Gavel Fell

Loweswater's five fells spread south west from the village like the fingers of a hand, and Gavel Fell is the middle one. Its long ridge rises gently past High Nook Farm, then steepens up the face of Black Crag onto a broad, damp plateau.

Start from the National Trust car park at Maggie's Bridge, just west of Loweswater village. It holds six to eight cars. The farm track goes through High Nook, where cattle may be about in summer, and climbs beside the ravine of Highnook Beck. Leave it for the saddle behind Black Crag and follow a narrow path along the crest above the crag. The views back to the Vale of Lorton, Fellbarrow and the Grasmoor fells are the best part of the walk. Beyond a cairn on the subsidiary top of High Nook, a step stile crosses the fence to the summit. Most people continue north west along the fence to Blake Fell and return down Highnook Beck, about 10 km in all.

The fell is grass, moss, bilberry and heather, boggy wherever it flattens, with faint paths in places. There is no scrambling.

The highest point is a large cairn on the grassy plateau. Blake Fell blocks part of the sea view, but the fells to the east make a fine line, with the Grasmoor group the pick of them.

Two tarns

High Nook Tarn, below Black Crag, is a small pool held back by a low earth dam, a short detour off the path. Floutern Tarn, on the southern boundary, lies beside the old Floutern Pass between Buttermere and Ennerdale. On the western side, walkers are no longer welcome on the direct line up Croasdale Beck, so an approach from Croasdale goes round by the west ridge of Banna Fell.