28th May 2024 - The Mell Fells
Walk Details
Distance walked: 8.2 miles
Total ascent: 2266 ft
OS map used: OL5 - The English Lakes, Northeastern area
Time taken: 4 hrs
Route description: Roadside beneath Great Mell Fell-Brownrigg Farm-Greenrow Farm-Greenah-lane across northern end of Little Mell Fell-Cove-The Hause-Little Mell Fell-The Hause-Lowthwaite-Greenrow Farm-Brownrigg Farm-Great Mell Fell-Roadside beneath Great Mell Fell
Not the best of weather for my second day in the Lake District. A morning of wind and rain saw me visiting the Threlkeld Mining Museum, before I decided to head east after lunchtime with a forecast of better weather, for a walk that would bag both Little Mell Fell and Great Mell Fell. I've visited both of these fells just the once before, and they were on the same walk in June 2010. I set off from the roadside beneath Great Mell Fell with grey and overcast skies, and cloud sitting on the higher fells. The cloud lifted and broke a little to give a few glimpses of the sun, but a few drizzly showers still passed through and it was until the end of the afternoon when I was coming down off Great Mell Fell that the cloud broke up properly.
From the roadside beneath Great Mell Fell close to Brownrigg Farm, I set off by taking the public footpath up the track to Brownrigg Farm, through the farmyard, and across fields to Greenrow Farm. I then followed the footpath north through fields to Greenah and the lane below the western slopes of Little Mell Fell, which I walked north along towards Nabend before turning right to walk east along the lane towards Dacre. Soon after passing the drive for Under Mell House I reached a track on the right, which I took and followed south to the lane by the Cove Caravan and Camping Park. This soon reached a t-junction, here I turned right, and walked up the lane to its top at The Hause, from where I did a there and back ascent of Little Mell Fell. Once back down I walked west along the lane, then turned right to follow the lane past Lowthwaite to reach Greenrow Farm, from where I retraced my steps back to the roadside beneath Great Mell Fell. I did the ascent of Great Mell Fell from here. A track leaves the road and heads through woodland at the bottom of the fell to reach a stile on the right. I crossed this and followed the path up the fell to the summit of Great Mell Fell. After taking in the view I retraced my steps back to where I'd parked my car.
Total ascent: 2266 ft
OS map used: OL5 - The English Lakes, Northeastern area
Time taken: 4 hrs
Route description: Roadside beneath Great Mell Fell-Brownrigg Farm-Greenrow Farm-Greenah-lane across northern end of Little Mell Fell-Cove-The Hause-Little Mell Fell-The Hause-Lowthwaite-Greenrow Farm-Brownrigg Farm-Great Mell Fell-Roadside beneath Great Mell Fell
Not the best of weather for my second day in the Lake District. A morning of wind and rain saw me visiting the Threlkeld Mining Museum, before I decided to head east after lunchtime with a forecast of better weather, for a walk that would bag both Little Mell Fell and Great Mell Fell. I've visited both of these fells just the once before, and they were on the same walk in June 2010. I set off from the roadside beneath Great Mell Fell with grey and overcast skies, and cloud sitting on the higher fells. The cloud lifted and broke a little to give a few glimpses of the sun, but a few drizzly showers still passed through and it was until the end of the afternoon when I was coming down off Great Mell Fell that the cloud broke up properly.
From the roadside beneath Great Mell Fell close to Brownrigg Farm, I set off by taking the public footpath up the track to Brownrigg Farm, through the farmyard, and across fields to Greenrow Farm. I then followed the footpath north through fields to Greenah and the lane below the western slopes of Little Mell Fell, which I walked north along towards Nabend before turning right to walk east along the lane towards Dacre. Soon after passing the drive for Under Mell House I reached a track on the right, which I took and followed south to the lane by the Cove Caravan and Camping Park. This soon reached a t-junction, here I turned right, and walked up the lane to its top at The Hause, from where I did a there and back ascent of Little Mell Fell. Once back down I walked west along the lane, then turned right to follow the lane past Lowthwaite to reach Greenrow Farm, from where I retraced my steps back to the roadside beneath Great Mell Fell. I did the ascent of Great Mell Fell from here. A track leaves the road and heads through woodland at the bottom of the fell to reach a stile on the right. I crossed this and followed the path up the fell to the summit of Great Mell Fell. After taking in the view I retraced my steps back to where I'd parked my car.
Route map
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The undulating top of Gowbarrow Fell to the south as I set off from the roadside beneath Great Mell Fell
I follow the footpath through Brownrigg Farm
and then across fields to Greenrow Farm beneath the slopes Little Mell Fell..
Looking back to Great Mell Fell
On the footpath from Greenrow Farm to Greenah and it looks like the sun is trying to break through the clouds
At Greenah, where the footpath meets the lane beneath the western slopes of Little Mell Fell
I walk down the lane towards Nabend..
..and turn right and take the lane to Thackthwaite, crossing the bridge over Thackthwaite Gill..
Off the lane and onto the byway that heads south across the eastern slopes of Little Mell Fell
Sunshine on the fields to the east
To my left, Heughscar Hill, the northern part of Ullswater, and Arthur's Pike and Bonscale Pike
As I head down towards the campsite beneath the southern end of Little Mell Fell I can see further up Ullswater to Loadpot Hill
Brightness on the fields around Dockray as I head up Little Mell Fell
At the trig point on the summit of Little Mell Fell. The weather and the pudding basin shape of the hill mean that I don't have much of a view.
Looking east to the countryside around Pooley Bridge and the northern end of Ullswater
Great Mell Fell, with cloud sitting low on Blencathra behind
Hallin Fell and the middle part of Ullswater in the distance beyond Little Meldrum, Great Meldrum, and the northern end of Gowbarrow Fell
Back down from Little Mell Fell and I head west along the lane from The Hause
and then north along the lane to Lowthwaite
The sun breaks through the cloud as I walk along the lane past Foxhill Farm..
After arriving back at Greenrow Farm I take the footpath across the fields to Brownrigg Farm
Buttercups and cow parsley in the fields beneath Great Mell Fell
The start of the ascent of Great Mell Fell is along a track..
..and then up a path on the southern slopes of the hill
On the summit of Great Mell Fell
Looking west with Clough Head under cloud on the left, Latrigg, and the southwestern end of Blencathra on the right
and northwest to the rest of Blencathra
The view east towards Penrith
Finally, looking south to Gowbarrow Fell and Place Fell
The cloud breaks up as I head down, and the countryside around Matterdale and Dockray is bathed in the late afternoon sun...
A final shot of the cow parsley and buttercup filled fields beneath Great Mell Fell as I return to where I parked my car