Whitfell
Encyclopedia
Whitfell is a hill in the southwestern part of the Lake District
. It is the highest point between Black Combe
and Harter Fell on the broad ridge to the west of the Duddon Valley
. Views from the summit include the full length of the Duddon Valley including its estuary; the western side of the Coniston fell
s; the Eskdale
fells including Scafell and Bowfell
; much of western Cumbria
including the estuary of the Rivers Esk
, Mite
and Irt
; the Isle of Man
; as well as the hills to the south culminating in Black Combe
.
The hill is relatively infrequently visited, and is a fairly characterless grassy mound, extensively grazed by sheep, though with a very large cairn, whose stones may be from a tumulus
. A bridleway crosses the fell to the north of the summit, but it is probably more frequently visited on a round including Burn Moor, Kinmont Buck Barrow, and Buck Barrow from the summit of the Corney Fell road, a route described by Alfred Wainwright
in his book The Outlying Fells of Lakeland.
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 the highest point between Black Combe
Black Combe
Black Combe is a fell in the south-west corner of the Lake District National Park, just four miles from the Irish Sea. It lies near the west coast of Cumbria in the borough of Copeland and more specifically, an area known as South Copeland...
and Harter Fell on the broad ridge to the west of the Duddon Valley
Duddon Valley
The Duddon Valley is a valley in the Lake District National Park in Cumbria, England. The River Duddon flows through the valley, rising in the mountains between Eskdale and Langdale, before flowing into the Irish Sea near Broughton in Furness...
. Views from the summit include the full length of the Duddon Valley including its estuary; the western side of the Coniston fell
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 :...
s; the Eskdale
Eskdale, Cumbria
Eskdale is a glacial valley and civil parish in the western Lake District National Park in Cumbria, England. It forms part of the Borough of Copeland, and has a population of 264....
fells including Scafell and Bowfell
Bowfell
Bowfell is a pyramid-shaped mountain lying at the heart of the English Lake District, in the Southern Fells area. It is the sixth highest mountain in the lakes and one of the most popular of the Lake District fells...
; much of western Cumbria
Cumbria
Cumbria , is a non-metropolitan county in North West England. The county and Cumbria County Council, its local authority, came into existence in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972. Cumbria's largest settlement and county town is Carlisle. It consists of six districts, and in...
including the estuary of the Rivers Esk
River Esk, Cumbria
The River Esk is a river in the Lake District in Cumbria, England. It is one of two River Esks in Cumbria, and not to be confused with the River Esk which flows on the Scottish side of the border....
, Mite
River Mite
The River Mite is a river in the county of Cumbria in northern England.The valley through which the river Mite runs is called Miterdale. The name Mite is thought to be of British origin and related to a root such as 'meigh': to urinate or dribble, possibly a wry reflection of the relatively minor...
and Irt
River Irt
The River Irt is a river in the county of Cumbria in northern England. It flows from the south-western end of Wast Water, the deepest lake in England, leaving the lake at the foot of Whin Rigg, the southern peak of the famous Wastwater Screes....
; the Isle of Man
Isle of Man
The Isle of Man , otherwise known simply as Mann , is a self-governing British Crown Dependency, located in the Irish Sea between the islands of Great Britain and Ireland, within the British Isles. The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, who holds the title of Lord of Mann. The Lord of Mann is...
; as well as the hills to the south culminating in Black Combe
Black Combe
Black Combe is a fell in the south-west corner of the Lake District National Park, just four miles from the Irish Sea. It lies near the west coast of Cumbria in the borough of Copeland and more specifically, an area known as South Copeland...
.
The hill is relatively infrequently visited, and is a fairly characterless grassy mound, extensively grazed by sheep, though with a very large cairn, whose stones may be from a tumulus
Tumulus
A tumulus is a mound of earth and stones raised over a grave or graves. Tumuli are also known as barrows, burial mounds, Hügelgrab or kurgans, and can be found throughout much of the world. A tumulus composed largely or entirely of stones is usually referred to as a cairn...
. A bridleway crosses the fell to the north of the summit, but it is probably more frequently visited on a round including Burn Moor, Kinmont Buck Barrow, and Buck Barrow from the summit of the Corney Fell road, a route described by 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...
in his book The Outlying Fells of Lakeland.