Ullscarf
Encyclopedia
Ullscarf is a fell
in the English Lake District
close to the geographical centre of the Cumbrian hills. It forms part of the watershed between the Derwentwater and Thirlmere
catchments, a ridge running broadly north-south.
To the east lies Thirlmere across a moorland of small hillocks. The final descent is steep, falling down conifer clad slopes to the reservoir. To the south of Thirlmere is its feeder valley of Wythburndale, which rises eastward to its source below Greenup Edge. Above Wythburndale Ullscarf displays a near continuous line of crags, the principal faces being Castle Crag and Nab Crags. A series of low tops crown the edge above Nab Crags, one of them bearing a prominent stone structure visible from the valley below. This is marked 'beacon' on OS
maps, but is in fact a very short length of dry stone wall. It was set up some decades ago to replace a vandalised beacon cairn
.
The main ridge of the Central Fells
continues south from Ullscarf, dropping over a field of rocky knolls to cross the wide depression of Greenup Edge. This is the connection to High Raise (Langdale)
, the highest of the Central Fells. To the north, the natural boundaries are unclear. Standing Crag provides a terminal to the summit plateau, rising beautifully above its reflecting tarn
. From here the ridge continues across wet ground toward High Tove
, the next Wainwright. Some guidebooks however consider the intermediate Bell Crags (summit unnamed on Ordnance Survey maps) to be a separate fell. A second subsidiary ridge travels north north west from the summit to Great Crag
, passing over the twin tops of Coldbarrow Fell.
Between these two northern ridges is Blea Tarn. A large pool of about 40 ft (12.2 m) depth, Blea Tarn provides the main feed for the more famous beauty spot of Watendlath Tarn. Drainage to the east (and Thirlmere) is provided by Ullscarf and Launchy Gills, the former flowing via the secluded Harrop Tarn within the Thirlmere Forest. This may be a corrie
tarn which has silted up over time, extensive shallows being colonised by sedge, water horsetail and yellow water lilly. These waters are joined by the Wyth Burn from the south of the fell. All water from the west of the fell reaches Greenup Gill via a number of feeders and flows to Derwentwater.
-tuff
with andesite
sills. The eastern plateau above Thirlmere shows some outbreaks of the volcaniclastic sandstone
of the Esk Pike Formation.
A 16th century mine, Launchy Gill Level, was driven 60 ft (18.3 m) into the fellside below White Crags on the Thirlmere side of the fell. A scramble is required just to reach the mouth of the level.
is an upland plateau of about 4 square miles (10.4 km²), predominantly clad in coarse grass and heather. There are few paths on the fell itself. One track follows the watershed, being marked in places by old iron fenceposts. Bridleways cross the ridge to the north and south of Ullscarf, providing access from Wythburn, Thirlmere, Stonethwaite and Watendlath. The summit is marked by a large cairn on a small rocky outcrop, the old fence post marching past (intermittently) in either direction.
Views from the top are extensive, befitting the central location, with the Scafells
and Helvellyn
ranges being shown to particular effect.
Ullscarf can be climbed from Watendlath, gaining the north north east ridge above Blea Tarn, and then ascending over the tops of Coldbarrow Fell.
The most used route, since it coincides with a section of Wainwright's
Coast to Coast Walk, is to follow the Greenup valley from Stonethwaite, passing up beside Lining Crag and then turning north before Greenup edge to 'cut the corner'.
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 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...
close to the geographical centre of the Cumbrian hills. It forms part of the watershed between the Derwentwater and Thirlmere
Thirlmere
Thirlmere is a reservoir in the Borough of Allerdale in Cumbria and the English Lake District. It runs roughly south to north, with a dam at the northern end, and is bordered on the eastern side by the A591 road and on the western side by a minor road....
catchments, a ridge running broadly north-south.
Topography
Ullscarf is bordered on the west by the Greenup valley, with steep but mainly grassy slopes, the chief exception being Lining Crag. This impressive rock face is prominent in views up the valley, standing right beside the bridleway. From above however it is reached via a shallow grassy saddle and makes a fine viewpoint or picnic spot. A number of gills run down this western side of Ullscarf.To the east lies Thirlmere across a moorland of small hillocks. The final descent is steep, falling down conifer clad slopes to the reservoir. To the south of Thirlmere is its feeder valley of Wythburndale, which rises eastward to its source below Greenup Edge. Above Wythburndale Ullscarf displays a near continuous line of crags, the principal faces being Castle Crag and Nab Crags. A series of low tops crown the edge above Nab Crags, one of them bearing a prominent stone structure visible from the valley below. This is marked 'beacon' 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, but is in fact a very short length of dry stone wall. It was set up some decades ago to replace a vandalised beacon 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...
.
