Difficulty: Easy
Guide: Book Six – The North-Western Fells
Sale Fell is the furthest outcrop of the North-Western fells, providing far reaching views across to the coast, the Isle of Man and even Scotland, as well as out over Bassenthwaite Lake. It’s a neat little walk and can be easily done as a circular route within an hour! Perfect as an introduction to Lakeland or as a small leg stretch for the experienced walker.
One of the best things about Sale Fell is the hidden gem of the Wythop Valley that lies to the South. The summit provides fantastic views of the secluded spot. Wainwright describes the uniqueness of it perfectly within his guidebook and details the natural features and illusions that can be seen within. A must see for visitors looking for somewhere off the well beaten Lake District paths.
On this occasion Jonny and I were lucky enough to be be staying in a lovely Air B’n’B opposite Sale Fell with a few of our friends. The weather was fantastic and so we decided to head up for some sunset views! It was another Wainwright to tackle for Emi and a great test run for her backpack.
Where to Start?
We started our walk at Bassenthwaite Lake Station. Although it no longer functions as a train line you can experience breakfast, lunch or dinner aboard the Orient Express train that resides there! There is lots of free on road parking here for those travelling in cars.
With the station on your left, head up the road and take the first turning on the right.
Continue until you reach the Pheasant Inn. Turn right just before the pub and follow the road along.
The road will bend to the right, past the Forestry Office for Wythop and through the hamlet of Routenbeck. Carry on along the road until you reach a gateway on your left. The gateway itself leads out onto the fell and is hard to miss.
The Ascent
The path here is well marked and takes a shallow incline that heads northward along the fellside. As you pass through a small gap in a stone wall the path divides. The whole walk from here can be done in a circle. Going left takes you past a small white cross on a rock and Wythop Woods. We headed to the right as the path was more defined and we had beginner walkers with us.
Already from here if you turn back you get incredible views of the North end of Bassenthwaite Lake. A grassy plateau is a fantastic place to stop and take a rest (not that you’ll need it yet but any excuse to look at the view).
Continue along the grassy path until you reach another stone wall. If you follow this around to the north end of the fell the path will split. Take the path on the left through the bracken, which begins to ascend more steeply towards the summit.
The Wythop Valley will be visible to your right as you begin the steeper part of the climb with Ling Fell behind it.
The grassy path has some much steeper sections but nothing too tricky and walkers of all ages should be able to complete this hike without much difficulty.
The Summit
The summit of Sale Fell was once marked by a small cairn, however there is now a rocky plateau. The surrounding fells and the Wythop Valley are clearly visible to the South, with the coast clearly visible to the North-West.
There are multiple grassy eminences that each provide stunning views of the surrounding area. Emi decided she needed changing immediately as we stood on one admiring Bassenthwaite below.
We chose the Northern most point to settle down and watch the sunset. The views were beyond stunning! Having not seen a sunset from on top of the fells until now I have to say it is highly recommended! The colours were out of this world. With the Isle of Man visible in the distance it was absolutely perfect.
Descent
Normally we would have headed back down heading towards the South, curling round to the left and meeting back up with the original path at the fork I mentioned earlier. Today however we were too taken by the sunset and so we headed back down the way we came up to get more of those views.
Make sure you finish off your walk with a quick pint in The Pheasant Inn. There’s nothing more refreshing, especially at sunset!
All in all Sale Fell makes for a pleasant little hike. Like Loughrigg, Rannerdale Knotts and Catbells it is an easy introduction to the Lake District for the beginner hiker, but provides views that even the most experienced rambler would be impressed by. A bucket list fell for sure!
Have you climbed Sale Fell yet? Let me know in the comments!
