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" Route-66 to Sale Fell "

Date & start time:      30th March 2021.   2.15 pm start.

Location of Start :     Brumston Bridge, Wythop Valley, Cumbria, Uk. ( NY 185 293).

Places visited :          Kelsick Farm, the Old Church, Lothwaite, Sale Fell (and Bass Lake Stn).

Walk details :              3.1 mls, 850 ft of ascent, 1 hours 30 mins.

Highest point :           Sale Fell, 1167 ft - 359 m.

Walked with :             Myself and the dogs, Dylan and Dougal.

Weather :                    Sunshine and blue skies all the way.

© Crown copyright. All rights reserved. Licence number PU 100034184.

 

Time out of the valley for a change as I jump in the car and travel the Wythop Valley and park at Brumston Bridge.

Sale Fell is one of the more northern of the Wainwright fells and nestles in the corner at the top of Bass Lake

where the A66 roadway curves round the fells and heads west for Cockermouth and the coast.

The signpost at the Hundeth Hill turn on Lorton Road, points the way to Wythop (3 miles away).

Leaving Grasmoor and the Lorton Valley in the rear view mirror today.

The high fell ahead is Skiddaw, but this side of it are Sale Fell on the left and Ling Fell to the right.

Sale Fell looks much smaller but the perspective plays tricks and it is only 14m lower than Ling.

Plenty of space at the Brumston Bridge area as it is late lunchtime on the Tuesday before Easter.

The covid rules now allow six non-bubbled people to walk together which means the regulations are easing nicely.

Ahead is the open gate to Kelsick Farm, already utilised by my two companions, Dylan and Dougal.

We'll follow the road at the start of the walk.
Wythop Beck meanders in the narrow valley below.

Kelsick Farm  has a fine display of daffodils.

Many of them, like these ones in their small woodland, are a smaller and possibly older variety than normal.

The route continues on beyond the farm as a grassy track.

Across the Wythop Valley are the higher fells of Lords Seat and Broom Fell.

Just before entering Chapel Woods we find the remains of the old chapel.

A new church has been built in a more accessible position on the northern side of the fell.

Lovely deciduous woodland flanks this side of the fell.

As the track rises out of the woodland we start to get clearer views of Skiddaw.

The slightly purple fell in front is Ullock Pike which leads on to Longside Edge and Carlside.

Skiddaw's Dodd Fell is visible for the first time on the walk.

Nearing the top of the track the view now include sight of the head waters of Bassenthwaite Lake

and beyond it the town of Keswick.

The track continues onward into the Routenbeck forestry so we take a left and climb diagonally up the slopes of Lothwaite Fell.

Beyond Keswick the northern half of the Helvellyn Ridge and Bleaberry Fell provide the background.

Looking down over the gorse bushes and across the lake to the chalet site on Scarness Bay.

The fells beyond are now the Back O'Skiddaw group including the Cockups, Great Sca Fell and Knott.

Nearly there as my energetic companions beat me to the top once again . . . nothing new there !

Looking north east to Binsey and the village of Bassenthwaite spread out before it.

The wider view from the summit of Lothwaite Fell.

- - - o o o - - -

 

 

Normally I would photograph the rather nice seat

that adorns this upper part of the ridge.

Today however it was already occupied

so to photograph it would seem rather intrusive.

 

 

However to the side of the chair is a new memorial stone.

From the simple inscription

we learn that the young child remembered had the shortest of lives

and "completed his first Wainwright"

eight days after he died.

 

In memory of Jack Thomas Howe.

 

- - - o o o - - -

Moving our thoughts back to the surroundings I notice that the lake levels are still high after recent rains.

The top end of Bassenthwaite currently extend into the flood plains at the keswick end of the lake.

Walking Lothwaite, heading towards our highest point on the top of Sale Fell.

The long cold spring has not allowed the grass to green-up yet and the northern side of the fell still holds its yellow winter hue.

A minor cairn on the highest part of The Rivings

before we head down into the dip and follow another fell walker through the distant gateway opposite.

From the top of Sale Fell there's a fine view today, albeit slightly hazy due to the bright sun out to the west.

Click here or on the photo above for a 360 degree annotated panorama.

Down now past Dodd Crag and looking across to Embleton and the trees on Setmurthy Common.

No Dougal hasn't changed colour . . . the spaniel belongs to a fellow walker who I walked with for a while.

We go our separate ways, and I head down the steep path back to the car parked down in the woods.

- - - o o o - - -

Rather than drive straight home I took the scenic route, passing the Pheasant Inn which changed hands last year

and seems to be getting a make-over before re-opening to the public.

Close by the A66 is the Silver Meadows Nature Reserve.

Normally there's a series of paths and walkways to allow you to tour the wetland reserve.

With the higher flood water levels the meadows could perhaps be re-named the 'Silver Pools' Reserve.

The walkway here just leads down into deep water !

Finally a quick view of Bass Lake Station which now boasts a newly re-built platform building.

Their Facebook page tells of work progressing slowly, working towards an opening date sometime during the summer.

The restaurant car cafe is nearly ready, now for the rest . . . they may even be recruiting staff if you are interested ?

- - - o o o - - -

 

Technical note: Pictures generally taken with my Panasonic Lumix Gx8 Camera.

Resized in Photoshop, and built up on a Dreamweaver web builder.

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Go to Home Page . . . © RmH . . . Email me here

Previous walk - 27th March - A local Watergate Round Walk

A previous time up here - 17th January 2011 Sale Fell near Wythop

Next walk - 1st April - The High Stile Ridge