Blake Fell

Blake Fell stands in the Western Lake District, a grassy hill with steep sides that overlooks Loweswater lake and the village of the same name. It is the highest point of the Loweswater Fells, a group of low hills arranged like fingers spreading from Loweswater village. The fell forms the northern arm of a great horseshoe of high country centred on Ennerdale. From the west the hills slope down toward the coastal plain of Cumberland. Blake Fell is also a Marilyn, a hill with a prominence of at least 150 metres. The fell is worth the journey for its varied landscapes and long ridges. The summit ridge runs southwest from Loweswater End past Carling Knott, a craggy height of 544 metres. Beyond the summit the ridge dips to grassland before rising again to Blake Fell’s dome. Subsidiary tops such as High Pen at 475 metres and Knock Murton at 447 metres add interest. The western slopes are heavily wooded with conifers and crossed by forest roads. Mining scars mark Knock Murton and Kelton Fell, where haematite was once worked. A visitor finds a grassy summit crowned by a large cairn and open views to the sea westwards. To the east the hills of Binsey and Grike stretch along the skyline. Paths from Loweswater village, Lamplugh and Felldyke converge at the summit. The track beside Cogra Moss reservoir leads to the high ground via Low Pen. From the head of the reservoir Knock Murton can be climbed. The fell’s drainage feeds Loweswater and the River Derwent, linking all sides to the same valley system.