The Nab
Encyclopedia
The Nab is a fell
in the English Lake District
. It has a moderate height of 576 metres (1,890 feet), and lies in the quieter eastern high ground between Ullswater
and Haweswater Reservoir
. The Nab is included in Alfred Wainwright
's list of Lakeland fells and many walkers feel compelled to climb it to complete their list of 'Wainwrights' even though it is not a significant fell and is awkward to reach.
, one of the horseshoe of fells surrounding the Martindale
catchment. It divides the valleys of Bannerdale and Rampsgill, which meet below the nose of the ridge to form How Grain. The sides of the ridge are steep and rough, but the top is broad and level. It is scarred by peat
hags, some deeper than a man.
The Nab is now open access under the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000
so things seem to have changed these days; there are still 'Private' notices posted, but the barbed wire and barricades have gone and walkers seem to be tolerated except during the stalking season. It is probably still a good idea to check with the Dalemain Estate (who administer the property) at their offices in Pooley Bridge
to see if walking is allowed on a specific date.
Anybody approaching from the north will see 'The Bungalow' in Martindale which was formerly a shooting lodge built in 1910 by the Earl of Lonsdale
for the visiting Kaiser Wilhelm
and is now a holiday cottage available to rent.
A report from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
found that Martindale deer may be the only pure blooded Red Deer left in England as many herds become cross bred with genes from the Sika Deer
.
. Although the view is obstructed by higher ground southward there is an end to end view of the Helvellyn range
above Angletarn Pikes
.
Most walkers who reach the summit of The Nab do not risk the wrath of the Dalemain Estate and avoid Martindale altogether, attaining the highest point by approaching and leaving along the boggy ridge which links with the neighbouring fell of Rest Dodd
. This route has the added attraction of seeing the herds of Red deer
on the open fell. The best starting point for this uncontroversial ascent of The Nab is Hartsop
village in Patterdale
, just off the A592 main road, where there is a large car park; this circular walk also takes in the 'Wainwright fells' of Brock Crags
, Rest Dodd
and Angletarn Pikes
before descending back to Hartsop.
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...
. It has a moderate height of 576 metres (1,890 feet), and lies in the quieter eastern high ground between 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 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...
. The Nab is included in 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...
's list of Lakeland fells and many walkers feel compelled to climb it to complete their list of 'Wainwrights' even though it is not a significant fell and is awkward to reach.
Topography
The Nab is a top on the northern ridge of Rest DoddRest Dodd
Rest Dodd is a fell in the English Lake District. It is situated in the quieter far eastern region of the national park and reaches a height of 696 metres...
, one of the horseshoe of fells surrounding the Martindale
Martindale, Cumbria
Martindale is a valley and civil parish in Cumbria, England, situated within the Lake District National Park between the lakes of Ullswater and Haweswater...
catchment. It divides the valleys of Bannerdale and Rampsgill, which meet below the nose of the ridge to form How Grain. The sides of the ridge are steep and rough, but the top is broad and level. It is scarred by peat
Peat
Peat is an accumulation of partially decayed vegetation matter or histosol. Peat forms in wetland bogs, moors, muskegs, pocosins, mires, and peat swamp forests. Peat is harvested as an important source of fuel in certain parts of the world...
hags, some deeper than a man.
Access and History
When Alfred Wainwright wrote his pictorial guide to the Far Eastern Fells in the 1950s The Nab, as part of the Martindale Deer Forest was strictly out of bounds. He wrote in the chapter on The Nab:The Nab is now open access under the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000
Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000
The Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 is a UK Act of Parliament which came into force on 30 November 2000.As of September 2007, not all sections of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act have yet come into force...
so things seem to have changed these days; there are still 'Private' notices posted, but the barbed wire and barricades have gone and walkers seem to be tolerated except during the stalking season. It is probably still a good idea to check with the Dalemain Estate (who administer the property) at their offices in Pooley Bridge
Pooley Bridge
Pooley Bridge is a village in the Eden District of the northwestern English county of Cumbria, within the traditional borders of Westmorland....
to see if walking is allowed on a specific date.
Anybody approaching from the north will see 'The Bungalow' in Martindale which was formerly a shooting lodge built in 1910 by the Earl of Lonsdale
Earl of Lonsdale
Earl of Lonsdale is a title that has been created twice in British history, firstly in the Peerage of Great Britain in 1784 , and then in the Peerage of the United Kingdom in 1807, both times for members of the Lowther family....
for the visiting Kaiser Wilhelm
William II, German Emperor
Wilhelm II was the last German Emperor and King of Prussia, ruling the German Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia from 15 June 1888 to 9 November 1918. He was a grandson of the British Queen Victoria and related to many monarchs and princes of Europe...
and is now a holiday cottage available to rent.
A report from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is the government department responsible for environmental protection, food production and standards, agriculture, fisheries and rural communities in the United Kingdom...
found that Martindale deer may be the only pure blooded Red Deer left in England as many herds become cross bred with genes from the Sika Deer
Sika Deer
The Sika Deer, Cervus nippon, also known as the Spotted Deer or the Japanese Deer, is a species of deer native to much of East Asia and introduced to various other parts of the world...
.
Summit and view
The grassy dome of the summit is marked by 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...
. Although the view is obstructed by higher ground southward there is an end to end view of 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....
above Angletarn Pikes
Angletarn Pikes
Angletarn Pikes, is a fell in the English Lake District, near the village of Patterdale. Its most notable feature is the summit tarn from which it derives its name.-Topography:...
.
Ascents
The route from Martindale to the summit follows a well engineered stalkers path which zig-zags up the fell and avoids any difficulties by by-passing the crags of Nab End just below the summit.Most walkers who reach the summit of The Nab do not risk the wrath of the Dalemain Estate and avoid Martindale altogether, attaining the highest point by approaching and leaving along the boggy ridge which links with the neighbouring fell of Rest Dodd
Rest Dodd
Rest Dodd is a fell in the English Lake District. It is situated in the quieter far eastern region of the national park and reaches a height of 696 metres...
. This route has the added attraction of seeing the herds of Red deer
Red Deer
The red deer is one of the largest deer species. Depending on taxonomy, the red deer inhabits most of Europe, the Caucasus Mountains region, Asia Minor, parts of western Asia, and central Asia. It also inhabits the Atlas Mountains region between Morocco and Tunisia in northwestern Africa, being...
on the open fell. The best starting point for this uncontroversial ascent of The Nab is Hartsop
Hartsop
Hartsop is a small village in the English Lake District. It lies in the Patterdale valley, near Brothers Water, Hayeswater and Kirkstone Pass.It consists of 17th Century grey stone cottages, like so many of its neighbours. Hartsop retains its historic image, in that, in common with a number of...
village in 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....
, just off the A592 main road, where there is a large car park; this circular walk also takes in the 'Wainwright fells' of Brock Crags
Brock Crags
Brock Crags is a fell in the English Lake District, standing above Hartsop in the Far Eastern Fells. It forms part of the perimeter of Martindale, lying on the long ridge from Rampsgill Head to Place Fell.-Location of summit:...
, Rest Dodd
Rest Dodd
Rest Dodd is a fell in the English Lake District. It is situated in the quieter far eastern region of the national park and reaches a height of 696 metres...
and Angletarn Pikes
Angletarn Pikes
Angletarn Pikes, is a fell in the English Lake District, near the village of Patterdale. Its most notable feature is the summit tarn from which it derives its name.-Topography:...
before descending back to Hartsop.