Gavel Fell
Encyclopedia
Gavel Fell is a hill in the English
Lake District
. Centremost of the five Loweswater Fells in the western part of the District, it stands between Hen Comb
and Blake Fell
. Of moderate altitude it can be climbed from Loweswater village
, or from Croasdale to the west.
occupy a triangular sector of the Lake District, bordered by the River Cocker to the north east and Wasdale
to the south east. Westwards the hills diminish toward the coastal plain of Cumberland. At the central hub of the high country are Great Gable
and its satellites, while two principal ridges fan out on either flank of Ennerdale
, the western fells in effect being a great horseshoe around this long wild valley. Gavel Fell and the other Loweswater Fells form the extremity of the northern arm.
The Loweswater Fells have been compared to the digits of a hand, radiating out south westward from the "palm" centred on Loweswater village. From the west these are Burnbank Fell
, Blake Fell
, Gavel Fell, Hen Comb
and Mellbreak
, the "thumb".
Gavel Fell being the "middle finger" has a long ridge running south west from the valley. This rises gently at first past High Nook farm, before accelerating its climb up the face of Black Crag to the summit plateau. A subsidiary top (1,601 ft) is reached first, unnamed on Ordnance Survey
maps but referred to as High Nook in some guidebooks. The ridge widens, damply, and turns south at the summit, dropping over a rough patch of ground named White Oak. Beyond is Banna Fell (1,496 ft), which could lay claim to separate status but is generally considered a subsidiary of Gavel Fell. Banna Fell has a very prominent eastern top named Floutern Cop (1,480 ft).
On the Loweswater
side Gavel Fell is neatly contained by Highnook Beck to the north west and Whiteoak Beck to the east. These merge beneath the nose of the ridge at High Nook Farm, before joining Dub Beck, the outflow of Loweswater. One of the feeders of Highnook Beck is High Nook Tarn, a small pool with a low earth dam. Tarns
are unusual in this part of the District, although Gavel Fell has a share in a second on its southern boundary. This is Floutern Tarn, lying beneath Floutern Cop. A long brooding pool with a depth of about 12 ft, Floutern Tarn drains east and then north into the morass of Mosedale. A walker's pass crosses beside Floutern, providing access from Buttermere
to Ennerdale
. The western side follows Gill Beck, the southern boundary of Gavel Fell. The western face of the fell is drained by Croasdale Beck, a tributary of the Ehen.
range. These consist of laminated mudstone
and siltstone
.
Whiteoak Lead Mine consisted of several levels and a shaft, operating between 1864 and 1891. This was worked on both flanks of Whiteoak Gill, but failed to achieve commercial success. There are also the remains of an iron mine near the outlet of Floutern Tarn, worked patchily through the 1860s.
on a grassy plateau. The view seawards is blocked in part by Blake Fell, but there is a fine array of fells eastward. The Grasmoor
group form the highlight.
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...
. Centremost of the five Loweswater Fells in the western part of the District, it stands between Hen Comb
Hen Comb
Hen Comb is a fell in the west of the English Lake District. One of the Loweswater Fells it lies to the south of Loweswater lake and Loweswater village...
and Blake Fell
Blake Fell
Blake Fell is a hill in the Western part of the English Lake District. It is the highest point of the Loweswater Fells, an area of low grassy hills with steep sides overlooking the lake of Loweswater. The fell also overlooks the village of Loweswater, from which it can be climbed. An alternative...
. Of moderate altitude it can be climbed from Loweswater village
Loweswater, Cumbria
Loweswater is a village and civil parish in the county of Cumbria, England.-Village:The village lies between the Lake District lakes of Loweswater and Crummock Water, about south of Cockermouth and within the Lake District National Park...
, or from Croasdale to the west.
Topography
The Western FellsWestern Fells
The Western Fells are a group of hills in the English Lake District. Centred on Great Gable they occupy a triangular area between Buttermere and Wasdale...
occupy a triangular sector of the Lake District, bordered by the River Cocker to the north east and Wasdale
Wasdale
Wasdale is a valley and civil parish in the western part of the Lake District National Park in Cumbria, England. The River Irt flows through the valley to its estuary at Ravenglass. A large part of the main valley floor is occupied by Wastwater, the deepest lake in England...
to the south east. Westwards the hills diminish toward the coastal plain of Cumberland. At the central hub of the high country are Great Gable
Great Gable
Great Gable is a mountain lying at the very heart of the English Lake District, appearing as a pyramid from Wasdale , but as a dome from most other directions. It is one of the most popular of the Lakeland fells, and there are many different routes to the summit...
and its satellites, while two principal ridges fan out on either flank of Ennerdale
Ennerdale
Ennerdale may refer to:* Ennerdale, Gauteng, a suburb of Johannesburg, South Africa* Ennerdale Water, a lake in the Lake District in England**Ennerdale Bridge, a nearby settlement...
, the western fells in effect being a great horseshoe around this long wild valley. Gavel Fell and the other Loweswater Fells form the extremity of the northern arm.
