Sale Fell

Sale Fell

Sale Fell rises to 359 metres above Wythop, close to the northern end of Bassenthwaite Lake. It is one of the smaller Wainwrights in the North Western Fells, but its position on the edge of the mountains gives it a spacious outlook. The summit is an open grassy top with rock outcrops, rather than a craggy peak. Walks here can combine fellside paths, woodland and the remains of an old chapel.

Landscape and summit

Bassenthwaite lies east of the fell, with the Vale of Embleton to the north and the Wythop valley around its southern and western sides. Ling Fell stands across the valley to the west. The neighbouring tops of Rivings and Lothwaite extend the hill eastwards; they are useful features to distinguish on a map when planning a longer circuit.

The highest point is an outcrop at NY194296. There is no trig pillar, and the cairn described in older fell guides no longer survives. Do not make a conspicuous marker a condition of finding the summit. In clear weather the views include Bassenthwaite and the Skiddaw fells, the valley towards Cockermouth, and the Solway beyond. Low cloud can hide those reference points even on this modest hill.

Rocks beneath the grass

Sale Fell belongs to the older sedimentary landscape of the northern Lake District. Its Loweswater Formation includes greywacke sandstones with finer siltstone and mudstone beds. These began as marine sediments during the Ordovician, not as recent lava flows.

The rocks were subsequently folded intensely. Sale Fell gives its name to a major anticline, whose compressed layers can stand steeply or be overturned. Dodd Crag on the western side exposes smaller folds associated with this structure. Quartz veins and small igneous intrusions add detail to a landscape whose main bedrock story is sedimentary.

The two churches

The ruins near Kelswick and Chapel Wood belong to an earlier phase of worship in the Wythop valley. A chapel of ease was recorded in Wythop in 1552, and a later chapel stood near Kelswick in the seventeenth century. The present St Margaret's Church was built on a different site in 1865–66. Its fellside setting is part of the approach from the north, while the older site is reached on a longer circuit around the southern side.

The valley also has a long history of farming and woodland use. Wythop's oak timber was valued in the later seventeenth century. The juxtaposition of open pasture, fellside and woodland is therefore a useful reminder that this is a working landscape, not simply a backdrop to the summit. Leave gates as found and respect farm access and church property.

Choosing a walk

A compact summit walk starts from the lane near St Margaret's Church. The path climbs above the church to a bench and then branches onto the fell. The ascent can be varied, but the direct grassy line is steeper than the traversing paths. A return towards Dodd Crag gives a different view of the Wythop valley before rejoining the lower path.

For a broader circuit, the church-to-summit walk can continue past Kelswick, the old chapel and Chapel Wood before returning around the eastern side. This particular circuit is about 3.8 miles, or 6.1 kilometres, with a guide time of around two hours. That is an estimate for the full circuit, not the distance or time to the summit alone. Allow longer for stops, poor ground or a slower pace. A stream crossing on the return can be boggy after rain.

Ling Fell can be added as a separate climb, with a descent into the intervening valley. It is not an extension along a continuous summit ridge. Check the whole itinerary before combining the two.

Practical planning

Roadside space near the church is limited and informal. Keep the narrow lane, passing places and entrances clear, and choose another starting point if there is no suitable space. Do not assume that church parking is available to walkers.

Grassy slopes and worn paths can be slippery when wet or icy. Carry a map, weatherproof clothing and enough daylight for the route you choose. Gates and uneven ground mean that a short distance alone does not establish accessibility. Take refreshments and water with you rather than relying on facilities on the fell.