Fellbarrow & Low Fell

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Route: Mosser Mains, Fellside Farm, Cat Gill, Hattergill Head, Fellbarrow, Smithy Fell, Sourfoot Fell, Low Fell, Loweswater Fell, Beckhead Moss, Darling Fell, Askill Knott, Loweswater Hall, Waterend

Date: 24/03/2017
From: Mosser Mains

Parking: Roadside parking in Mosser Mains
Start Point: Mosser Mains
Region: Western Fells

Route length: 6.1 miles (9.8 km)
Time taken: 03:03
Average speed: 2.0 mph
Ascent: 613m
Descent: 617m

Wainwrights on this walk:
Fellbarrow - Mosser Fell (416m), Low Fell (423m)

Other Summits:
Hattergill Head (385m), Smithy Fell (392m), Sourfoot Fell (411m), Loweswater Fell (412m), Darling Fell (392m)

Having had an excellent morning savouring the views of Ennerdale from Crag Fell and friends, walking reinforcements had arrived just after lunchtime. With plenty of time left in the day, we sorted some sustenance and bundled into the cars to make the short drive around to Loweswater.

The aim of the afternoon was to leave a car at either end of the Fellbarrow / Low Fell 'range' and walk the whole lot. My car was nominated to head north to Mosser Mains - not a place I was familiar with but the farmer was happy enough for us to leave it by the roadside for the afternoon.

Fellbarrow

The lane to Fellside Farm

At Gill Brow, an obvious path starts up the hillside to Fellside Farm (this is, in fact, their entrance track) where we entered the open fields adjacent to Cat Gill. Following a drystone wall, the ground steepens prior to reaching a shallow depression that separates Hattergill Head from Fellbarrow.

Looking down Cat Gill towards the coast

The coastal plain

Hopegill Head

Graystones with Skiddaw beyond

We made a quick excursion to Hatergill Head and back before starting our southern traverse of the fell. First up is Latterbarrow itself, the principal height to the north of the fell, rewarded with an OS trig pillar.

Fellbarrow's summit pillar

Looking towards Smithy Fell

Smithy Fell looking back to Fellbarrow

The distant Isle of Man

In quick succession, our route crossed the tops of Smithy Fell, Sourfoot Fell before crossing the top of Beckhead Moss to reach Low Fell, the second Wainwright on our route. Low Fell is a fine vantage point with an excellent view of Grasmoor and Buttermere, however, I highly recommend venturing further south to the last height on the ridge - Loweswater Fell.

A fence leads right across the tops

Boundary stone close to Sourfoot Fell

Smithy Fell and Fellbarrow

Sourfoot Fell

Beckhead Moss

Low Fell

Beckhead Moss

Rannerdale Knotts, Hay Stacks and Great Gable

The view begins to reveal itself

Low Fell's summit

The Vale of Lorton from Low Fell

The view from here is sensational with nothing in the foreground to detract from it. I think the following set of pictures says it all.

Approaching Loweswater Fell

Mellbreak

The view towards Buttermere

Whiteside and Grasmoor

The view from Loweswater Fell

The last top for the day is Darling Fell, located across the small valley of Crabtree Beck. In an attempt to retain our height, we decided to retrace our route north to Beckhead Moss, crossing the marshy ground with the aid of the fence that crosses the top.

Low Fell over Beckhead Moss

Sourfoot Fell

Darling Fell

Darling Fell offers its own impressive view before it was time for a steep descent to Loweswater, following a noticeable ridge for a short while and then turning abruptly downhill towards Askill Knott. Once we reached the road we followed the shores of Loweswater back to the car.

Buttermere from Darling Fell

The hills of Scotland

Loweswater

Fellbarrow

Carling Knott

The old Mosser lane

Loweswater

Loweswater

These are a very pleasant set of fells, ones that can be tackled in a half-day as you've seen. Low Fell, in particular, is a glorious little hill with a view that easily belies its modest standing. These are fells to be saved for a good day and today was a good day.