Trip 8: Around Ennerdale Water

Home , Crag Fell, Ennerdale Water, Great Borne, Grike (Lake District), Haycock (Lake District), Lank Rigg

As far as I can tell, Ennerdale is even less visited than Eskdale. This is partly because there is nowhere to stay beyond the western end of Ennerdale Water, the lake that plugs the mouth of the mountainous part of the dale, unless you are happy to hostel-it (there’s a hostel at Gillerthwaite, 5k into the dale, and another at Black Sail, a further 5k into it). Apart from that, there’s a sprinkling of b&bs and pubs around the western end of Ennerdale Water but most of them are at least 2k from the lake and the mountains. Of course, nowadays most people drive to the start of their walk but that’s another problem with Ennerdale – you can’t drive beyond Bowness Car Park which is a long way (roughly 7k) from the most attractive mountains near the head of the dale: Pillar, High Stile, Steeple and Haystacks. A third reason for Ennerdale’s lack of visitors compared to the rest of the Lake District is that its floor is besmirched by a carpet of conifers. Here is Wainwright in 1965 (10):

“Afforestation in Ennerdale has cloaked the lower slopes….in a dark and funereal shroud of foreign trees, an intrusion that nobody who knew Ennerdale of old can ever forgive, the former charm of the valley having been destroyed thereby….Far better the old desolation of boulder and bog when a man could see the sky, than this new desolation of regimented timber shutting out the light of day.” (The Western Fells, Pillar 3)

Although there are now attempts to ameliorate this affliction by planting different trees and preventing further growth with grazing cattle, Wainwright’s complaint still applies – and nobody wants to walk through 10k of conifers. I have always steered clear of Ennerdale for this reason.

Given all this and having previously climbed all the well-known peaks at the head of the dale, I wanted to explore the much less-frequented area around the western end of Ennerdale Water. This choice was also forced upon me by a dodgy left leg incurred during my summer exertions in Norway and Eskdale which meant that I couldn’t manage a walk of more than 12k. So I’m going to describe for you four short walks of no great length or height that nevertheless lead to exceptional spots, three providing some of the best views over Ennerdale and one affording unusual views towards Grasmoor and Robinson. Here is a map of Ennerdale to give you the general lay-out of this ‘dale less travelled’ (Photo 1700).

Incidentally, if you are using public transport, the 31 bus from Whitehaven goes to Cleator Moor and Frizington (January 2015). Both places are 4.5k from Ennerdale Bridge, where I was staying, but the walk along the road from Cleator Moor is much easier and quicker than the cross-country route from Frizington.

Please note: With the exception of Crag Fell, I have not marked the trails I followed on these maps of Ennerdale as they are so obvious.

102: Crag Fell

From Ennerdale Bridge, you could take the direct route up Ben Gill to the top of Crag Fell and return the same way but I prefer, whenever possible, to go up one way and come down another. So I took the roundabout route via Blakely Moss and Grike and came down Ben Gill. You start with 2k of pleasant road-walking, passing the Kinniside Stone Circle on Blakely Moss. This is not marked on OS maps because it has been ‘re-engineered’. The twelve stones had been removed but their holes were measured and the original stones recovered and replaced, having been used by local farmers as gateposts and cornerstones. Soon after the circle, turn left on an old mine track (preferable to the tarmac forest road which turns off lower down). Follow this to just below the summit of Grike.

Two incidents relieved the monotony of this 2.5k uphill trudge (actually the views are quite good towards Lank Rigg, Whoap and Boat How). First, there was a herd of horses being driven somewhat haphazardly down the fellside by a farmer on a quad-bike and on his mobile phone. The horses kept escaping but he eventually got off his phone, rounded them up and pushed them down the road. Then there was the distinct yelping of dogs passing through the forest. I passed a ‘sentry’ on the track and asked him what the dogs were so excited about. His terse reply: “Fox”. So much for legislation.

A stile takes you over a forest fence to a path leading up to the summit of Grike, where a welcome wind shelter awaits you. The views are not that great but you can see past Crag Fell to Great Borne (Photo 1585) and the western end of Ennerdale Water is visible from just beyond the shelter. Further afield you can catch the summits of Grasmoor, the High Stile Ridge and the Pillar Ridge. To the west lies the coastal plain around Whitehaven.

