Central Fells

The Central Fells are a group of hills in the English Lake District. Reaching their highest point at High Raise (2,500 ft or 762 metres), they occupy a broad area to the east of Borrowdale. Perhaps unexpectedly the Central Fells are generally lower than the surrounding hills, the Lake District's general dome-like structure having a slight dip in the middle. The range extends from the boggy ridge between Derwentwater and Thirlmere in the north, to the famous rock peaks of the Langdale Pikes in the south.

The Lake District is a National Park in the north west of the country which, in addition to its lakes, contains a complex range of hills. These are locally known as fells and range from low hills to the highest ground in England. Hundreds of tops exist and many writers have attempted to draw up definitive lists. In doing so the compilers frequently divide the range into smaller areas to aid their description.

The most influential of all such authors was Alfred Wainwright whose Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells series has sold in excess of 2 million copies, being in print continuously since the first volume was published in 1952. Wainwright divided the fells into seven geographical areas, each surrounded by valleys and low passes. While any such division must be arbitrary- and later writers have deviated to a greater or lesser extent from this blueprint- Wainwright's sevenfold division remains the best known partitioning of the fells into 'sub ranges', each with its own characteristics. The Central Fells are one of these divisions, covered by volume 3 of Wainwright's work.

In the north is the Vale of Keswick, providing wide and total separation from Skiddaw and the Northern Fells. To the west runs the long valley of Borrowdale, flowing in this instance from Stake Pass at the head of Langstrath, all the way to Keswick. The parallel eastern boundary is created by Thirlmere and the Vale of St John, all of these valleys ultimately joining the River Derwent. At the head of Thirlmere is the pass of Dunmail Raise, crossed by the A591 road. South of Dunmail Raise the Vale of Grasmere runs down to Windermere, forming the remainder of the eastern boundary. In the west, Stake Pass descends into Great Langdale. This also descends, via the River Brathay, to Windermere.

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