Scoat Fell
Encyclopedia
Scoat Fell is a fell
in the western part of the English
Lake District
. It stands at the head of the Mosedale Horseshoe with its back to Ennerdale. Paths lead to Scoat Fell from Ennerdale
over Steeple
, from Wasdale
over Red Pike
, and along the ridge from Pillar
.
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 being a great horseshoe around this long wild valley. Scoat Fell is on the southern arm.
The main watershed runs broadly westwards from Great Gable, dividing the headwaters of Ennerdale and Wasdale
. The principal fells in this section are Kirk Fell
, Pillar
, Scoat Fell, Haycock and Caw Fell
, followed by the lower Lank Rigg
group.
Scoat Fell occupies an important position at the crossroads of five ridges. To the east, across the subsidiary top of Black Crag, is Pillar. Southward is a long descending ridge heading toward the shore of Wastwater. The high point is Red Pike
, before the terminal height of Yewbarrow
. The main watershed continues west to Haycock, while two short spurs jut north into Ennerdale. These are Tewit How which descends from the western end of the plateau and Steeple
, running from the summit.
As the radial point of so many ridges Scoat Fell forms the head of several valleys, the major ones being the Wasdale feeders of Mosedale and Nether Beck. Mosedale begins on the eastern flanks of Scoat Fell, between Red Pike and Pillar, in the hollow of Black Comb. There are crags in the headwall, particularly to the south. Nether Beck has its birth at Scoat Tarn, a large pool to the south of the fell. This corrie tarn
, held in place by grassy moraine
s is around 65 ft deep. Between Steeple and Pillar to the north is Windgap Cove with Black Crag, a Hewitt at its head. Wind Gap is the col
between Black Crag and Pillar, while the small Mirk Cove lies between Black Crag and the summit. Finally Mirklin Cove is the corrie between Steeple and Tewit How, drained into Ennerdale by Low Beck. All of the northern coves are home to impressive crags.
Of Scoat Fell's various satellites, Little Scoat Fell and Black Fell are generally considered to be a part of the parent fell, while Steeple, despite its clearly derivative position, is counted as a separate fell. This is due to its impressive appearance from Ennerdale rather than any great relative height
, a triumph of the emotions over logic.
-phyric andesite
lava
of the Birker Fell Formation, followed by the siltstone
, sandstone
, conglomerate, tuff
and lapilli
-tuff of the Eagle Crag Member. Further outcrops of the Birker Fell Formation are followed by a band of dacite
before the igneous rocks of the Ennerdale Intrusion complete the picture.
atop the wall, although a larger edifice lies just to the north, pointing the way to Steeple. The whole area is stony, with fine views into the northern coves. Ordnance Survey
maps label the summit as Little Scoat Fell and a small hillock at the western end of the plateau as Great Scoat Fell. These names are based on area rather than height, Great Scoat Fell being 130 ft lower.
Pillar reduces the field of view, without showing its better side, but almost the full horseshoe of the Western Fells can be seen. The wall makes it difficult to observe the full panorama from one point.
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 western part 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 stands at the head of the Mosedale Horseshoe with its back to Ennerdale. Paths lead to Scoat Fell from Ennerdale
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...
over Steeple
Steeple (Lake District)
Steeple is a fell in the English Lake District. It is situated in the mountainous area between Ennerdale and Wasdale and reaches a height of 819 metres . Steeple is really part of Scoat Fell, being just the rocky northern projection of that fell, however because of its prominent peak and steep...
, from 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...
over Red Pike
Red Pike (Wasdale)
Red Pike is a fell in the English Lake District. It is 826 m or high and lies due north of Wast Water. It is often climbed as part of the Mosedale Horseshoe, a walk which also includes Pillar....
, and along the ridge from 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...
.
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 being a great horseshoe around this long wild valley. Scoat Fell is on the southern arm.
The main watershed runs broadly westwards from Great Gable, dividing the headwaters of Ennerdale 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...
. The principal fells in this section are Kirk Fell
Kirk Fell
Kirk Fell is a fell in the Western part of the English Lake District. It is situated between Great Gable and Pillar on the long ring of fells surrounding the valley of Ennerdale, and also stands over Wasdale to the south...
, 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...
, Scoat Fell, Haycock and Caw Fell
Caw Fell
Caw Fell is a fell in the English Lake District, standing between Haycock the Lank Rigg group. It occupies a wide upland area with Ennerdale to the north and Blengdale to the south...
, followed by the lower Lank Rigg
Lank Rigg
Lank Rigg is a fell in the English Lake District. It stands to the south of Ennerdale in the Western Fells. A sprawling hill with gentle grassy slopes it can be climbed from various points on the Coldfell road...
group.