The Loweswater Fells have been compared to the digits of a hand, radiating out south westward from the "palm" centred on Loweswater village. From the west these are Burnbank Fell
Burnbank Fell
Burnbank Fell is a small hill in the west of the English Lake District. It is the most westerly of the Loweswater Fells, a group of low grassy hills lying just south of Loweswater. The hill is predominantly grassy with sprawling flanks and a broad ridge connecting it to Blake Fell...
, Blake Fell
Blake Fell
Blake Fell is a hill in the Western part of the English Lake District. It is the highest point of the Loweswater Fells, an area of low grassy hills with steep sides overlooking the lake of Loweswater. The fell also overlooks the village of Loweswater, from which it can be climbed. An alternative...
, Gavel Fell, Hen Comb
Hen Comb
Hen Comb is a fell in the west of the English Lake District. One of the Loweswater Fells it lies to the south of Loweswater lake and Loweswater village...
and Mellbreak
Mellbreak
Mellbreak is a hill in the Western part of the English Lake District. Despite being surrounded on all sides by higher fells , it stands in isolation. It is surrounded on three sides by a 'moat' of deep marshy land, and on the east side by the lake of Crummock Water...
, the "thumb".
Gavel Fell being the "middle finger" has a long ridge running south west from the valley. This rises gently at first past High Nook farm, before accelerating its climb up the face of Black Crag to the summit plateau. A subsidiary top (1,601 ft) is reached first, unnamed on Ordnance Survey
Ordnance Survey
Ordnance Survey , an executive agency and non-ministerial government department of the Government of the United Kingdom, is the national mapping agency for Great Britain, producing maps of Great Britain , and one of the world's largest producers of maps.The name reflects its creation together with...
maps but referred to as High Nook in some guidebooks. The ridge widens, damply, and turns south at the summit, dropping over a rough patch of ground named White Oak. Beyond is Banna Fell (1,496 ft), which could lay claim to separate status but is generally considered a subsidiary of Gavel Fell. Banna Fell has a very prominent eastern top named Floutern Cop (1,480 ft).
On the Loweswater
Loweswater
Loweswater is one of the smaller lakes in the English Lake District. The village of Loweswater is situated at the foot of the lake.The lake is not far from Cockermouth and is also easily reached from elsewhere in West Cumbria. The group of fells to the south of Loweswater is known as the Loweswater...
side Gavel Fell is neatly contained by Highnook Beck to the north west and Whiteoak Beck to the east. These merge beneath the nose of the ridge at High Nook Farm, before joining Dub Beck, the outflow of Loweswater. One of the feeders of Highnook Beck is High Nook Tarn, a small pool with a low earth dam. Tarns
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...
are unusual in this part of the District, although Gavel Fell has a share in a second on its southern boundary. This is Floutern Tarn, lying beneath Floutern Cop. A long brooding pool with a depth of about 12 ft, Floutern Tarn drains east and then north into the morass of Mosedale. A walker's pass crosses beside Floutern, providing access from Buttermere
Buttermere
Buttermere is a lake in the English Lake District in North West England. The adjacent village of Buttermere takes its name from the lake. Historically within the former county of Cumberland, the lake is now within the county of Cumbria. It is owned by the National Trust, forming part of their...
to Ennerdale
Ennerdale
Ennerdale may refer to:* Ennerdale, Gauteng, a suburb of Johannesburg, South Africa* Ennerdale Water, a lake in the Lake District in England**Ennerdale Bridge, a nearby settlement...
. The western side follows Gill Beck, the southern boundary of Gavel Fell. The western face of the fell is drained by Croasdale Beck, a tributary of the Ehen.
Geology and Mining
Gavel Fell is formed from rocks of the Kirk Stile Formation, commonly associated with the SkiddawSkiddaw
Skiddaw is a mountain in the Lake District National Park in England. With a summit at 931 m above sea level it is the fourth highest mountain in England. It lies just north of the town of Keswick, Cumbria, and dominates the skyline in this part of the northern lakes...
range. These consist of laminated mudstone
Mudstone
Mudstone is a fine grained sedimentary rock whose original constituents were clays or muds. Grain size is up to 0.0625 mm with individual grains too small to be distinguished without a microscope. With increased pressure over time the platey clay minerals may become aligned, with the...
and siltstone
Siltstone
Siltstone is a sedimentary rock which has a grain size in the silt range, finer than sandstone and coarser than claystones.- Description :As its name implies, it is primarily composed of silt sized particles, defined as grains 1/16 - 1/256 mm or 4 to 8 on the Krumbein phi scale...
.
Whiteoak Lead Mine consisted of several levels and a shaft, operating between 1864 and 1891. This was worked on both flanks of Whiteoak Gill, but failed to achieve commercial success. There are also the remains of an iron mine near the outlet of Floutern Tarn, worked patchily through the 1860s.
Summit and View
The highest point is marked by a large 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...
on a grassy plateau. The view seawards is blocked in part by Blake Fell, but there is a fine array of fells eastward. The Grasmoor
Grasmoor
Grasmoor is a mountain in the north-western part of the Lake District, northern England. It is the highest peak in a group of hills between the villages of Lorton, Braithwaite and Buttermere, and overlooks Crummock Water....
group form the highlight.