed intermediate top of Swarth Fell, (1,788 ft). The ground from here onward is easy going with a covering of fell grass. Bonscale Pike stands on the north facing point as the boundaries of the ridge converge. Swarthbeck Gill on the east–which separates the fell from its twin, Arthur's PikeArthur's Pike
Arthur's Pike is a fell in the English Lake District, near Ullswater. It is a subsidiary top on the ridge falling north from Loadpot Hill in the Far Eastern Fells. An extensive craggy face stands above the lower reach of Ullswater.-Topography:...
–falls to Ullswater through a ravine. The western boundary is formed by Fusedale Beck which also flows to the lake.
Bonscale Pike would be unlikely to register as a separate fell, but for the craggy western face. This is seen to best effect from Howtown or from a steamer on Ullswater, and swayed Wainwright
Alfred Wainwright
Alfred Wainwright MBE was a British fellwalker, guidebook author and illustrator. His seven-volume Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells, published between 1955 and 1966 and consisting entirely of reproductions of his manuscript, has become the standard reference work to 214 of the fells of the...
to give the top a chapter in its own right.
Summit and View
Depending upon their state of repair, two fine beacons (columnar 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) may be prominent in the views from below. Bonscale Tower is the lower one, and both are placed on the rim of the crags. The actual summit is marked by a small cairn on a grassy mound, some yards behind. The view is masked to the south by Loadpot Hill, but the Helvellyn
Helvellyn
Helvellyn is a mountain in the English Lake District, the apex of the Eastern Fells. At above sea level, it is the third highest peak in both the Lake District and England...
s are well seen across the lake.
Ascents
Ascent is usually from HowtownHowtown
Howtown is a hamlet in Cumbria, England, situated at a small harbour on the east shore of Ullswater in the Lake District.Howtown is about three and a half miles from Pooley Bridge and is best reached by water...
, a path slanting up across the breast of the fell. The crags can either be rounded to the north via the beacons, or via a more direct line to the south. The latter has no clear path. A fair path runs along the ridge to Loadpot Hill, crossing the High Street roman road to the south of Brock Crag, a number of old boundary stones being encountered on this route. A traverse can also be made to Arthur's Pike, crossing Swarthbeck Gill near its source.