Fellbarrow and Low Fell - Fellbarrow walk

Route: Fellbarrow and Low Fell

Area: Western Lake District

Date of walk: 10th January 2025

Walkers: Andrew

Distance: 5.5 miles

Ascent: 1,200 feet

Weather: Sunny, snow on the ground and very cold

I’ve climbed Low Fell on numerous occasions, the last time being in March when the weather was rather different to today’s. Heavy snow earlier in the week was still covering the fells and sunshine and blue skies made a return visit irresistible. I decided to extend the route by climbing both Fellbarrow and Low Fell

I parked as usual in one of the few roadside spaces outside the small settlement of Thackthwaite on the west side of Lorton Vale. It was bitterly cold, -6C at valley level, and I was well wrapped up for the occasion.

I walked into the village and turned right at a signpost next to Thackthwaite Farm, following a rocky (and very icy) lane uphill. This leads out onto the fields and from here the obvious route follows a line of old oak trees up to the intake wall. There are lovely retrospective views from here.

On reaching the intake wall I turned right to follow a grassy path which curves around the fellside into a small raised valley below Watching Crag. I diverted from my usual route to make a detour to Fellbarrow, which lies further along the ridge to the north. The path was concealed beneath deep snow, but luckily a couple of other walkers had cut steps into the fellside as they ascended so I simply followed their tracks. I made it to the ridge line and turned right beside a fence to start the down and up climb to Fellbarrow, the summit of which is marked by an OS trig point. The views from here are good, and looking north I could make out Criffel in Scotland, and to the west lay the Irish Sea. I retraced my steps for a while and then continued along the undulating ridge line leading to Low Fell

A fairly steep section along the way made me decide to put on microspikes, which were a great help, especially on the eventual descent. I arrived at the north top of Low Fell, which some folk think is ‘job done’ and turn back here. In so doing they miss the whole point of the walk, which is the view from the far end of the ridge, about 10 minutes’ walk away. From the cairn just below the south top, at the very end of the ridge, it’s possible to enjoy one of the finest views in lakeland. In the words of Alfred Wainwright, ‘the view is of classical beauty, an inspired and inspiring vision of loveliness…a scene of lakes and mountains arranged to perfection’

The snowy conditions made for a magical scene (visit my YouTube channel for a video panorama). After soaking in the views I retraced steps back to the end of a fantastic winter walk

Click on the icon below for the route map (subscribers to OS Maps can view detailed maps of the route, visualise it in aerial 3D, and download the GPX file. Non-subscribers will see a base map)