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High Street (Lake District)
Encyclopedia
High Street is a fell
in the English Lake District
. At 828 metres (2,718 ft), its summit is the highest point in the far eastern part
of the national park
. The fell is named after the Roman road
which ran over the summit.
and Galava at Ambleside
. Situated in one of the quieter areas of the Lakes, the High Street range has quite gentle slopes with a flat summit plateau
. It was these characteristics which persuaded Roman surveyors to build their road over the fell tops rather than through the valleys which, at the time, were densely forested and marsh
y thus making them susceptible to ambush
es.
The fell's flat summit was also used as a venue for summer fair
s by the local population in the 18th and 19th centuries. People from the surrounding valleys would gather every year on 12 July to return stray sheep to their owners; games and wrestling
would also take place as well as horse racing. The summit of High Street is still known as Racecourse Hill and is so named on maps, and fell ponies
can be found grazing occasionally on its summit. The last of the these summer fairs was held in 1835.
, which flows south through the town of Kendal
before emptying into Morecambe Bay
has its source on High Street's southern slopes. Dropping 300 m in 40 km (1000 feet in 25 miles), the Kent is reputed to be the fastest flowing river in England.
High Street's eastern side is craggy and precipitous as it falls away towards Haweswater Reservoir
. There are two tarn
s underneath the eastern crags — Blea Water and Small Water; Blea Water stands in a classic mountain corrie
and at 200 ft is the deepest tarn in the Lake District.
triangulation
column which has been painted white. The view stretches from the Pennines
in the east to a great arc of Lakeland hills filling the western horizon. The Helvellyn range
and Southern Fells
are particularly striking.
is an exhilarating ridge walk with spectacular views down into Riggindale which may be supplemented by the sight of a Golden Eagle
— Riggindale has the only bird of this kind left in England, a solitary male, which has been on its own there since 2004. High Street can also be climbed from Patterdale
, Kentmere
and Troutbeck
: these are less interesting routes, although the walk from Troutbeck does follow the line of the Roman road. The full south to north traverse of the High Street ridge from Ings near Windermere
to the Eamont valley at the northern end of Ullswater
is a tough 30 kilometre hike over twelve summits, and should only be undertaken by experienced walkers.
Street index
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 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...
. At 828 metres (2,718 ft), its summit is the highest point in the far eastern part
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...
of the national park
National park
A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or owns. Although individual nations designate their own national parks differently A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or...
. The fell is named after the Roman road
Roman road
The Roman roads were a vital part of the development of the Roman state, from about 500 BC through the expansion during the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire. Roman roads enabled the Romans to move armies and trade goods and to communicate. The Roman road system spanned more than 400,000 km...
which ran over the summit.
History and Naming
The Roman road crosses the fell on its journey between the forts of Brocavum near PenrithPenrith, Cumbria
Penrith was an urban district between 1894 and 1974, when it was merged into Eden District.The authority's area was coterminous with the civil parish of Penrith although when the council was abolished Penrith became an unparished area....
and Galava at Ambleside
Ambleside
Ambleside is a town in Cumbria, in North West England.Historically within the county of Westmorland, it is situated at the head of Windermere, England's largest lake...
. Situated in one of the quieter areas of the Lakes, the High Street range has quite gentle slopes with a flat 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...
. It was these characteristics which persuaded Roman surveyors to build their road over the fell tops rather than through the valleys which, at the time, were densely forested and marsh
Marsh
In geography, a marsh, or morass, is a type of wetland that is subject to frequent or continuous flood. Typically the water is shallow and features grasses, rushes, reeds, typhas, sedges, other herbaceous plants, and moss....
y thus making them susceptible to ambush
Ambush
An ambush is a long-established military tactic, in which the aggressors take advantage of concealment and the element of surprise to attack an unsuspecting enemy from concealed positions, such as among dense underbrush or behind hilltops...
es.
The fell's flat summit was also used as a venue for summer fair
Fair
A fair or fayre is a gathering of people to display or trade produce or other goods, to parade or display animals and often to enjoy associated carnival or funfair entertainment. It is normally of the essence of a fair that it is temporary; some last only an afternoon while others may ten weeks. ...
s by the local population in the 18th and 19th centuries. People from the surrounding valleys would gather every year on 12 July to return stray sheep to their owners; games and wrestling
Wrestling
Wrestling is a form of grappling type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. A wrestling bout is a physical competition, between two competitors or sparring partners, who attempt to gain and maintain a superior position...
would also take place as well as horse racing. The summit of High Street is still known as Racecourse Hill and is so named on maps, and fell ponies
Fell pony
The Fell Pony is a versatile, working breed of mountain and moorland pony originating in the north of England in Cumberland and Westmorland and Northumberland. It was originally bred on the fell farms of northwest England, and is used as a riding and driving pony...
can be found grazing occasionally on its summit. The last of the these summer fairs was held in 1835.
