Ling Fell
Encyclopedia
Ling Fell is a small hill in the north west of the Lake District
in the United Kingdom
. It is close to the village of Wythop Mill, from where it can easily be climbed. The fell is shaped like a wide dome, with no particular dangers. Its name derives from the fact that it is largely covered in heather, also known as "ling". The summit has good views of the town of Cockermouth
.
occupy the area between the rivers Derwent and Cocker, a broadly oval swathe of hilly country, elongated on a north-south axis. Two roads cross from east to west, dividing the fells into three convenient groups. The most northerly sector, rising between Whinlatter Pass
and the Vale of Embleton, includes Ling Fell.
Ling Fell and its near twin companion to the east, Sale Fell
, are the final hills with any lakeland character in the north west of the district. Continuing northward across the Vale of Embleton is a final group of very low tops on either side of the Derwent Valley which are ignored by most guidebooks and hill lists
.
Guidebook writer Alfred Wainwright
devoted a chapter to Ling Fell in his influential Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells
. He described it as "an isolated rounded hill...it's unattractive appearance on all sides being accentuated by a dark covering of heather that makes it look gloomy and sulky even on the sunniest of days."
To the south of Ling Fell is the morass of Wythop Moss, and beyond this is a ridge of fells running east to west. These are Lord's Seat
, Broom Fell
and Graystones
and they block all drainage in this direction. The basin of Wythop Moss therefore empties slowly via Tom Rudd Beck around the western flanks of Ling Fell.
Ling Fell and Sale Fell, despite standing side by side, have no topographical connection. Ling Fell's 'parent' is Broom Fell, while Sale Fell is an outlier of Lord's Seat. They are separated by the stream of Wythop Beck which drains a catchment to the east. The two fells act as portals to this shy valley as it descends into the Vale of Embleton.
Ling Fell has no forestry, and the remains of grouse butts demonstrate its former use for country sports.
rocks of the Loweswater Formation. This consists of greywacke
sandstone
turbidities. The southern flanks are of the laminated mudstone
and siltstone
of the Kirk Stile Formation. There is also a small intrusion of dolerite on the northern side.
triangulation
column. The view southwards is cut off by the higher Broom Fell, although the Skiddaw
and Grasmoor
fells are well seen. The best of the panorama is northwards to the Solway Firth
and the hills of Galloway
in Scotland
.
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 the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. It is close to the village of Wythop Mill, from where it can easily be climbed. The fell is shaped like a wide dome, with no particular dangers. Its name derives from the fact that it is largely covered in heather, also known as "ling". The summit has good views of the town of Cockermouth
Cockermouth
-History:The Romans created a fort at Derventio, now the adjoining village of Papcastle, to protect the river crossing, which had become located on a major route for troops heading towards Hadrian's Wall....
.
Topography
The North Western FellsNorth Western Fells
The North Western Fells are a group of hills in the English Lake District. Including such favourites as Catbells and Grisedale Pike, they occupy an oval area beneath the Buttermere and Borrowdale valley systems...
occupy the area between the rivers Derwent and Cocker, a broadly oval swathe of hilly country, elongated on a north-south axis. Two roads cross from east to west, dividing the fells into three convenient groups. The most northerly sector, rising between Whinlatter Pass
Whinlatter Pass
The Whinlatter Pass is a mountain pass in the English Lake District. It is located on the B5292 road linking Braithwaite, to the west of Keswick, with High Lorton to the south of Cockermouth....
and the Vale of Embleton, includes Ling Fell.
Ling Fell and its near twin companion to the east, Sale Fell
Sale Fell
Sale Fell is a small hill near Cockermouth in the English Lake District. It is one of the smallest Wainwrights, but is nevertheless popular with locals, as it offers gentle walking and lovely views across Bassenthwaite Lake to Skiddaw.-Topography:...
, are the final hills with any lakeland character in the north west of the district. Continuing northward across the Vale of Embleton is a final group of very low tops on either side of the Derwent Valley which are ignored by most guidebooks and hill lists
Hill lists in the British Isles
The mountains and hills of Great Britain, and to a lesser extent Ireland, are the subject of a considerable number of lists that categorise them by height, topographic prominence, or other criteria. They are commonly used as a basis for peak bagging, whereby hillwalkers attempt to reach all the...
.
Guidebook writer Alfred 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...
devoted a chapter to Ling Fell in his influential Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells
Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells
A Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells is a series of seven books by A. Wainwright, detailing the fells of the Lake District in northwest England...
. He described it as "an isolated rounded hill...it's unattractive appearance on all sides being accentuated by a dark covering of heather that makes it look gloomy and sulky even on the sunniest of days."
To the south of Ling Fell is the morass of Wythop Moss, and beyond this is a ridge of fells running east to west. These are Lord's Seat
Lord's Seat
Lord's Seat is a fell in the English Lake District. It is the highest of the group of hills north of Whinlatter Pass in the North Western Fells. The slopes of Lord's Seat are extensively forested.-Topography:...
, Broom Fell
Broom Fell
Broom Fell is a small hill in the English Lake District. It lies on a ridge connecting Lord's Seat and Graystones, but is rarely climbed. Alfred Wainwright did however accord it the status of a separate fell in his influential guidebook series, the Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland...
and Graystones
Graystones
Graystones is a fell in the English Lake District. It lies in the North Western Fells region and is one of the peaks on the ridge which encircles the valley of Aiken Beck.-Name:...
and they block all drainage in this direction. The basin of Wythop Moss therefore empties slowly via Tom Rudd Beck around the western flanks of Ling Fell.
Ling Fell and Sale Fell, despite standing side by side, have no topographical connection. Ling Fell's 'parent' is Broom Fell, while Sale Fell is an outlier of Lord's Seat. They are separated by the stream of Wythop Beck which drains a catchment to the east. The two fells act as portals to this shy valley as it descends into the Vale of Embleton.
Ling Fell has no forestry, and the remains of grouse butts demonstrate its former use for country sports.
Geology
The mound of Ling Fell is predominantly composed of OrdovicianOrdovician
The Ordovician is a geologic period and system, the second of six of the Paleozoic Era, and covers the time between 488.3±1.7 to 443.7±1.5 million years ago . It follows the Cambrian Period and is followed by the Silurian Period...
rocks of the Loweswater Formation. This consists of greywacke
Greywacke
Greywacke or Graywacke is a variety of sandstone generally characterized by its hardness, dark color, and poorly sorted angular grains of quartz, feldspar, and small rock fragments or lithic fragments set in a compact, clay-fine matrix. It is a texturally immature sedimentary rock generally found...
sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
turbidities. The southern flanks are of the 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...
of the Kirk Stile Formation. There is also a small intrusion of dolerite on the northern side.
Summit and View
The summit of the fell is smooth and rounded, 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. The view southwards is cut off by the higher Broom Fell, although the Skiddaw
Skiddaw
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...
and 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....
fells are well seen. The best of the panorama is northwards to the Solway Firth
Solway Firth
The Solway Firth is a firth that forms part of the border between England and Scotland, between Cumbria and Dumfries and Galloway. It stretches from St Bees Head, just south of Whitehaven in Cumbria, to the Mull of Galloway, on the western end of Dumfries and Galloway. The Isle of Man is also very...
and the hills of Galloway
Galloway
Galloway is an area in southwestern Scotland. It usually refers to the former counties of Wigtownshire and Kirkcudbrightshire...
in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
.