Tear yourself away from the wind shelter and head across the col to Crag Fell – it can be a bit squelchy in the dip. The top of Crag Fell is a series of little humps with a cairn on the highest. However, my spot is considerably lower than, and to the north of, the cairn, in sight of Angler’s Crag far below. From here, you get one of the best views of Ennerdale:

Photo 1585: from the wind shelter on Grike to Crag Fell and Great Borne

South-West – along the length of Upper Ennerdale with the eastern half of Ennerdale Water shimmering in the foreground; towards the south is the ridge leading past Haycock and Steeple to Pillar; Pillar Rock stands out on the northern slope of Pillar; beyond the forests of Ennerdale, the valley ends in the disappointing bump of Grey Knotts (where is Great Gable when you need it?)

West – across Ennerdale Water is the High Stile Ridge from Haystacks to Starling Dodd; this is the less attractive side of the ridge but it still rises impressively above the skirt of forest around its base

North-West – in the foreground, the top of Angler’s Crag; on the other side of Ennerdale Water lies its partner, Bowness Knott, twin sentries guarding the entrance to Upper Ennerdale; above Bowness Knott rises the peak of Great Borne with its shoulder, Herdus, falling down to Floutern Pass (Photo 1588)

North – a bunch of lower fells that Wainwright calls the Loweswater Fells with Gavel Fell and Blake Fell prominent and ending with the perfect breast of Knock Murton; in the foreground, the western end of Ennerdale Water backed by the green fields around Croasdale

North-East – the coastal plain fading away towards the sea

East and South-East – the slope of Crag Fell you have just descended (the only poor view)

South – the summit of Crag Fell with its cairn

This is an exhilarating spot with the added frisson of an almost sheer drop nearby but try to come here on a balmy summer’s day, not as I did on a blustery midwinter’s one, when the wind was playing havoc with my efforts to record the merits of the spot.

Photo 1588: looking down over Angler’s Crag to Bowness Knott and Great Borne

To descend via Ben Gill, climb back up the slope and take the first turn right along a path that follows a line above Revelin Crag and then continues beside an embankment that leads to Ben Gill. If you detour to the right near the top you get a view of Crag Fell Pinnacles directly below you. The path turns right in front of a stile then crosses Ben Gill and goes down through a plantation to Crag Farm House and the car park at Bleach Green. From there it’s a 2k road walk to Ennerdale Bridge, a walk I soon got fed up with at the end of every day’s expedition.

103: Floutern Tarn

Even the most ardent guide-book writer could not pretend that the walk to Floutern is an exciting one, whether from Ennerdale or Crummock Water. However, it’s worth the boring trudge for what is there to greet you – the four Flouterns: Floutern Pass, Floutern Cop, Floutern Crag and Floutern Tarn. The route from Crummock Water crosses the very boggy upper reaches of Mosedale which is the reason why Floutern Pass is a ‘trail less travelled’. The approach from the Ennerdale side is quicker and much less boggy. It starts at Whins (Photo 1631) where a bridleway leads up the hillside between hedges and walls for about 600m before it emerges on the open fell. This early stretch can be boggy in winter and after rain. Then an obvious track climbs beneath the steep slopes of Herdus to Floutern Pass. As you approach the pass, the top of Floutern Cop appears ahead.

My remedy for boredom on a path such as this is to concentrate on the ever-changing scenery underfoot: the rocks, ridges, lakes and valleys that make up the average path. It’s just a question of adjusting to a smaller scale.

Photo 1631: Whins with Floutern Pass and Herdus behind

As you descend from the pass, Floutern Tarn is hidden over the ridge to your right. There’s a convenient stile which takes you to a slope above the tarn with Floutern Crag rising up before you. If you head towards the crag, you reach a spot above the tarn where you can look down its length towards Grasmoor and Robinson on the horizon (Photo 1603).

