Gowbarrow Fell
Encyclopedia
Gowbarrow Fell is a fell
in the English
Lake District
. It is an outlier of the Eastern Fells
, standing to the north of Ullswater
and above the famous Aira Force
waterfall.
. This ridge runs parallel to the middle reach of Ullswater, providing fine views of the lake. There are a number of intermediate tops along the way, including Great Meldrum (1,433 ft) Little Meldrum (1,325 ft), and Watermillock Common. Gowbarrow Fell is the high point of Gowbarrow Park, formerly a medieval deer park.
To the west of Gowbarrow Fell, separating it from the foothills of Hart Side
is Aira Beck. This flows down from the rolling fells of the Dodds, passing through the village of Dockray, before turning south toward the shore of Ullswater. Two main waterfalls, High Force and Aira Force
are within this final stretch as the water drops over 200 ft in total. The Aira Force attraction is blessed with two stone bridges at the head and foot, making it one of the most photogenic sites in the District with easy access from a main road. The bridges are of particular interest: the lower is made of vertical stones, not traditional in these parts, while the higher has horizontal stones, more in keeping with the dale customs. The falls and the main body of the fell are owned by the National Trust
.
Gowbarrow Fell's northern boundary is formed by a wide bowl, across which is the domed form of Great Mell Fell
. This basin drains to the north via Thackthwaite Beck and Dacre Beck, ultimately swinging around to the east to join the River Leven.
The southern slopes of Gowbarrow Fell are wooded, providing a picturesque backdrop for views over Ullswater. Above this is a fringe of rock, the main feature being Yew Crag at the south eastern corner of the fell. The woodlands and crags continue eastwards beneath Great and Little Meldrums, a rocky spur jutting out from the latter toward the lake.
noticed daffodils growing on the west side of Gowbarrow. In her Journal she wrote: 'When we were in the woods beyond Gowbarrow park we saw a few daffodils close to the water side.' It was a record that later (in 1804) inspired William Wordsworth
to write one of his most famous poems, Daffodils.
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 National Park
The Lake District National Park is located in the north-west of England and is the largest of the English National Parks and the second largest in the United Kingdom. It is in the central and most-visited part of the Lake District....
. It is an outlier of the Eastern Fells
Eastern Fells
The Eastern Fells are a group of hills in the English Lake District. Centred on Helvellyn they primarily comprise a north south ridge running between Ullswater and Lakeland's Central Valley.-Partition of the Lakeland Fells:...
, standing to the north of 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 ....
and above the famous Aira Force
Aira Force
Aira Force is a waterfall in the English Lake District, in the county of Cumbria. The word force is used in many parts of northern England as a synonym for waterfall it comes from the Old Norse language old Norse word fors....
waterfall.
Topography
The fell stands at the end of a short ridge ascending slowly to the north east towards Little Mell FellLittle Mell Fell
Little Mell Fell is a fell in the English Lake District. It is an outlier of the Eastern Fells, standing to the north of Ullswater. Two miles to the north west is Great Mell Fell, often thought of as its 'twin'.-Topography:...
. This ridge runs parallel to the middle reach of Ullswater, providing fine views of the lake. There are a number of intermediate tops along the way, including Great Meldrum (1,433 ft) Little Meldrum (1,325 ft), and Watermillock Common. Gowbarrow Fell is the high point of Gowbarrow Park, formerly a medieval deer park.
To the west of Gowbarrow Fell, separating it from the foothills of Hart Side
Hart Side
Hart Side is a fell in the English Lake District, being an outlier of the Helvellyn range in the Eastern Fells. The Ordnance Survey maps give the name to a broad saddle dropping from White Stones on Stybarrow Dodd, but Wainwright in his Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells gave the name to the...
is Aira Beck. This flows down from the rolling fells of the Dodds, passing through the village of Dockray, before turning south toward the shore of Ullswater. Two main waterfalls, High Force and Aira Force
Aira Force
Aira Force is a waterfall in the English Lake District, in the county of Cumbria. The word force is used in many parts of northern England as a synonym for waterfall it comes from the Old Norse language old Norse word fors....
are within this final stretch as the water drops over 200 ft in total. The Aira Force attraction is blessed with two stone bridges at the head and foot, making it one of the most photogenic sites in the District with easy access from a main road. The bridges are of particular interest: the lower is made of vertical stones, not traditional in these parts, while the higher has horizontal stones, more in keeping with the dale customs. The falls and the main body of the fell are owned by the National Trust
National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty
The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, usually known as the National Trust, is a conservation organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland...
.
Great Mell Fell
Great Mell Fell is a hill in the Eastern Fells of the English Lake District. It is a north-eastern outlier of the Helvellyn range, but, like its twin Little Mell Fell, is isolated from its fellows, standing in the middle of a flat plain...
. This basin drains to the north via Thackthwaite Beck and Dacre Beck, ultimately swinging around to the east to join the River Leven.
The southern slopes of Gowbarrow Fell are wooded, providing a picturesque backdrop for views over Ullswater. Above this is a fringe of rock, the main feature being Yew Crag at the south eastern corner of the fell. The woodlands and crags continue eastwards beneath Great and Little Meldrums, a rocky spur jutting out from the latter toward the lake.
Summit and view
The summit of the fell is set back to the north, whilst a second top, generally known as Green Hill (1,522 ft), is nearer to the lake. There are many small knolls spread across the wide plateau, but the prevailing landscape is of tough heather and bog. The top bears a triangulation column with a National Trust plaque and provides good views down Patterdale. Better views of Ullswater can be derived from Green Hill.Ascents
The most usual routes of ascent begin from the Aira Force car park. Green Hill can be climbed from near to the waterfall, followed by a traverse northward across the summit plateau. An alternative route follows a terraced path around the south of the fell to Yew Crag and then ascends northward to an old shooting box. The final climb to the summit is very marshy. Access from the north can be gained at Todgill or Dockray. A longer walk can be made by traversing the full ridge from The Hause.William Wordsworth
It was at Gowbarrow that on the 15th April, 1802, Dorothy WordsworthDorothy Wordsworth
Dorothy Mae Ann Wordsworth was an English author, poet and diarist. She was the sister of the Romantic poet William Wordsworth, and the two were close for all of their lives...
noticed daffodils growing on the west side of Gowbarrow. In her Journal she wrote: 'When we were in the woods beyond Gowbarrow park we saw a few daffodils close to the water side.' It was a record that later (in 1804) inspired William Wordsworth
William Wordsworth
William Wordsworth was a major English Romantic poet who, with Samuel Taylor Coleridge, helped to launch the Romantic Age in English literature with the 1798 joint publication Lyrical Ballads....
to write one of his most famous poems, Daffodils.