Brandreth
Encyclopedia
Brandreth is a fell
in the English
Lake District
. It stands between Great Gable
and Haystacks in the Western Fells.
occupy a triangular sector of the Lake District, bordered by the River Cocker to the north east and Wasdale
to the south east. Westwards the hills diminish toward the coastal plain of Cumberland. At the central hub of the high country are Great Gable
and its satellites, while two principal ridges fan out on either flank of Ennerdale
, the western fells in effect beinga great horseshoe around this long wild valley. Brandreth is a near neighbour of Great Gable, forming part of the head of Ennerdale.
The spine of the range runs north from Great Gable via Green Gable
to Brandreth, before curving north west to form the watershed between Ennerdale and Buttermere
. The fells along this section are Haystacks and the High Stile
group. A lesser ridge also runs out north east from Brandreth to Grey Knotts
, bending around parallel to the main range to form the side valley of Warnscale. Fleetwith Pike
encloses Warnscale on the other side.
As a consequence of its three connecting ridges, Brandreth assumes a triangular plan. The south west face falls steeply, but relatively smoothly to Ennerdale, Brin Crag being the only prominent feature. To the east a rim of crags mark the drop into Gillercomb. This classic hanging valley lies between Brandreth and Base Brown
, emptying around the latter into the wide strath of Borrowdale
at Seathwaite. The northern slopes fall gently toward Warnscale, the workings of Dubs Quarry lying at the foot of the slope. Brandreth is thus the only fell to feed Ennerdale Water
, Derwentwater and Buttermere.
The ridge connecting to Green Gable narrows to Gillercomb Head, complete with a number of small tarns
, following the line of the ruined Ennerdale boundary fence. The connection to Grey Knotts is wider, but still a definite ridge, crossing the stony terrain where the transition from one fell to the other is hard to determine.. North westward the topography is more complex, a sloping tableland gradually resolving into the ridge of Haystacks as the high ground is squeezed between Warnscale Beck and the River Liza. The rocky top of Great Round How marks the completion of the change.
-phyric andesite
lava
s of the Birker Fell Formation. A band of volcaniclastic sandstone
passes near to the actual top. Further south are outcroppings of the Whorneyside Formation (bedded tuff
and sandstone with some breccia
s, intersperced with andesite sills.) The lower slopes are covered by drift. Dubs Quarry at the foot of the northern slope is an extensive slate
working, now abandoned.
built around a boundary post where the three ridgeline fences meet. The view south is obstructed by the Gables, but in all other directions the high fells of Lakeland are laid out. Pillar
, High Stile and the North Western Fells
are particularly well seen, a view enhanced from lower down the western slope.
provides a convenient high level start. There is a well marked and mainly stoned path starting close to the youth hostel which leads directly to the summit by way of Grey Knotts. Another route follows the remains of the inclined tramway to the Drum House and then contours around the western slopes of Grey Knotts. From Gatesgarth at the head of Buttermere, a path runs up the valley of Warnscale Beck. Passing around the crags of Haystacks it then crosses the plateau to pick up the Ennerdale fence, bound for Brandreth. If climbing from Borrowdale then the path alongside Sour Milk Gill into Gillercomb can be used, followed by a stiff pull up to Gillercomb Head. A long walk up Ennerdale can also be the prelude to an ascent of Brandreth. Many walkers will ascend the fell indirectly from one of its neighbours, or avoid the summit altogether as they follow the contouring path from Honister to Great Gable.
Fell
“Fell” is a word used to refer to mountains, or certain types of mountainous landscape, in Scandinavia, the Isle of Man, and parts of northern England.- Etymology :...
in the English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
Lake District
Lake District
The Lake District, also commonly known as The Lakes or Lakeland, is a mountainous region in North West England. A popular holiday destination, it is famous not only for its lakes and its mountains but also for its associations with the early 19th century poetry and writings of William Wordsworth...
. It stands between Great Gable
Great Gable
Great Gable is a mountain lying at the very heart of the English Lake District, appearing as a pyramid from Wasdale , but as a dome from most other directions. It is one of the most popular of the Lakeland fells, and there are many different routes to the summit...
and Haystacks in the Western Fells.