Photo 1603: looking over Floutern Tarn to Grasmoor (left) and Robinson (right centre)

From here, you can pick your way round the tarn to its outflow. I went round its northern side but the southern side might be less boggy. At the outflow, hit the spot where you can see all the way down the valley to the Buttermere area:

East – a jumble of rocks leads into the V-shaped defile of the outflow stream which turns north 1k downhill to become Mosedale Beck; however, the sight-line continues east down the valley of Scale Beck to the woods between Crummock Water and Buttermere, 4k away; above the woods lies the pass of Newlands Hause with Robinson to the right and Whiteless Pike to the left; beyond the Pike, a ridge rises past Wandope to Crag Hill and Grasmoor is just visible on the far left; this is a marvellous and unusual view of a well-known area North – the non-descript ridge between the tarn and the path down to Crummock Water

North-West and West – a lovely view across the northern side of the tarn to Floutern Cop and Floutern Pass

South-West and South – up a rock-strewn slope to the twin peaks of Floutern Crag, with a mini-peak between them; this is not the most fearsome crag in the Lake District but makes a rugged backdrop to the tarn

South-East – another non-descript fellside

I love these spots at the outflow of lofty tarns where you often get great views down a valley combined with the intimacy of the scenery around the tarn.

104: Floutern Cop

Continuing the roundabout tour of Floutern, climb the ridge to the north of the outflow to reach another stile, from where you can chug your way up Floutern Cop, a 10-minute puff. If you can stand on your feet, this is another wonderful spot (it is likely to be windy as it’s the highest spot around Floutern Pass, up which the wind tends to whistle from any direction except south):

East – a similar view to that from Floutern Tarn, down the valley towards Buttermere, except now you can see a sliver of Crummock Water, Dale Head to the south-east and more of Grasmoor to the north-east; in the foreground, the dome of Floutern Cop

North-East – to the left of Grasmoor, in the middle distance, rises Hen Comb, one of Wainwright’s Loweswater Fells; this is seen over the brown quagmire of Whiteoak Moss, where Whiteoak Beck gathers before wandering north in the direction of Loweswater

North – the rounded slopes of Black Crag and Gavel Fell

North-West – the distinctive shape of Knock Murton peers over the ridge of Banna Fell

West – past Banna Fell you catch a glimpse of the coastal plain towards Cleator Moor and Whitehaven

South-West – across Floutern Pass is Herdus, the shoulder of Great Borne, and the green, undulating slope of Steel Brow, the usual way up Great Borne South – Floutern Crag; above it, is hidden the summit of Great Borne

South-East – across Floutern Tarn, you can now see Pillar, Starling Dodd and the three peaks of the main High Stile Ridge, High Crag, High Stile and Red Pike (Photo 1624)

Photo 1624: over Floutern Tarn to (left to right) High Stile, Starling Dodd and Pillar

All-in-all, this is another wonderful vista of the North-Western Fells from an unusual angle but, as I said before, please visit on a balmy summer’s day – my fingers were so cold that I could hardly take photos and writing notes was out of the question (the things I do to try and get published). I spent ten minutes on the top when I would like to have spent half an hour to take in the views properly.

A quick descent to Floutern Pass and down towards Whins soon saved my fingers. Then I had to face the trudge along the road back to Ennerdale Bridge (3k), the only compensation being a fine view of Great Borne and Ennerdale Water from the road near Howside Farm (Photo 1637).

Photo 1637: Great Borne, Bowness Knott and Ennerdale Water from Howside Farm Trudging along, I had some thoughts about why road-walking is so tiring. The conventional wisdom is that it’s the hard surface that is the culprit. I don’t buy this: road-walking at the start of the day is not tiring to me, at least. I think it’s more to do with the varied surface of most paths compared to roads. This has three effects: firstly, different muscles and tendons are being used as you negotiate the path, whereas on the road exactly the same muscles are being used repeatedly so that they get tired more quickly; secondly, as alluded to previously, the varied surface of a path can relieve boredom, whereas the flat surface of a road can induce it – and boredom quickly leads to tiredness, especially at the end of the day; thirdly, the varied surface of a path stimulates a bit of adrenalin as you deal with the possibility of sliding or falling over and adrenalin prevents tiredness, whereas the adrenalin let-down when you reach the road hastens the onset of tiredness. This theory works for me, anyway: coming down from Floutern, I was fine until I hit the road and then I immediately felt tired.

