Blake Fell

The Loweswater Fells spread from the village like the fingers of a hand, and Blake Fell, 573 metres, is the highest of them. Because the group stands apart from the rest of the Western Fells, Blake Fell counts as a Marilyn.

The small National Trust car park at Maggie's Bridge, just west of the village, holds six to eight cars, so arrive early. From there a loop takes in Gavel Fell first. Follow the track through High Nook Farm, where cattle may be in the fields, climb the bilberry ridge above Black Crag, and then follow the fence north west down to Fothergill Head. The climb to Blake Fell from the col is short and steep. The round is about 10 km with 560 metres of ascent. A more direct line goes up Carling Knott from the Loweswater side, and on the west Lamplugh and Felldyke give access past the Cogra Moss reservoir.

The ground is grass, moss, bilberry and heather, with some bracken lower down. Paths are faint in places and the flat stretches are boggy. There is no scrambling.

The summit is a grassy dome with a large cairn and wind shelter where several paths meet. Nothing higher stands to the west, so the sea view is open, and eastwards the fells run from Binsey round to Grike. The Grasmoor group across Crummock Water looks better from Loweswater End, the craggy north east shoulder.

Knock Murton and Kelton Fell, on the western side, were mined for haematite from 1853 to 1914, at up to 60,000 tons a year. The line of the old railway built to serve them can still be followed up the valley.