Sale Fell
Encyclopedia
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
.
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 Sale Fell.
Sale Fell and its twin companion to the west, Ling Fell
, are the final hills with any lakeland character in the north west of the district. Further north across the Vale of Embleton is a final group of very low tops on either side of the Derwent Valley but these are ignored by most guidebooks and hill lists
.
(apart from the all-inclusive Marilyns
.)
The natural boundaries of the fell are Bassenthwaite Lake to the east, Wythop Valley to the south and west, and the Vale of Embleton to the north. Sale Fell is a satellite of Lord's Seat
, the highest of the hills north of Whinlatter. The connecting high ground runs south eastward above the shore of Bassenthwaite before turning inland to the summit of the parent fell. The connection is extremely tenuous, passing along a very narrow strip of land between Wythop Beck and Beck Wythop. These two streams run side by side down the slopes of Lord's Seat before diverging to surround Sale Fell on all sides. Wythop Beck is the main stream of the Wythop Valley, running west around Sale Fell and then out down the narrow wooded defile
which stands between it and Ling Fell. Joining the Dubwath Beck it then flows eastward along the Vale of Embleton and into the northern end of Bassenthwaite. Beck Wythop by contrast cuts through the ridge of high ground running alongside Bassenthwaite, and drops directly into the lake.
Sale Fell itself is an east-west ridge about a mile long, clad primarily in fell grass and bracken The eastern end is heavily forested as part of Wythop Wood. These are mostly conifers, although the mix of trees is gradually changing. There are Forestry Commission offices hidden in the trees at the base of the fell. The summit of the fell is toward the west of the ridge and there are two other tops to the east. Rivings (1,099 ft) and Lothwaite (1,132 ft) are included in some guidebooks
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.
sits on an expanse of grass. The view of the Skiddaw
group is excellent and the Helvellyn range
is also laid out end to end. Most of the District is unfortunately obscured by the Lord's Seat ridge. Bassenthwaite Lake completes the eastern foreground whilst the hills of Galloway are visible across the Solway Firth
.
From the village of Wythop Mill, the road between Ling Fell and Sale Fell provides a starting point, branching off up the fellside at the gate of Kelswick Farm.
There is no ridge connection to Ling Fell although the two can be easily climbed from Wythop Mill.
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....
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...
. It is one of the smallest Wainwrights, but is nevertheless popular with locals, as it offers gentle walking and lovely views across Bassenthwaite Lake
Bassenthwaite Lake
Bassenthwaite Lake is one of the largest water bodies in the English Lake District. It is long and narrow, approximately long and wide, but is also extremely shallow, with a maximum depth of about ....
to 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...
.
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 Sale Fell.
Sale Fell and its twin companion to the west, Ling Fell
Ling Fell
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...
, are the final hills with any lakeland character in the north west of the district. Further north across the Vale of Embleton is a final group of very low tops on either side of the Derwent Valley but these 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...
.
(apart from the all-inclusive Marilyns
Marilyn (hill)
A Marilyn is a mountain or hill in the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland or Isle of Man with a relative height of at least 150 metres , regardless of absolute height or other merit...
.)
The natural boundaries of the fell are Bassenthwaite Lake to the east, Wythop Valley to the south and west, and the Vale of Embleton to the north. Sale Fell is a satellite of 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:...
, the highest of the hills north of Whinlatter. The connecting high ground runs south eastward above the shore of Bassenthwaite before turning inland to the summit of the parent fell. The connection is extremely tenuous, passing along a very narrow strip of land between Wythop Beck and Beck Wythop. These two streams run side by side down the slopes of Lord's Seat before diverging to surround Sale Fell on all sides. Wythop Beck is the main stream of the Wythop Valley, running west around Sale Fell and then out down the narrow wooded defile
Defile (geography)
Defile is a geographic term for a narrow pass or gorge between mountains or hills. It has its origins as a military description of a pass through which troops can march only in a narrow column or with a narrow front...
which stands between it and Ling Fell. Joining the Dubwath Beck it then flows eastward along the Vale of Embleton and into the northern end of Bassenthwaite. Beck Wythop by contrast cuts through the ridge of high ground running alongside Bassenthwaite, and drops directly into the lake.
Sale Fell itself is an east-west ridge about a mile long, clad primarily in fell grass and bracken The eastern end is heavily forested as part of Wythop Wood. These are mostly conifers, although the mix of trees is gradually changing. There are Forestry Commission offices hidden in the trees at the base of the fell. The summit of the fell is toward the west of the ridge and there are two other tops to the east. Rivings (1,099 ft) and Lothwaite (1,132 ft) are included in some guidebooks
Geology
The 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.
Summit and view
A small 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...
sits on an expanse of grass. The view of 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...
group is excellent and 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....
is also laid out end to end. Most of the District is unfortunately obscured by the Lord's Seat ridge. Bassenthwaite Lake completes the eastern foreground whilst the hills of Galloway are visible across 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...
.
Ascents
From the Pheasant Inn at the northern end of the lake, a side road runs west toward Routenbeck and Wythop Mill. A footpath branches off left before the church and makes up the fellside, joining a terrace path higher up. There is now a choice, either making for the western end of the summit ridge or joining it to the east near the forest fence.From the village of Wythop Mill, the road between Ling Fell and Sale Fell provides a starting point, branching off up the fellside at the gate of Kelswick Farm.
There is no ridge connection to Ling Fell although the two can be easily climbed from Wythop Mill.