Scoat Fell occupies an important position at the crossroads of five ridges. To the east, across the subsidiary top of Black Crag, is Pillar. Southward is a long descending ridge heading toward the shore of Wastwater. The high point is Red Pike
Red Pike (Wasdale)
Red Pike is a fell in the English Lake District. It is 826 m or high and lies due north of Wast Water. It is often climbed as part of the Mosedale Horseshoe, a walk which also includes Pillar....
, before the terminal height of Yewbarrow
Yewbarrow
Yewbarrow is a fell in the English Lake District which lies immediately north of the head of Wast Water. It is 628 metres high and in shape resembles the upturned hull of a boat or a barrow. Yewbarrow is on the left in the classic view of Great Gable and Wast Water.The top of Stirrup Crag...
. The main watershed continues west to Haycock, while two short spurs jut north into Ennerdale. These are Tewit How which descends from the western end of the plateau and Steeple
Steeple (Lake District)
Steeple is a fell in the English Lake District. It is situated in the mountainous area between Ennerdale and Wasdale and reaches a height of 819 metres . Steeple is really part of Scoat Fell, being just the rocky northern projection of that fell, however because of its prominent peak and steep...
, running from the summit.
As the radial point of so many ridges Scoat Fell forms the head of several valleys, the major ones being the Wasdale feeders of Mosedale and Nether Beck. Mosedale begins on the eastern flanks of Scoat Fell, between Red Pike and Pillar, in the hollow of Black Comb. There are crags in the headwall, particularly to the south. Nether Beck has its birth at Scoat Tarn, a large pool to the south of the fell. This corrie 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...
, held in place by grassy moraine
Moraine
A moraine is any glacially formed accumulation of unconsolidated glacial debris which can occur in currently glaciated and formerly glaciated regions, such as those areas acted upon by a past glacial maximum. This debris may have been plucked off a valley floor as a glacier advanced or it may have...
s is around 65 ft deep. Between Steeple and Pillar to the north is Windgap Cove with Black Crag, a Hewitt at its head. Wind Gap is the col
Mountain pass
A mountain pass is a route through a mountain range or over a ridge. If following the lowest possible route, a pass is locally the highest point on that route...
between Black Crag and Pillar, while the small Mirk Cove lies between Black Crag and the summit. Finally Mirklin Cove is the corrie between Steeple and Tewit How, drained into Ennerdale by Low Beck. All of the northern coves are home to impressive crags.
Of Scoat Fell's various satellites, Little Scoat Fell and Black Fell are generally considered to be a part of the parent fell, while Steeple, despite its clearly derivative position, is counted as a separate fell. This is due to its impressive appearance from Ennerdale rather than any great relative height
Topographic prominence
In topography, prominence, also known as autonomous height, relative height, shoulder drop , or prime factor , categorizes the height of the mountain's or hill's summit by the elevation between it and the lowest contour line encircling it and no higher summit...
, a triumph of the emotions over logic.
Geology
Successive rock strata are displayed along the descending ridge of Tewit How to the north west, displaying the architecture of the fell. At the top is 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...
of the Birker Fell Formation, followed by the siltstone
Siltstone
Siltstone is a sedimentary rock which has a grain size in the silt range, finer than sandstone and coarser than claystones.- Description :As its name implies, it is primarily composed of silt sized particles, defined as grains 1/16 - 1/256 mm or 4 to 8 on the Krumbein phi scale...
, 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,...
, conglomerate, 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 lapilli
Lapilli
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 of the Eagle Crag Member. Further outcrops of the Birker Fell Formation are followed by a band of dacite
Dacite
Dacite is an igneous, volcanic rock. It has an aphanitic to porphyritic texture and is intermediate in composition between andesite and rhyolite. The relative proportions of feldspars and quartz in dacite, and in many other volcanic rocks, are illustrated in the QAPF diagram...
before the igneous rocks of the Ennerdale Intrusion complete the picture.
Summit and view
The top is a long plateau, running broadly east to west. Along it runs the stone wall of the Ennerdale fence, crossing the summit exactly. Purists have built a small 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...
atop the wall, although a larger edifice lies just to the north, pointing the way to Steeple. The whole area is stony, with fine views into the northern coves. Ordnance Survey
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 label the summit as Little Scoat Fell and a small hillock at the western end of the plateau as Great Scoat Fell. These names are based on area rather than height, Great Scoat Fell being 130 ft lower.
Pillar reduces the field of view, without showing its better side, but almost the full horseshoe of the Western Fells can be seen. The wall makes it difficult to observe the full panorama from one point.