Muncaster Fell
| Muncaster Fell | |
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The view west from Hardknott Pass in upper Eskdale, toward Muncaster Fell.
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| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 231 m (758 ft) |
| Prominence | 193 m (633 ft) |
| Parent peak | Illgill Head |
| Listing | Marilyn, Outlying Wainwright |
| Coordinates | 54°22′21″N 3°21′50″W / 54.37249°N 3.36382°WCoordinates: 54°22′21″N 3°21′50″W / 54.37249°N 3.36382°W |
| Geography | |
 Muncaster Fell
Location in Lake District, UK
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| Location | Cumbria, England |
| Parent range | Lake District |
| OS grid | SD115983 |
| Topo map | OS Landranger 89/96, Explorer OL6 |
Muncaster Fell is a fell at the far western edge of the Lake District National Park, in Cumbria, England. Muncaster Fell is a long, narrow ridge of land, approximately 1.2 km wide and 6 km long, lying between the River Mite to the north, and River Esk to the south. The fell rises from the coast near Ravenglass village to its highest point at Hooker Crag (231 m). The ridge then continues to the north-east, dropping gently to its furthest prominence at Silver Knott (174 m). The fell then falls away rapidly to the village of Eskdale Green at its north-eastern tip.
The fell forms a long, low, yet steep-sided ridge that separates the southern portions of the valleys of Miterdale and Eskdale. The north-western slopes of the fell are characterised by steep crags and scree slopes, which drop abruptly to the fluvial floor of the Mite valley. The narrow-gauge Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway tracks cling to the lower sides of this rocky face. The south-eastern, Eskdale slopes are not much less steep, but are shallow enough to allow the cultivation of a number of forestry plantations. Woodland abounds at the southernmost tip of the fell, with natural deciduous woodland and invasive rhododendron stands competing for space. On the very south-western point of the fell stands Muncaster Castle, its grounds planted with a wide variety of plant species, including a dense copse of bamboo.
On the fell top the vegetation and landscape typifies the Cumbrian fell. A small tarn, Muncaster Tarn (GR: SD107978), sits amongst woodland on the slopes below the top of Hooker Crag. Much of the area between the crags and bogs is covered by moss, gorse, sedge and small clumps of bilberry bushes. In recent times, in common with much of the Lake District upland area, bracken has begun to take over, possibly due to a reduction in the number of sheep grazing on upland pasture.
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Wikipedia