Topography
The River KentRiver Kent
The River Kent is a short river in the county of Cumbria in England. The river originates in hills surrounding Kentmere, and flows for around 20 miles into the north of Morecambe Bay. The Lake District National Park includes the upper reaches of the river within its boundaries.The river passes...
, which flows south through the town of Kendal
Kendal
Kendal, anciently known as Kirkby in Kendal or Kirkby Kendal, is a market town and civil parish within the South Lakeland District of Cumbria, England...
before emptying into Morecambe Bay
Morecambe Bay
Morecambe Bay is a large bay in northwest England, nearly due east of the Isle of Man and just to the south of the Lake District National Park. It is the largest expanse of intertidal mudflats and sand in the United Kingdom, covering a total area of 310 km².-Natural features:The rivers Leven,...
has its source on High Street's southern slopes. Dropping 300 m in 40 km (1000 feet in 25 miles), the Kent is reputed to be the fastest flowing river in England.
High Street's eastern side is craggy and precipitous as it falls away towards Haweswater Reservoir
Haweswater Reservoir
Haweswater is a reservoir in the English Lake District, built in the valley of Mardale in the county of Cumbria. The controversial construction of the Haweswater dam started in 1929, after Parliament passed an Act giving the Manchester Corporation permission to build the reservoir to supply water...
. There are two 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 underneath the eastern crags — Blea Water and Small Water; Blea Water stands in a classic mountain corrie
Cirque
Cirque may refer to:* Cirque, a geological formation* Makhtesh, an erosional landform found in the Negev desert of Israel and Sinai of Egypt*Cirque , an album by Biosphere* Cirque Corporation, a company that makes touchpads...
and at 200 ft is the deepest tarn in the Lake District.
Summit and view
A wall follows the ridge over the flat summit, the highest point marked by an Ordnance SurveyOrdnance 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...
triangulation
Triangulation
In trigonometry and geometry, triangulation is the process of determining the location of a point by measuring angles to it from known points at either end of a fixed baseline, rather than measuring distances to the point directly...
column which has been painted white. The view stretches from the Pennines
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...
in the east to a great arc of Lakeland hills filling the western horizon. The Helvellyn range
Helvellyn range
Helvellyn range is the name given to a part of the Eastern Fells in the English Lake District, fell being the local word for hill. The name comes from Helvellyn, the highest point of the group....
and Southern Fells
Southern Fells
Image:Annotated Scafell range.jpg|thumb|300px|The Scafellsrect 23 372 252 419 Slight Side rect 173 794 560 834 Scafell East Buttressrect 707 787 893 861 Esk Pike or Crag rect 245 303 409 358 Sca Fell rect 408 238 637 280 Mickledore Image:Annotated Scafell range.jpg|thumb|300px|The Scafellsrect 23...
are particularly striking.
Ascents
The best ascents of the fell can be undertaken from the east. The climb from MardaleMardale
Mardale is a glacial valley in the Lake District, in northern England. The valley used to have a hamlet at its head, called Mardale Green, but this village was submerged in 1935 when the water level of the valley's lake, Haweswater, was raised to form Haweswater Reservoir by the Manchester...
is an exhilarating ridge walk with spectacular views down into Riggindale which may be supplemented by the sight of a Golden Eagle
Golden Eagle
The Golden Eagle is one of the best known birds of prey in the Northern Hemisphere. Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae. Once widespread across the Holarctic, it has disappeared from many of the more heavily populated areas...
— Riggindale has the only bird of this kind left in England, a solitary male, which has been on its own there since 2004. High Street can also be climbed from Patterdale
Patterdale
Patterdale is a small village and civil parish in the eastern part of the English Lake District in the Eden District of Cumbria, and the long valley in which they are found, also called the Ullswater Valley....
, Kentmere
Kentmere
Kentmere is a valley, village and civil parish in the Lake District National Park, a few miles from Kendal in the South Lakeland district of Cumbria, England. It is historically part of Westmorland...
and Troutbeck
Troutbeck, South Lakeland
Troutbeck is a village in South Lakeland district in Cumbria. It is north of Windermere town, to the west of the A592 road. It is a conservation area and includes the National Trust property of Townend.-Village Amenities:...
: these are less interesting routes, although the walk from Troutbeck does follow the line of the Roman road. The full south to north traverse of the High Street ridge from Ings near Windermere
Windermere (town)
Windermere is a town and civil parish in the South Lakeland District of Cumbria, England. It has a population of 8,245. It lies about half a mile away from the lake, Windermere...
to the Eamont valley at the northern end 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 ....
is a tough 30 kilometre hike over twelve summits, and should only be undertaken by experienced walkers.
External links
- Illustrated ascent from Mardale with downloadable route
- Computer generated summit panorama High
- [http://www.lakedistrictwalks.net/high-street-walk Lake District Walks - High Street walk]
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