Branstree
Encyclopedia
Branstree is a fell
in the Far Eastern part
of the English
Lake District
. It overlooks the valley of Mardale and Haweswater Reservoir
.
in the north and curving around over High Street
and Harter Fell
to Branstree and Selside Pike
in the south. As the ridge is travelled in this direction, the countryside changes from crag and scree to more rounded fellsides clothed with grass. Branstree is the first fell moving east where grass prevails, and a Pennine character begins to take over from Lakeland. From many directions the fell appears as a smooth domed hill with a wide top.
Branstree has a connection south westward to Harter Fell, the ridge crossing Gatescarth Pass (1,900 ft). This was the route of pedestrian traffic between Mardale and Longsleddale, its well graded zig-zags still in use by walkers. The ancient trade between the two valleys ended when the level of Haweswater was raised in the 1940s, and the village of Mardale Green was submerged beneath the reservoir.
Eastward from Branstree is a wide swathe of rough moorland between the parallel valleys of Mardale and Swindale. This runs for about five miles before petering out at the valley of the River Lowther. Immediately east of Branstree is a second fell of similar height (2,207 ft) and character, which is unnamed on OS
maps. At least one guidebook has suggested 'High Howes' as a name, but Wainwright
considered this to be a part of Branstree rather than a separate fell. Across Captain Whelter Bog to the east of the unnamed summit is Selside Pike, the final Wainwright in that direction.
South from Branstree a further ridge connects to Tarn Crag, passing between the head of Mosedale and the headwaters of Longsleddale. This depression at 1,650 ft is broad and boggy. Mosedale is the upper hanging valley of Swindale, running westwards from the apparent dalehead. Nestled against the lower slopes of Branstree near the head of Mosedale is Mosedale Cottage. This shepherds bothy, two miles from the nearest road, is only inhabited occasionally. Its whitewashed walls provide an important navigational reference in deteriorating weather. Behind the cottage are the remains of a large quarry.
and the remains of a survey pillar. This unusual stone and concrete construction is cleft at the top to provide a sight line and was originally surrounded by a wooden frame, now decayed. This is one of four such pillars built during the construction of the Haweswater
aqueduct. Below Branstree, Tarn Crag
and Great Howe is the first section of the pipeline carrying water from the reservoir toward Manchester
. The tunnel, some 1,300 ft below this point, required 250 tons of gelignite for blasting, and when constructed in the 1930s was the longest such pipeline in Britain. It emerges into Longsleddale below the southern end of Great Howe, where the spoil can still be seen.
. Walls and fences follow the ridges from Gatesgarth, Tarn Crag and Selside Pike, meeting near the summit. A small cairn
is situated a little to the north. A better view of Mardale, and certainly a better foreground, can be seen from Artlecrag Pike. This subsidiary top a little to the north has a fine columnar cairn built from the nearby outcrop of flaky rocks.
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 Far Eastern part
Far Eastern Fells
The Far Eastern Fells are a group of hills in the English Lake District. Reaching their highest point at High Street they occupy a broad area to the east of Ullswater and Kirkstone Pass. Much quieter than the central areas of Lakeland they offer in general easier but less exciting walking as the...
of 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 overlooks the valley of Mardale and Haweswater Reservoir
Haweswater Reservoir
Haweswater is a reservoir in the English Lake District, built in the valley of Mardale in the county of Cumbria. The controversial construction of the Haweswater dam started in 1929, after Parliament passed an Act giving the Manchester Corporation permission to build the reservoir to supply water...
.
Topography
A circuit of high fells surrounds the head of Mardale, beginning at High RaiseHigh Raise (High Street)
High Raise is a fell in the English Lake District, standing to the west of Haweswater Reservoir in the Far Eastern Fells. Note that another High Raise is the highpoint of the Central Fells.-Topography:...
in the north and curving around over High Street
High Street (Lake District)
High Street is a fell in the English Lake District. At 828 metres , its summit is the highest point in the far eastern part of the national park. The fell is named after the Roman road which ran over the summit.-History and Naming:...
and Harter Fell
Harter Fell (Mardale)
Harter Fell is a fell in the far eastern part of the English Lake District. The summit at lies the meeting point of three ridges, and Harter Fell forms the head of three valleys: Mardale, Longsleddale and the valley of the River Kent.-Topography:...
to Branstree and Selside Pike
Selside Pike
Selside Pike is a fell in the English Lake District. It stands between the valleys of Mardale and Swindale in the Far Eastern Fells.-Topography:...
in the south. As the ridge is travelled in this direction, the countryside changes from crag and scree to more rounded fellsides clothed with grass. Branstree is the first fell moving east where grass prevails, and a Pennine character begins to take over from Lakeland. From many directions the fell appears as a smooth domed hill with a wide top.
