Bowscale Fell

Bowscale Fell is a hill in the Lake District’s Northern Fells, rising above the village of Mungrisdale. It sits at the north-eastern edge of the Blencathra group, linked by Bannerdale Crags. The fell’s western slopes are smooth and grassy, while the eastern side drops away in crags and ridges. A curving ridge frames the head of Bannerdale, with Bowscale Fell at its northern end. The ridge is broad and grassy, dotted with patches of bog and small tarns. Two valleys flank the fell: Bannerdale flows east to the River Glenderamackin, while Bullfell Beck runs parallel to the north. The fell’s topography includes a truncated east ridge called The Tongue, which rises to 1,814 feet and appears as a steep pyramid from below. A longer eastern ridge stretches north, ending at Raven Crag above the Mungrisdale to Heskett Newmarket road. Bowscale Tarn, a corrie tarn held by a moraine, lies in a hollow on the northern face of this ridge. It was once a popular Victorian attraction, reached by pony, and is said to have been home to two immortal fish. The fell also marks the Derwent–Eden watershed, linking the Northern and Eastern Fells. The summit is marked by a windshelter and a cairn pointing toward Bowscale Tarn. From here, Blencathra and Sharp Edge are clearly visible, along with a view through the Glenderaterra gap. Ascents start from Mungrisdale, with routes following Bannerdale, The Tongue, or Bullfell Beck. The Victorian pony route to the tarn still exists, climbing a grassy rake up Tarn Crag. The fell is part of the Skiddaw Group Site of Special Scientific Interest, and nearby Young Wood is claimed to be England’s highest wood.