Tag: Mountains

Fairfield Circular from Grasmere via Seat Sandal | Birkett FAR 4 | Graham’s Guides

A moderately long walk that takes in Fairfield one of the higher Lake District peaks (No.13 in Wainwright’s List). On a good day the views are spectacular.

Graham’s Walks Vitals

  • Distance: 6.4 miles/10.3 km
  • Elevation: 3195 ft/972 m
  • Difficulty: Moderate
  • Start: Lay-by on A591
  • Graham’s Cafe: This walk starts just outside Grasmere where you will find Mathilde’s Cafe and Lucia’s (awaiting a guide)
  • Classification: Birkett, Wainwright

The Map

The Area

This area is steeped in local folklore. Part way around the route it passes close to Grisedale Tarn which plays a significant part in the story of a battle supposed to have occured around 945 AD. A little further out of Grasmere towards Thirlmere the A591 splits into two with a large pile of stones between. This is supposed to mark the falling place of Dunmail, the last king of Rheged in a battle with the Anglo-Saxon King Edmund, grandson to Alfred the Great.

This story is set in that time of British history which is post the Roman Empire and there’s no clear overall ruler of the islands that we now call Britain. Rheged was occupied by the Britons at the time as was most of the west of England, Wales and south western Scotland. The Anglo-Saxon’s were the incomers to this part of the country.

According to the folklore, Dunmail is killed and his sons have their eyes gouged out to stop them being a problem in the future, but the king’s crown is not captured. A group of elite men take the crown and flee up what is now known as Raise Beck to the Grisedale Tarn and deposit the crown there. Here, in echoes of the King Arthur legends, the crown is waiting for the next king to come and claim it. There’s a lot more to this story, which is already eloquently covered here.

While we are talking King Arthur, let’s move on to Stone Arthur near the end of the route. The rocky outcrop at the peak of Stone Arthur is known as Arthur’s Seat. There may be a connection to the legendary king, but just as likely is that “Arthur” sounds similar to a word meaning “leader” in old English. It’s not the only place in the Lake District where Arthur pops up.

Stone Arthur doesn’t really belong on either the Wainwright or Birkett lists as it’s not really a summit it’s more of a rocky outcrop from Great Rigg; its prominence from Grasmere is what gets it listed.

Stone Arthur is sometimes included in the Fairfield Horseshoe route, this is a significant extension as it’s a 656 ft/200 m descent and re-climb.

This route includes four Birketts and Wainwrights: Seat Sandal, Fairfield, Great Rigg and Stone Arthur.

The Walk

In my guides to Birkett walks I’ve tried to stay close to the walk as described in Complete Lakeland Fells. It’s not always possible, but I try. On this route I’ve made a couple of changes, at the beginning and at the end.

At the beginning Birkett suggests parking on the verge near to the entrance of Mill Bridge Lane on the A591. There are a couple of places you could still conceivably park here, but most of it I no longer available due to “police notice” signs. To avoid encouraging you to break the law I’ve shifted the start a bit further along the A591, nearer to Grasmere, where there is a lay-by and much more verge parking on a straight piece of road. A word of caution though, park on a grassy verge with care they are muddy (as the van that parked behind me found out).

Because I’ve moved the start I’ve also moved the route down from Stone Arthur at the end of the walk. I did try to follow Birkett’s description of the route down, but it’s not on any of the maps I could see, nor could I see it on the ground. The alternative route down is straightforward to follow, but is also significantly more popular.

There is another change at the start of the walk. Birkett describes the obvious route up Seat Sandal, but also says that it’s blocked by a gate marked “private.” The gate to the obvious route up is no longer marked “private” and hence that’s the route I’ve taken.

The Ascent of Seat Sandal

From the verge on the A591 head towards the Travellers Rest on the roadside, beyond which you’ll cross over Mill Bridge. Just a short way beyond is a lane to the right. There are coast-to-coast route signs at the start.

Follow the lane up the hill until you can see the path up the ridge of Seat Sandal which you access through a gate to the left.

The path to the top is quite well defined, passing through a couple of gates on the way.

The top of Seat Sandal is defined by a cairn with a nearby stone shelter.

Seat Sandal to Fairfield

Continue in the same direction beyond the summit and the path ahead will become clear. The path follows the route of a now dilapidated wall. On a good visibility day you will see Grisdale Tarn slightly to the left and the impending ascent of Fairfield ahead.

Before you can ascend Fairfield you first need to descend to Grisedale Hause a steep drop of about 500 ft/150 m.

The ascent of Fairfield is similarly steep and mostly on gravel. It’s not technically difficult, it’s just steep. The route starts by following the same wall, but veers off to the right as you ascend.

There are several stone shelters at the top of Fairfield which makes it a great place for a refreshment stop. From the summit you can see a huge amount of the Lake District peaks with particularly good views across to the Helvellyn massif.

Fairfield to Great Rigg

The route to Great Rigg is south of the Fairfield summit on a wide well trodden path.

Great Rigg to Stone Arthur

Beyond the Great Rigg summit is a path off to the right to Stone Arthur.

Stone Arthur is defined by a prominent set of rocks with glorious views across Grasmere.

The Descent from Stone Arthur

Continue the path down until it becomes a lane which comes out onto a road. This road is a loop off the A591, pick the direction that will take you back to your transport.

Alternatives and Extensions

One huge alternative to this route is the Fairfield Horseshoe which is a completely different walk and will be covered at some other point under the Birkett label of FAR 3. The Fairfield Horseshoe route shares a couple of peaks (Fairfield, Great Rigg) with this one, but is a very different walk.