Topography
The Western FellsWestern Fells
The Western Fells are a group of hills in the English Lake District. Centred on Great Gable they occupy a triangular area between Buttermere and Wasdale...
occupy a triangular sector of the Lake District, bordered by the River Cocker to the north east and Wasdale
Wasdale
Wasdale is a valley and civil parish in the western part of the Lake District National Park in Cumbria, England. The River Irt flows through the valley to its estuary at Ravenglass. A large part of the main valley floor is occupied by Wastwater, the deepest lake in England...
to the south east. Westwards the hills diminish toward the coastal plain of Cumberland. At the central hub of the high country are Great Gable
Great Gable
Great Gable is a mountain lying at the very heart of the English Lake District, appearing as a pyramid from Wasdale , but as a dome from most other directions. It is one of the most popular of the Lakeland fells, and there are many different routes to the summit...
and its satellites, while two principal ridges fan out on either flank of Ennerdale
Ennerdale
Ennerdale may refer to:* Ennerdale, Gauteng, a suburb of Johannesburg, South Africa* Ennerdale Water, a lake in the Lake District in England**Ennerdale Bridge, a nearby settlement...
, the western fells in effect beinga great horseshoe around this long wild valley. Brandreth is a near neighbour of Great Gable, forming part of the head of Ennerdale.
The spine of the range runs north from Great Gable via Green Gable
Green Gable
Green Gable is a fell in the English Lake District often traversed by walkers on route to its more famous neighbour Great Gable. It can be ascended from Honister Pass, Seathwaite in Borrowdale, or Ennerdale...
to Brandreth, before curving north west to form the watershed between Ennerdale and Buttermere
Buttermere
Buttermere is a lake in the English Lake District in North West England. The adjacent village of Buttermere takes its name from the lake. Historically within the former county of Cumberland, the lake is now within the county of Cumbria. It is owned by the National Trust, forming part of their...
. The fells along this section are Haystacks and the High Stile
High Stile
High Stile is a mountain in the western part of the Lake District in northwest England. It is the eleventh highest English Marilyn, standing 807 metres high, and has a relative height of 362 metres ....
group. A lesser ridge also runs out north east from Brandreth to Grey Knotts
Grey Knotts
Grey Knotts is a fell in the English Lake District, it is situated one kilometre south of the B5289 road as it crosses the Honister Pass, it is well seen from mid Borrowdale as it rises above Seatoller...
, bending around parallel to the main range to form the side valley of Warnscale. Fleetwith Pike
Fleetwith Pike
Fleetwith Pike is a fell in the English Lake District in the county of Cumbria which reaches a height of 648 metres . The fell is a well-known feature of the area as it casts an imposing presence over Buttermere and the Honister Pass on the B5289 motor road between Borrowdale and...
encloses Warnscale on the other side.
As a consequence of its three connecting ridges, Brandreth assumes a triangular plan. The south west face falls steeply, but relatively smoothly to Ennerdale, Brin Crag being the only prominent feature. To the east a rim of crags mark the drop into Gillercomb. This classic hanging valley lies between Brandreth and Base Brown
Base Brown
Base Brown is a fell in England's Lake District, near the head of the Borrowdale Valley. It forms one side of the Seathwaite Valley, and on the western side it is flanked by the hanging valley of Gillercomb.-Topography:...
, emptying around the latter into the wide strath of Borrowdale
Borrowdale
Borrowdale is a valley and civil parish in the English Lake District in the Borough of Allerdale in Cumbria, England.Borrowdale lies within the historic county boundaries of Cumberland, and is sometimes referred to as Cumberland Borrowdale in order to distinguish it from another Borrowdale in the...
at Seathwaite. The northern slopes fall gently toward Warnscale, the workings of Dubs Quarry lying at the foot of the slope. Brandreth is thus the only fell to feed Ennerdale Water
Ennerdale Water
Ennerdale Water is the most westerly lake in the Lake District National Park in Cumbria, England. It is a glacial lake, with a maximum depth of 45 metres , and at 700 to 1,500 metres wide and 3.9 kilometres is one of the smallest lakes in the area...
, Derwentwater and Buttermere.
The ridge connecting to Green Gable narrows to Gillercomb Head, complete with a number of small tarns
Tarn (lake)
A tarn is a mountain lake or pool, formed in a cirque excavated by a glacier. A moraine may form a natural dam below a tarn. A corrie may be called a cirque.The word is derived from the Old Norse word tjörn meaning pond...
