Lord's Seat is a
fell in the
English Lake District. It is the highest of the group of hills north of
Whinlatter Pass in the
North Western Fells
The North Western Fells are a group of hills in the English Lake District. Including such favourites as Catbells and Grisedale Pike, they occupy an oval area beneath the Buttermere and Borrowdale valley systems. The North Western Fells are ch ...
. The slopes of Lord's Seat are extensively forested.
Topography
The North Western Fells occupy the area between the rivers Derwent and Cocker, a broadly oval swathe of hilly country, elongated on a north-south axis. Two roads cross from east to west, dividing the fells into three convenient groups. Lord's Seat is the hub of the most northerly sector, rising between
Whinlatter Pass and the Vale of Embleton.
The principal feature of these fells is a ridge running from the Vale of Lorton in the west to
Bassenthwaite Lake in the east. Travelling in this direction the main tops are
Graystones
Graystones is a fell in the English Lake District. It lies in the North Western Fells region and is one of the peaks on the ridge which encircles the valley of Aiken Beck.
Name
According to Alfred Wainwright the name Graystones properly ...
,
Broom Fell
Broom Fell is a small hill in the English Lake District. It lies on a ridge connecting Lord's Seat and Graystones, but is rarely climbed. Alfred Wainwright did however accord it the status of a separate fell in his influential guidebook series ...
, Lord's Seat and
Barf. Barf is in truth a satellite of Lord's Seat but was given the status of a separate fell by
Alfred Wainwright in his influential ''
Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells''
[ Alfred Wainwright: '' A Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells, Book 6, The North Western Fells'': Westmorland Gazette (1964): ]
Lord's Seat is the focal point of the group and sends out a number of additional ridges. To the south east is Ullister Hill (1,722 ft), a bare mound surrounded by conifer plantations. Further on in the same direction is Seat How (1,627 ft), a rocky top standing above the steep descent to Comb Beck and the Whinlatter Pass road. A second branch of the ridge curves around south and then west from Ullister Hill, terminating in
Whinlatter
Whinlatter is a small fell in the north west of the English Lake District, just north of the Whinlatter Pass. It is easily climbed from the top of the Whinlatter Pass, through the Forestry England plantations. The Whinlatter Visitor's Centre, ...
fell. Between Whinlatter and the main east-west ridge is the quiet valley of Aiken Beck.
North eastward from Lord's Seat, branching off from the ridge connection to Barf, is a long and sometimes imperceptible watershed which runs up the shore of Bassenthwaite. This divides the catchments of Wythop Beck (flowing north west) and Beck Wythop, a short stream running directly east into the lake. Some way to the north, this line of higher ground ends at
Sale Fell.
Lord's Seat gives birth to a number of streams which, although departing in different directions, all ultimately join the River Derwent. Aiken Beck and its many tributaries drain the south western flanks, most of which are clad in conifers. Hagg Beck, the main feeder of Beck Wythop, begins a little to the north of the summit. This runs across open fellside at first, only entering the trees at around the 1,100 ft contour. Beckstones Gill flows to Bassenthwaite to the south of Barf, while an unnamed stream does the same to the north. All of the eastern flanks of the range are forested, except for the scree-ridden face of Barf between these two watercourses.
Geology
The predominant surface rocks are the Kirk Stile Formation, composed of laminated
mudstone and
siltstone. Much of the summit is overlain with
peat
Peat (), also known as turf (), is an accumulation of partially decayed vegetation or organic matter. It is unique to natural areas called peatlands, bogs, mires, moors, or muskegs. The peatland ecosystem covers and is the most efficien ...
and there is a fault to the south west, beyond which are
greywacke sandstone
Sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate grains. Sandstones comprise about 20–25% of all sedimentary rocks.
Most sandstone is composed of quartz or feldspar (both silicates ...
turbidities of the Loweswater Formation.
[British Geological Survey: 1:50,000 series maps, ''England & Wales Sheet 29'': BGS (1999)]
There is evidence of historic mining activity on the eastern slopes, particularly below Seat How. Four mines operated in this area:- Ladstock, Rachel Wood, Thornthwaite and Beckstones. Most were abandoned in the 1870s but Thornthwaite and Rachel Wood operated until December 1920. The main yields were
lead
Lead is a chemical element with the Symbol (chemistry), symbol Pb (from the Latin ) and atomic number 82. It is a heavy metals, heavy metal that is density, denser than most common materials. Lead is Mohs scale of mineral hardness#Intermediate ...
and
zinc
Zinc is a chemical element with the symbol Zn and atomic number 30. Zinc is a slightly brittle metal at room temperature and has a shiny-greyish appearance when oxidation is removed. It is the first element in group 12 (IIB) of the periodic t ...
ores, in particular
galena,
blende,
cerussite and
gossan.
[Adams, John: ''Mines of the Lake District Fells'': Dalesman (1995) ]
Summit
The top of Lord's Seat is a smooth grassy dome, the summit being marked by the meeting point of ruined fences and a small
cairn. The view is extensive, befitting the highest point north of Whinlatter. The
Northern Fells are well displayed over Bassenthwaite and there is also a good view of the
Helvellyn range.
Grasmoor and its supporters restrict the southward panorama, but there is no such obstruction to the north, the Scottish Hills being visible across the
Solway Firth.
Ascents
From the western side of Whinlatter Pass a pleasant approach can be made up the wooded Aiken Valley, a quiet dale with no vehicular access. The summit of the pass also provides access, either direct via Ullister Hill, or by first climbing Whinlatter and then following the ridge. From the main road along the shore of Bassenthwaite a path can be followed beside Beckstones Gill, climbing just inside the forest. This is an easier alternative to the rough face of Barf.
[Bill Birkett: ''Complete Lakeland Fells'': Collins Willow (1994): ]
References
{{Marilyns N Eng
Fells of the Lake District
Marilyns of England