105: Angler’s Crag

There are two sentries guarding the upper reaches of Ennerdale: Angler’s Crag and Bowness Knott, both small hills almost opposite each other projecting towards Ennerdale Water from the high ridges that contain Ennerdale on its south and north sides. Each hill has a col between it and its ridge from which the summit may be reached, easily in the case of Angler’s Crag, with more difficulty in the case of Bowness Knott. No ascent is possible from the lake side of the hills without ropes since each has a steep crag on that side.

Bowness Knott is reputed to be a great viewpoint, so much so that it has a special symbol on OS maps. Perhaps this is because there has long been a car park at the foot of Bowness Knott, whereas the nearest vehicle access to Angler’s Crag is 1.5k away at Bleach Green.

By contrast, Angler’s Crag barely gets a mention as a viewpoint in the literature that I have read, which baffles me because it is easier to climb, the walk from Bleach Green is a pleasant lakeside stroll and the views are just as good as, if not better than, those from Bowness Knott - hence its inclusion here.

From the Bleach Green Car Park, head east towards the lake where there is a nice view of Great Borne, Bowness Knott and Angler’s Crag over the weir (Photo 1640).

Photo 1640 Further along the path, there is another lovely, if less dramatic, view across the lake to the Loweswater Fells (Photo 1644).

Photo 1644: the Loweswater Fells

After about ½ k, watch out for an indistinct path branching off to your right that ascends the hillside towards the col. Be careful as the path has started to erode in several places and, whatever you do, don’t walk it in the dark without a strong torch. Despite this, I really enjoyed the climb with good views over to Floutern Pass, Great Borne and Bowness Knott.

The top consists of a few humps and bumps with my favoured spot being towards the eastern end of the summit area: X literally marks the spot as there is a small rock with an X carved on it near to a flattish rock where someone had been having a picnic, judging by the profusion of cockle shells strewn around:

South-East – along the southern shore of Ennerdale Water towards Haycock, Steeple, Pillar and Pillar Rock, all jagged on the skyline with the abominable forest covering their lower slopes; at the eastern end of the lake, there is a large green patch of 2k by ½ k where the forest has not encroached; Grey Knotts tries unsuccessfully to fill the void at the end of the valley (Photo 1668)

Photo 1668: close-up showing the green patch, forested slopes and Grey Knotts East – across Ennerdale Water to Red Pike, High Stile and High Crag, also on the skyline with forest beneath; together, these last two views comprise one of the best vistas in the Lake District; I have included photos of the Pillar and the High Stile Ridges (Photos 1665/1667)

Photo 1665: close-up of the Pillar Ridge from Angler’s Crag (note the snow on Pillar)

Photo 1667: close-up of the High Stile Ridge from Angler’s Crag

North-East – the ridge continues from Red Pike past Starling Dodd to Great Borne, towering over Bowness Knott, whose steep crag can be seen clearly; below Herdus, the route up to Floutern Pass is also clear

North and North-West – across the western end of Ennerdale Water to Knock Murton and the green fields around Croasdale West – the end of Ennerdale Water and the coastal plain are bisected diagonally by the slopes of Angler’s Crag and Crag Fell

South-West – across the flat rock and up the slope of Crag Fell to Revelin Crag just below the unseen summit; Crag Fell Pinnacles punctuate the skyline to the right (Photo 1655)

South – the east slope of Crag Fell points to the ridge that runs south-east towards Haycock

Photo 1655: close-up of Crag Fell Pinnacles from Angler’s Crag

These views are similar to those from the Crag Fell spot, directly above, but, in my opinion, are even better for being from a lower angle. This is a point I have made several times before in this book – views from middling heights appeal to me more than those from the tops. See what you think.

Leave the top to the east and find the path down to the side of the lake, passing an obvious spring on the way. Return round the bottom of Angler’s Crag. This is an enjoyable scramble that passes above scree and then across rocky outcrops from where there are further good views up Ennerdale Water to the head of the dale (Photos 1672/1674).