, following the line of the ruined Ennerdale boundary fence. The connection to Grey Knotts is wider, but still a definite ridge, crossing the stony terrain where the transition from one fell to the other is hard to determine.. North westward the topography is more complex, a sloping tableland gradually resolving into the ridge of Haystacks as the high ground is squeezed between Warnscale Beck and the River Liza. The rocky top of Great Round How marks the completion of the change.
Geology
The summit area composes the plagioclasePlagioclase
Plagioclase is an important series of tectosilicate minerals within the feldspar family. Rather than referring to a particular mineral with a specific chemical composition, plagioclase is a solid solution series, more properly known as the plagioclase feldspar series...
-phyric andesite
Andesite
Andesite is an extrusive igneous, volcanic rock, of intermediate composition, with aphanitic to porphyritic texture. In a general sense, it is the intermediate type between basalt and dacite. The mineral assemblage is typically dominated by plagioclase plus pyroxene and/or hornblende. Magnetite,...
lava
Lava
Lava refers both to molten rock expelled by a volcano during an eruption and the resulting rock after solidification and cooling. This molten rock is formed in the interior of some planets, including Earth, and some of their satellites. When first erupted from a volcanic vent, lava is a liquid at...
s of the Birker Fell Formation. A band of volcaniclastic sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
passes near to the actual top. Further south are outcroppings of the Whorneyside Formation (bedded tuff
Tuff
Tuff is a type of rock consisting of consolidated volcanic ash ejected from vents during a volcanic eruption. Tuff is sometimes called tufa, particularly when used as construction material, although tufa also refers to a quite different rock. Rock that contains greater than 50% tuff is considered...
and sandstone with some breccia
Breccia
Breccia is a rock composed of broken fragments of minerals or rock cemented together by a fine-grained matrix, that can be either similar to or different from the composition of the fragments....
s, intersperced with andesite sills.) The lower slopes are covered by drift. Dubs Quarry at the foot of the northern slope is an extensive slate
Slate
Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism. The result is a foliated rock in which the foliation may not correspond to the original sedimentary layering...
working, now abandoned.
Summit and view
The summit area is bleak and stony, marked by the remains of old fences. The top is identified by a cairnCairn
Cairn is a term used mainly in the English-speaking world for a man-made pile of stones. It comes from the or . Cairns are found all over the world in uplands, on moorland, on mountaintops, near waterways and on sea cliffs, and also in barren desert and tundra areas...
built around a boundary post where the three ridgeline fences meet. The view south is obstructed by the Gables, but in all other directions the high fells of Lakeland are laid out. Pillar
Pillar (Lake District)
Pillar is a mountain in the western part of the English Lake District. Situated between the valleys of Ennerdale to the north and Wasdale to the south, it is the highest point of the Pillar group . At 892 metres it is the eighth highest mountain in the Lake District...
, High Stile and the North Western Fells
North Western Fells
The North Western Fells are a group of hills in the English Lake District. Including such favourites as Catbells and Grisedale Pike, they occupy an oval area beneath the Buttermere and Borrowdale valley systems...
are particularly well seen, a view enhanced from lower down the western slope.
Ascents
The summit of Honister PassHonister Pass
The Honister Pass, also known as Honister Hause, is a mountain pass in the English Lake District. It is located on the B5289 road, linking Seatoller, in the valley of Borrowdale, to Gatesgarth at the southern end of Buttermere...
provides a convenient high level start. There is a well marked and mainly stoned path starting close to the youth hostel which leads directly to the summit by way of Grey Knotts. Another route follows the remains of the inclined tramway to the Drum House and then contours around the western slopes of Grey Knotts. From Gatesgarth at the head of Buttermere, a path runs up the valley of Warnscale Beck. Passing around the crags of Haystacks it then crosses the plateau to pick up the Ennerdale fence, bound for Brandreth. If climbing from Borrowdale then the path alongside Sour Milk Gill into Gillercomb can be used, followed by a stiff pull up to Gillercomb Head. A long walk up Ennerdale can also be the prelude to an ascent of Brandreth. Many walkers will ascend the fell indirectly from one of its neighbours, or avoid the summit altogether as they follow the contouring path from Honister to Great Gable.