Wainwright Routes - Blake Fell Route One

Blake Fell - Route One

Start - Felldyke NY 084 198

Distance - 2.8 miles

Ascent - 1,460 feet

Time - 1 hour : 45 minutes

The small Forestry Commission car park at Felldyke is the starting point for this walk

Above the car park a handgate gives access to a forestry road which leads to Cogra Moss

The road rises through a field to another gate and enters the forestry enclosure

Blake Fell from the forestry road

The road passes a line of beech trees high above Rakegill Beck before descending beneath the slopes of Knock Murton to the Cogra Moss reservoir

The Cogra Moss reservoir from the forestry road with Blake Fell on the left and the summits of High Pen and Low Pen on the right. The route follows the track alongside the right bank of the reservoir before climbing to the col between Low Pen and Knock Murton

Blake Fell from the Cogra Moss reservoir dam with Sharp Knott on the left and Low Pen on the right

Blake Fell from the track alongside the reservoir

Looking back from near the end of the reservoir

Blake Fell from the end of the reservoir

At the end of the reservoir leave the main track for a side path, the Donkey Trod, which climbs across the slopes of Knock Murton to a forest road

Looking across to Sharp Knott, Blake Fell and Low Pen from the Donkey Trod

Looking back to Cogra Moss from the Donkey Trod

The Donkey Trod reaches the col between Knock Murton and Low Pen at a major forestry road which is used as a vehicular access from Cross Rigg

From the col a path rises alongside the forest fence

The summit of Low Pen soon comes into view above the upper edge of the forest

Looking up to the summit of Low Pen. This section is the steepest part of the ascent, the fence leads all the way to the summit of Blake Fell

Looking back to Knock Murton from the climb to Low Pen

Looking across to Great Borne

Looking down to Cogra Moss from the slopes of Low Pen

Blake Fell from the summit of Low Pen

Sharp Knott from the summit of Low Pen with Owsen Fell on the left

Knock Murton and Cogra Moss from the summit of Low Pen

Looking south-east from the summit of Low Pen to Pillar framed between Starling Dodd and Great Borne

The way ahead from Low Pen, still following the fence as it rises towards the summit of High Pen

A glimpse of Ennerdale Water from the climb to High Pen

Blake Fell from the summit of High Pen

Great Borne from the summit of High Pen with Pillar and Black Crag on the left

Cogra Moss from the summit of High Pen with Knock Murton on the left over summit of Low Pen

Continuing on from High Pen, still following the fence, with views ahead to the north western fells of Whiteside, Hopegill Head, Grasmoor, Wandope and Whiteless Pike. The fence falls to a depression above Fothergill Head before rising onto the slopes of Blake Fell's south east ridge

Looking up to south east ridge of Blake Fell from the stile that gives access to a path to Gavel Fell

Looking to the High Stile ridge, centre right, from the stile

Looking across the western face of Blake Fell from the start of the climb to the ridge

Cogra Moss from the climb to the south-east ridge

Looking up the lower part of the south-east ridge

Looking down the lower part of the south-east ridge

A small section of Buttermere comes into view as height is gained

Higher on the ridge another stile is passed, this one gives access to contouring path leading to the subsidiary top of Carling Knott. The summit of Blake Fell lies a short distance beyond the cairn on the skyline

Looking down the south-east ridge from the "Carling Knott" stile

A small section of Crummock Water is visible below Grasmoor from the stile

The summit of Blake Fell comes into view

The summit shelter on Blake Fell

Looking south-east from the summit of Blake Fell. Starling Dodd and Great Borne are the fells in the middle distance over the summit of Gavel Fell. High Stile, Pillar, Scoat Fell and Haycock are on the skyline