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Beda Fell is a fell in the English Lake District,
situated to the south of Ullswater. It divides the valleys of Boredale
and Bannerdale within the Martindale system.
The southern
boundary of the Martindale catchment is formed by a long ridge running
from Rampsgill Head to Place Fell. Spurs run north from here to separate
the individual valleys and Beda Fell is one of these.
Starting
from its parent fell of Angletarn Pikes, the spur runs north for around
two and a half miles before dropping to valley level close to Sandwick.
Part way along, Beda Fell broadens and rises to its summit, the top
being named as Beda Head. The top of the ridge is grassy but the flanks
are universally steep with considerable areas of crag.
The
western Boredale side is fairly straight with Brock Crag below the
summit and Low Brock Crag further north. The eastern flank bows outward
around the summit area as the fell widens and then narrows again.
Bannerdale runs below the southern slopes on this side before
merging with Rampsgill to form Howe Grain on the journey to Ullswater.
Just north of the summit are Allen Crag, Ewe Crag, Raven Crag and
Thrang Crag falling in tiers from the ridge. Further on, above Howe
Grain, are more rock faces at Nickles, Halstead Brow and Winter Crag.
Descending from Angletarn Pikes, Beda Fell begins as a series of
rocky knolls on a narrowing ridge. The last of these is Bedafell Knott
at 1,580 ft, after which grass generally prevails.
A double
depression at 1,460 ft is crossed before the ridge climbs to Beda Head,
the summit of the fell. Passing north from here the ridge narrows
dramatically between the crags and falls to the unenclosed road from
Howtown to Sandwick, finally reaching valley level at the confluence of
Howe Grain and Boredale.
Beda Head is a grassy mound with a small
cairn and there is a good view of the surrounding high fells, but the
wideness of the ridge hides much of the neighbouring valleys. Ullswater
is visible, either side of Hallin Fell.
Beda Fell is easily
climbed straight up the ridge from the road. This walk can also be
started from a quarter mile up either Boredale or Howe Grain, a path
traversing the fell just below the subsidiary summit topping Winter
Crag.
A good path continues southward from the summit to reach
Angletarn Pikes. The ridge is also crossed near Bedafell Knott by a
bridleway from Patterdale (via Boredale Hause) to the end of the
bannerdale road at Dale Head Farm.
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