The Eastern Fells – Day 1
Introduction
Having had to cancel my planned trip to Provence in September to cycle up Mont Ventoux I was lucky to find an AirBnB with a short week’s availability in Penruddock, near Carlisle. It’s a good base for tackling Wainwright’s Eastern Fells, of which I still had fourteen outstanding. That number is now down to four. Penruddock would be handy for the Far Eastern Fells too, especially as the bridge at Pooley Bridge has re-opened since my visit. I’ve still got sixteen of them left!
Gowbarrow Fell & Glenridding Dodd
Monday 12 October
The day was damp and overcast, brightening slightly at times but with more persistent rain in the afternoon.
Gowbarrow Fell
Parking in the National Trust car park at Aira Force I found there was a Covid-restriction one-way system in place directing visitors up the west side of the falls and down the east. I had to go up to the second bridge to cross the beck and get on the path which passes Yew Crag before turning north. It’s a pleasant walk with good views of Ullswater as far as Yew Crag.
Leaving the summit I followed a different path down to near Dockray. It was steeper and muddier than the Yew Crag route, and has been maintained with rocks in places. Four times I was asked “Is it far to the top?” and “Is there a different way back?” A field away from Dockray a path on the east side of the beck and the falls leads back to the car park.
Glenridding Dodd
Wainwright’s suggested route from Glenridding doesn’t seem possible these days. Access to the open fell can only be made through gates marked ‘Private’ in full view of nearby houses. I hastily devised a Plan B and parked in a layby on the lake road just after two private houses. Walking back past their drives and crossing Mossdale Beck there is another layby with a bus-stop (closed for storing highway vehicles on this visit). An unsigned path leaves from the northern end of the layby. This path is obviously little walked and is rather overgrown. It’s moderately steep, stony and wet.
After a stile over the intake fence the path becomes much steeper, with wet, slippery mud, stones and tree roots. It’s “out of breath, stop and rest” steep! At about 320m the gradient eases to a gentle slope rising to meet a wall. The path to the top of Glenridding Dodd starts the other side of the wall (there is a gap) and is clear all the way.
Coming back down by the same route the steepest part was “tread gingerly, watch every step, hold on to whatever you can” steep. Throughout the walk I saw no humans, just three Herdwick sheep.
Comments
The Eastern Fells – Day 1 — No Comments
HTML tags allowed in your comment: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <s> <strike> <strong>