The main ridge of the Central Fells
Central Fells
The Central Fells are a group of hills in the English Lake District. Reaching their highest point at High Raise , they occupy a broad area to the east of Borrowdale. Perhaps unexpectedly the Central Fells are generally lower than the surrounding hills, the Lake District's general dome-like...
continues south from Ullscarf, dropping over a field of rocky knolls to cross the wide depression of Greenup Edge. This is the connection to High Raise (Langdale)
High Raise (Langdale)
High Raise is a fell in the Central Fells of the English Lake District not to be confused with another High Raise situated in the Far Eastern Fells...
, the highest of the Central Fells. To the north, the natural boundaries are unclear. Standing Crag provides a terminal to the summit plateau, rising beautifully above its reflecting tarn
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...
. From here the ridge continues across wet ground toward High Tove
High Tove
High Tove is a fell in the English Lake District, close to the geographical centre of the Cumbrian hills. It forms part of the watershed between the Derwentwater and Thirlmere catchments, a ridge running broadly north-south.-Topography:...
, the next Wainwright. Some guidebooks however consider the intermediate Bell Crags (summit unnamed on Ordnance Survey maps) to be a separate fell. A second subsidiary ridge travels north north west from the summit to Great Crag
Great Crag
Great Crag is a fell in the English Lake District, located near the hamlets of Rosthwaite and Stonethwaite in Borrowdale.-Topography:The higher slopes are heather-covered and quite rocky, while the lower steep slopes on the Borrowdale side are covered by a mature oak wood...
, passing over the twin tops of Coldbarrow Fell.
Between these two northern ridges is Blea Tarn. A large pool of about 40 ft (12.2 m) depth, Blea Tarn provides the main feed for the more famous beauty spot of Watendlath Tarn. Drainage to the east (and Thirlmere) is provided by Ullscarf and Launchy Gills, the former flowing via the secluded Harrop Tarn within the Thirlmere Forest. This may be a corrie
Cirque
Cirque may refer to:* Cirque, a geological formation* Makhtesh, an erosional landform found in the Negev desert of Israel and Sinai of Egypt*Cirque , an album by Biosphere* Cirque Corporation, a company that makes touchpads...
tarn which has silted up over time, extensive shallows being colonised by sedge, water horsetail and yellow water lilly. These waters are joined by the Wyth Burn from the south of the fell. All water from the west of the fell reaches Greenup Gill via a number of feeders and flows to Derwentwater.
Geology and Mining
The summit area is composed mostly of till (clayey silty gravel) overlying rocks of the Lincomb Tarn Formation. This consists of dacitic lapilliLapilli
Lapilli is a size classification term for tephra, which is material that falls out of the air during a volcanic eruption or during some meteorite impacts. Lapilli means "little stones" in Latin. They are in some senses similar to ooids or pisoids in calcareous sediments.By definition lapilli range...
-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...
with 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,...
sills. The eastern plateau above Thirlmere shows some outbreaks of the 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,...
of the Esk Pike Formation.
A 16th century mine, Launchy Gill Level, was driven 60 ft (18.3 m) into the fellside below White Crags on the Thirlmere side of the fell. A scramble is required just to reach the mouth of the level.
Summit and View
The top of the fellFell
“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 :...
is an upland plateau of about 4 square miles (10.4 km²), predominantly clad in coarse grass and heather. There are few paths on the fell itself. One track follows the watershed, being marked in places by old iron fenceposts. Bridleways cross the ridge to the north and south of Ullscarf, providing access from Wythburn, Thirlmere, Stonethwaite and Watendlath. The summit is marked by a large cairn on a small rocky outcrop, the old fence post marching past (intermittently) in either direction.
Views from the top are extensive, befitting the central location, with the Scafells
Scafell Pike
Scafell Pike is the highest mountain in England at . It is located in Lake District National Park sometimes confused with the neighbouring Sca Fell, to which it is connected by the col of Mickledore...
and Helvellyn
Helvellyn
Helvellyn is a mountain in the English Lake District, the apex of the Eastern Fells. At above sea level, it is the third highest peak in both the Lake District and England...
ranges being shown to particular effect.
Ascents
From Wythburn to the south east a number of routes are possible. The Wythburn valley (and its bogs) can be followed to reach the ridge at Greenup edge, or more direct climbs can be made via Harrop Tarn. From here either the line of tops above Nab Crags or Standing Crag will be the intermediate objective.Ullscarf can be climbed from Watendlath, gaining the north north east ridge above Blea Tarn, and then ascending over the tops of Coldbarrow Fell.
The most used route, since it coincides with a section of Wainwright's
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...
Coast to Coast Walk, is to follow the Greenup valley from Stonethwaite, passing up beside Lining Crag and then turning north before Greenup edge to 'cut the corner'.