Branstree has a connection south westward to Harter Fell, the ridge crossing Gatescarth Pass (1,900 ft). This was the route of pedestrian traffic between Mardale and Longsleddale, its well graded zig-zags still in use by walkers. The ancient trade between the two valleys ended when the level of Haweswater was raised in the 1940s, and the village of Mardale Green was submerged beneath the reservoir.
Eastward from Branstree is a wide swathe of rough moorland between the parallel valleys of Mardale and Swindale. This runs for about five miles before petering out at the valley of the River Lowther. Immediately east of Branstree is a second fell of similar height (2,207 ft) and character, which is unnamed on OS
Ordnance Survey
Ordnance Survey , an executive agency and non-ministerial government department of the Government of the United Kingdom, is the national mapping agency for Great Britain, producing maps of Great Britain , and one of the world's largest producers of maps.The name reflects its creation together with...
maps. At least one guidebook has suggested 'High Howes' as a name, but Wainwright
Alfred Wainwright
Alfred Wainwright MBE was a British fellwalker, guidebook author and illustrator. His seven-volume Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells, published between 1955 and 1966 and consisting entirely of reproductions of his manuscript, has become the standard reference work to 214 of the fells of the...
considered this to be a part of Branstree rather than a separate fell. Across Captain Whelter Bog to the east of the unnamed summit is Selside Pike, the final Wainwright in that direction.
South from Branstree a further ridge connects to Tarn Crag, passing between the head of Mosedale and the headwaters of Longsleddale. This depression at 1,650 ft is broad and boggy. Mosedale is the upper hanging valley of Swindale, running westwards from the apparent dalehead. Nestled against the lower slopes of Branstree near the head of Mosedale is Mosedale Cottage. This shepherds bothy, two miles from the nearest road, is only inhabited occasionally. Its whitewashed walls provide an important navigational reference in deteriorating weather. Behind the cottage are the remains of a large quarry.
Haweswater Aqueduct
In the depression between Branstree and High Howes is a small tarnTarn (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...
and the remains of a survey pillar. This unusual stone and concrete construction is cleft at the top to provide a sight line and was originally surrounded by a wooden frame, now decayed. This is one of four such pillars built during the construction of the Haweswater
Haweswater Reservoir
Haweswater is a reservoir in the English Lake District, built in the valley of Mardale in the county of Cumbria. The controversial construction of the Haweswater dam started in 1929, after Parliament passed an Act giving the Manchester Corporation permission to build the reservoir to supply water...
aqueduct. Below Branstree, Tarn Crag
Tarn Crag (Far Eastern Fells)
Tarn Crag is a fell in the English Lake District. It stands to the east of Longsleddale in the Far Eastern Fells. There is another Tarn Crag in the Central Fells near Grasmere.-Topography:...
and Great Howe is the first section of the pipeline carrying water from the reservoir toward Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
. The tunnel, some 1,300 ft below this point, required 250 tons of gelignite for blasting, and when constructed in the 1930s was the longest such pipeline in Britain. It emerges into Longsleddale below the southern end of Great Howe, where the spoil can still be seen.
Summit and View
The summit is broad and too flat to allow good all round views. These are further restricted by the higher fells to the west, but there is a fine prospect to the Pennines and Howgill FellsHowgill Fells
The Howgill Fells are hills in Northern England between the Lake District and the Yorkshire Dales, lying roughly in between the vertices of a triangle made by the towns of Sedbergh, Kirkby Stephen and Tebay....
. Walls and fences follow the ridges from Gatesgarth, Tarn Crag and Selside Pike, meeting near the summit. A small cairn
Cairn
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...
is situated a little to the north. A better view of Mardale, and certainly a better foreground, can be seen from Artlecrag Pike. This subsidiary top a little to the north has a fine columnar cairn built from the nearby outcrop of flaky rocks.