Saturday 27th March 2010

Start Point : Near Huck’s Bridge (NY 552 038)

Distance : 10.5 miles Height Ascended : 820 metres

Route Map

In Walk 1 of Wainwright’s Walks on the Howgills Fells (The Whinfell Ridge) there is reference to The Leyland Clock, the old site of which

is roughly where this walk starts. The Leyland clock was a famous landmark beside the A6 on Shap during the 1930s. It was one of seven

Leyland clocks located on main roads around the UK, and marked the halfway point between Lands End and John O’Groats. It now has pride of place

at the Brewery Arts Centre in Kendal, and has recently been fully restored after the clock’s inner workings were discovered in Carlisle.

Over looking the A6 towards upper Borrowdale from just below the first summit of Ashstead Fell.

The 'first summit' of Ashstead Fell is marked with an impressive cairn.

The 'third summit' offers the first views down into Borrowdale and across to Borrowdale Edge.

Ashstead Fell - in the distance to the left, resembling a shark’s fin, is a shadowed Ill Bell.

Further round is the High Street ridge.

Mabbin Crag's small summit cairn and a clear view to the view northwest.

………………………and again.

A view of lower Borrowdale opens up on the descent of Mabbin Crag.

This small shelter has survived whilst other buildings around it have not - Violet strikes a pose.

Mabbin Crag.

The summit cairn of Castle Fell - in the background the Whinash ridge.

Looking back along the ridge covered so far - the high point between the break in the trees is the summit of Mabbin Crag.

Whinfell Beacon from the corner gate below Castle Fell.

Violet surveys the summit of Whinfell Beacon.

Towards Kendal - the body of water in the middle foreground is Whinfell Tarn.

The summit of Whinfell Beacon used to be marked with two impressive cairns side by side, they now form one large cairn / wind shelter.

The south eastern section of the ridge includes the masts of the Post Office radio station.

The eastern end of Borrowdale.

Most of the pools enroute across the ridge, even those on the Borrowdale footpaths, contained masses of frogspawn.

The radio beacon has had a face-lift since AW’s day - it hasn't improved the landscape any.

The Whinfell Ridge from the summit of Grayrigg Common.

The cairn above the Coums - from this vantage point the prospect of the Lune Gorge,

with its multiplicity of new lines of communication, is excellent (AW).

The view across to The Howgills isn't bad either.

Borrowdale.

Casterfell Hill and Jeffrey's Mount – the east-end of Borrowdale.

An orderly qewe.

Crossing Borrow Beck - Whinfell Beacon and Shooter Howe mark the skyline.

Low Borrowdale Farm.

Mabbin Crag.

High Borrowdale - once a farmhouse of distinction in a beautiful situation……………………...now a derelict ruin in a beautiful situation (AW).

Recrossing Borrow Beck and another view of Mabbin Crag.