Sale Fell

No North Western Fell lies further north than Sale Fell, a mile long ridge of grass and bracken above the head of Bassenthwaite Lake, and a favourite with local walkers. It is only 359m, but it looks along the valley towards Cockermouth. Castle How, the site of an ancient fort, stands below it beside the A66.

Walks start from the lane from the Pheasant Inn towards Routenbeck and Wythop Mill. There are a few verge spaces between Routenbeck and St Margaret's Church. A path slants up through gorse to a bench, goes through a gap in a wall and follows a terrace path at an easy angle. Look up at the crags here and you will spot a cross. At the wall and gate, turn up the grass to the top, either direct on a worn path or along the wall to meet the path from Lothwaite. Walk Lakes' circuit returns over Dodd Crag, 3.4km with 215m of ascent. You can also start in Wythop Mill and go up from the gate of Kelswick Farm. The small parking area at Brumston Bridge suits a day on both Sale Fell and Ling Fell, though no ridge links them.

Paths are grass and gravel, steep in places, with almost no bog.

The top is a grassy stretch with, at most, a small cairn. The Skiddaw group across the lake is the main view, and the Helvellyn range lies end to end beyond it. The Lord's Seat ridge hides most of the Lakes, but the Galloway hills show over the Solway Firth and the Isle of Man lies to the west.

Two lower tops, Rivings and Lothwaite, sit further east, and Wythop Wood covers the eastern end of the fell.