You can miss Seat Sandal out if you want to by heading up to Grisedale Hause via the coast-to-coast route. This will make the walk shorter but you’ll still need to make the steep ascent of Fairfield.

This route can be started from Grasmere village. This adds to the length of the route without adding any particular interest.

The Coast Guard to Coast signs and the route up
The initial lane
Through this gate
Ascend through this gat
This is Stone Arthur which is the route down
Look back at the ascent
Summit of Seat Sandal
The route down from Seat Sandal along the wall, with views of the route up Fairfield
I said it was steep and gravel.
A look back at Seat Sandal
The summit of Fairfield
Plenty to see
The route to Great Rigg
The summit of Great Rigg
First glimpse of the route to Stone Arthur on the ridge in the middle
The route down to Stone Arthur
First glimpse of Stone Arthur beyond this somewhat odd little wall
This is all there is to Stone Arthu from the summit
The route down towards Grasmere
Time for some traversing
Make sure you head to the left
Down here to the lane
Stone Arthur from below

Blessings #155 – A Walk in the Woods

One of my most favourite places is Borrowdale in Cumbria. As I drive down into Borrowdale from Keswick I always feel like any stress that I am feeling is progressively being lifted from me.

Leaving the wide open expanse of the Derwentwater valley the road enters into a narrow cutting beyond Grange. Following the route of the river Derwent the road twists and turns for a mile or so before it opens out into Borrowdale.

Beautiful Walking in BorrowdaleSurrounded by hills on all sides Borrowdale is like a land that is cut off from the rest of the world – a secret, hidden place,

Some of the valley sides are displaying rocky crags, some are covered in grass and heather, but my favourite are the ones cloaked in ancient woodland.

This isolated place has managed to avoid the imposition of rows upon rows of conifers. It’s steep sides and remoteness have meant that the original broadleaf ecosystem still persists in all its splendour.

On August Bank holiday this year the weather was glorious and we were visiting family in Keswick. Even though we were really there to see family it always seems a shame not to get out into the countryside for at least part of the day. I set out from the busy market town with the view that I would park at the first place I could find. Passing crammed full car parks at Kettlewell and Grange I carried on into Borrowdale. No parking in Longthwaite or Seathhwaite either, so Seatoller it was, but only in the last parking space in the car park.

Heading for the gate at the rear of the car park I took the well trodden path along the river through the woods towards Longthwaite. Here the northern, eastern and southern sides of High Doat is covered with Jonny Wood. High Doat is not a huge hill but the woods like magnificent.

There’s something very special about the way that summer sunlight shines it’s way through a mixed broad leaf wood. The variety of green hew is sometimes breathtaking.

The floor of the wood is visibly alive with flora and fauna of immense variety. The birds might not be too visible but their song makes the presence of many species obvious.

Beautiful Walking in BorrowdaleEvery now and again the trees part to give fabulous framed views of the crags beyond.

After a little way the path and the wood drop down towards the river with elegant vintage trees bowing down to the clear crystal stream as it babbles and bubbles over rock and through crevice.

As I walk along I contemplate the things that these trees have witnessed. It’s a way to put thoughts and worries into perspective.

A wonderful walk and a great blessing.

Count Your Blessings #135 – An elevated view

Crossthwaite ViewsThe buildings where my church meets is situated on a triangular plot of land on the edge of Preston.

On one side there is a local road with houses on the other side. On another are the backs of houses. On the third is a main road, East Way, beyond this main road, a few hundred yards away, is the M55 motorway which is elevated above the level of Easy Way. Up there on it’s embankment it obscuring the view of everything beyond.

All in all it doesn’t make for the most inspiring of views. It’s fine if you want to know how many people have been to the Pleasure Beach in Blackpool and are now stuck in the queue trying to get onto the M6. Other than that it’s an ordinary urban view on the edge of a city.

But all of this tarmac and concrete hides a secret.

The church buildings have, until recently, all been on ground level. From down there the secret is completely hidden behind the M55.

A recent set of extension has added a new, two story, part to the side of the building facing north and the M55 embankment. One of the things that the architect wanted to create in this new part of the building was a light and airy space. There are big windows on both the ground and first floor, it’s facing north so they needed to let in as much light as possible.

(A quick aside. If you are not from the UK, you perhaps think that the first floor is on the ground, but here in the UK we call the floor on the ground the “ground floor”. The floor immediately above ground level we call the “first floor”, not the “second floor”, OK?)

Up on the first floor these big windows open up the secret. The elevated position reveal what is hidden beyond. It’s not visible every day, the weather conditions have to be right, but that just adds to the mystery.

Recently I was in a meeting on the first floor and was sat facing the window. It was a crisp clear day, cold, but fine. It was a morning meeting and we started in the dark. As time progressed I looked out of the window to see the sun rising in the sky lighting up the snow capped mountains of the Lake District beyond.

The Lake District was recently voted Britain’s greatest natural wonder. I’m not sure about that, but they are quite impressive all the same, and they are only 30 miles, or so, away.

You wouldn’t know they were there from the ground, up on the first floor the view is glorious. It’s an elevation of only a few feet, but it makes all of the difference.

In the Bible Jesus used to go off and climb mountains when he wanted to be alone with his father. I always thought that this was so that he could be closer to God, because I thought of God as “up there”. Recently I’ve wondered whether he went up into the mountain so he could get a better perspective down, not up.

God, of course, is everywhere and you don’t need to climb high so he can hear you, but looking down on a situation certainly gives you a different view. It gives you a longer view. It gives you a broader view. It gives you an unobstructed view.

(The picture isn’t one taken from the window, it’s one I took while in Keswick on a quiet day, special days)