Howgill Fells & Westmorland Walks

Blease Fell & Hare Shaw

Date: 22nd January 2011
Distance: 6.3 miles
Ascent: 1117 feet
Time: 3 hours 40 mins
With: Matt and Laura
Start Grid Ref: NY618045

Walk Summary:
An easy walk in the north western corner of the Howgill Fells starting from Tebay with great views of the Lune valley from Blease Fell.

Route Summary:
Tebay - Powson Knott - Blease Fell - Hare Shaw - Knott - Waskew Head - Tebaygill Beck - Tebay

Photos: Click on the photos below to enlarge.

Walk Detail: It was a fairly miserable and overcast start to the day on the eastern side of the Pennines but from our meeting point in Gargrave we had clearer skies ahead of us as we travelled west. As we turned off on to the M6 we finally made into the sunshine. Frustratingly though the cloud front was following close on our heels and by the time we had parked up in Tebay the skies were once again grey overhead.

Blease Fell and Hare Shaw together form the north western corner of the Howgill Fells and were the two main Howgill summits that I had not yet visited. The ensuing 6¼ mile circular walk from Tebay proved to be by far the easiest walk in the Howgills that I've done to date. The two hills are in themselves not particuarly interesting although it should be noted that they both had fairly decent cairns, something of a rarity in the grassy Howgills.

The main reason for visiting them both, and particularly Blease Fell are for the views they offer. There are particularly good views to be had along Borrowdale on the other side of the Lune Gorge while in the distance there are a long line of Lakeland fells to be identified.

Perhaps the finest view though is from near the cairn just south of the summit which overlooks the Lune as it heads south past the western Howgills, Middleton Fell and in the far distance Ward's Stone in Bowland. Also in view for much of the walk was the section of the M6 as it passes through the Lune Gorge.

This was a good little walk with excellent views for the relative lack of effort involved. It has to be said though that there are far more inspiring walks to be had in the Howgills.

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