The Shap Fells

The hottest August on record saw us in the far east of the Lake District, walking the Shap Fells as part of our quest to complete Wainwright's outlying fells.

The hills here do not comprise individual, distinctive peaks but are rather a rolling massif of grassland and distinctive pink granite. The landscape around the pretty, linear village of Shap is beautiful; pastoral, gentle and far reaching with panoramas on a scale we have not often seen in the Lakes.

The remote valley of Wet Sleddale was a delight. It felt truly unspoiled, filled with birdsong, trees and small hillocks covered in purple flowering heather. The reservoir, although obviously a man made shape when viewed from above, had wading birds around the shoreline, was Scots Pine lined and very pleasant to walk beside on a warm early morning. The fells above Wet Sleddale were rolling rather than steep, grassy rather than rocky and completely devoid of people, even in the middle of August. Vast grasslands, small tarns and stunning views made this a wonderfully peaceful place to walk, then sit and admire the panoramas.

The limestone outcrop of Knipescar Common has become a firm favourite. A beautiful plateau with the most incredible panorama; stretching from the village of Shap, to all the high fells around Haweswater, to the northern fells and right round to the Pennines. An absolutely extraordinary view from a very modest little fell. Time was spent hunting for a stone circle or ancient enclosure in the bracken, finding stones but unable to view the whole, then enjoying something to eat in what has to be one of the most beautiful lunch spots.

High on the Shap Fells, we ventured over towards Crookdale early one morning, climbing over surprisingly marshy ground as the heat began to build. Toiling up the first grass covered bulk, we stopped often to catch our breath and the breeze, and to take on water. The summit was shimmering in a haze of heat, and time was spent searching for the three small stones making up the summit. Discussions were had as to whether to venture on to another, higher peak given the heat, but on we ploughed. The breeze thankfully cooled us as we climbed higher; the views opening out over Crookdale, the Long Sleddale fells and the hazy Pennines on the horizon. The summit was unclear; we ventured on further, wasting precious energy, then had to re-trace our steps and climb a wall in order to find a concrete summit ring buried in the grass, marking the true summit. The descent was swift, but in the bottom of the small valley out of the breeze, the heat had reached fearsome proportions and, after labouring up the other side of the valley, we felt ourselves overheating and dripping with perspiration. A quick breather, taking long, deep gulps of water and dousing ourselves liberally from a small marshy pool, revived us enough at the end of the climb for the walk back to the car to a welcome change of clothes and refreshment.

A beautiful area; one that really made an impression on us and one we will return to, of that I have no doubt.

beautiful wet sleddale

SCOTS PINES ALONG THE SHORE

views from the fells above wet sleddale

photos don’t do the panorama from knipescar common justice

crookdale