Photo 1672: the head of Ennerdale from the path round Angler’s Crag (late afternoon)

Photo 1674: the head of Ennerdale from the bottom of Angler’s Crag (late afternoon)

Soon the path levels out and continues by the lake. Looking back, you can see the path up to Angler’s Crag (Photo 1677), before returning to Bleach Green.

Photo 1677: Angler’s Crag from the return path (late afternoon)

106: Bowness Knott

Although Bowness Knott is a recognised viewpoint, marked as such on OS maps, with a car park at its foot, I am including it here for two reasons: firstly, it is quite a trek to the top so it is not accessible by road; secondly, judging by the footfall on the path, not many people go up it anymore. I have seen many cars in the car park but I think most of their occupants head for the Smithy Beck Forest Trail or for destinations further up Ennerdale. So I feel it is a ‘trail less trodden’.

The ascent starts at a stile at a bend in the road ½ k before the car park. The path goes steeply up the hillside through bracken, rounds the corner of a plantation and continues by a stream beneath the scree slopes of Herdus (Photo 1684).

Photo 1684: Herdus from the path up Bowness Knott You cross a fence at a stile to enter the plantation. It looks as if the plantation has been allowed to degenerate around here, perhaps heeding Wainwright’s plea (10):

“The sands are fast running out for those who would climb Bowness Knott to enjoy its fine full-length view of Ennerdale. Plantations have recently encroached on the summit and unless walkers keep a trail blazed through an abomination of forest trees the highest point of the fell will be inaccessible in a few years.” (The Western Fells, Great Borne 5, 1965)

Fifteen minutes weaving your way through heather, shrubs, dead trees and tree stumps (with a few live trees) brings you to the summit, where there are no trees to obscure the views. There is a cairn but you can’t see the whole of Ennerdale Water from it. For that, you have to wander around the various rocky knolls until you hit a spot due south from the cairn from where you can see all of the lake and most of Ennerdale:

South-East – down the slope of Bowness Knott to the east end of Ennerdale Water where there is a treeless green patch before the forest begins; above tower the now familiar shapes of Pillar Rock, Pillar, Steeple and Haycock

East – over the forested north side of Ennerdale to Starling Dodd, Red Pike, High Stile and High Crag; the far end of Ennerdale is obscured by a 273m ridge above Smithy Beck called Latterbarrow

North-East – round the heathery top of Bowness Knott to the summit of Great Borne

North – only the top of Bowness Knott can be seen

North-West – across the west slope of Bowness Knott to the coastal plain

West – across the bulbous west end of Ennerdale Water to the shallow Ehen Valley that takes the River Ehen from Ennerdale Water past Ennerdale Bridge and Cleator Moor to the sea right next to Sellafield (Photo 1688)

Photo 1688: looking west from Bowness Knott to the coastal plain and the Ehen Valley South-West – across Ennerdale Water to Angler’s Crag and Crag Fell, whose lakeside face looks almost sheer from this angle (Photo 1687)

South – across Ennerdale Water to Boathow Crag beneath the ridge that leads to Haycock

Photo 1687: Angler’s Crag and Crag Fell from Bowness Knott

These views are lovely and have the advantage over those from Angler’s Crag of taking in the whole of Ennerdale Water (the south-west corner cannot be seen from my spot on Angler’s Crag) but I prefer the Angler’s Crag views because they enable you to see the far end of Ennerdale and have more all-round interest. OS map-makers, please put a viewpoint symbol on Angler’s Crag.

Returning to the road, I was facing the 4k trudge back to Ennerdale Bridge, so I stuck my thumb out immediately and the first car stopped and delivered me to the Fox and Hounds. I had tried to hitch back to Ennerdale Bridge on five previous occasions but not one of dozens of cars had stopped – I don’t think I’m that scary. Anyway, it was a welcome conclusion to my week’s walking.

I still have not visited the area around Gillerthwaite where they are trying to create a ‘Wild Ennerdale’ but I was pleasantly surprised by the unexpected delights of its western end. I had not expected to find five great spots but fortunately had brought my camers, just in case. I hope the results inspire you to take these trails less trodden around Ennerdale Water.

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10) A. Wainwright, The Western Fells, Frances Lincoln, 2003.