Great Borne

Great Borne is a fell in the English Lake District, standing at the western end of a long ridge that separates Ennerdale and Buttermere valleys. Most locals call it Herdus, though some recognise Great Borne as a separate summit half a kilometre east. The name likely comes from the French for ‘great boundary’, marking the edge of Loweswater forest in the 13th century. Its southern slopes drop steeply towards Ennerdale Water with red-tinged crags of pink granophyre rock. The fell’s geology includes the boundary between Skiddaw Group and Ennerdale Granophyre intrusion halfway up its southern face. The fell offers evidence of an old field system on its lower southern slopes, possibly from the Middle Ages. Bowness Knott, a low outlying summit to the south, is a geological Site of Special Scientific Interest and provides good views of Ennerdale Water. The northern flanks descend to the Floutern Pass, a pedestrian route between Ennerdale and Buttermere. To the east, Great Borne connects to Starling Dodd by a ridge, while the western slopes fall quickly to the low ground of west Cumbria. The summit has two tops divided by a shallow valley, with a trig point on the higher south top and a large cairn on the northern top. Visitors usually start from the Ennerdale side, following Rake Beck and skirting Herdus crags to reach the summit. The south top holds an Ordnance Survey trig point and a wind shelter, while the northern top’s cairn offers wide views of the Loweswater Fells. The cairn is thought to be the boundary marker from which the fell takes its name. Bowness Knott’s car park provides easy access for those climbing the fell or simply enjoying the views. The fell’s rugged southern slopes and geological features make it a notable destination in the Lake District.