Red Screes | |
---|---|
Red Screes seen from Wansfell summit
|
|
Highest point | |
Elevation | 776 m (2,546 ft) |
Prominence | 260 m (850 ft) |
Parent peak | Fairfield |
Listing | Marilyn, Wainwright |
Coordinates | 54°28′12″N 2°56′00″W / 54.47006°N 2.93347°WCoordinates: 54°28′12″N 2°56′00″W / 54.47006°N 2.93347°W |
Geography | |
Location | Cumbria, England |
Parent range | Lake District, Eastern Fells |
OS grid | NY396087 |
Topo map | OS Landrangers 89, 90, Explorer OL7 |
Red Screes is a fell in the English Lake District, situated between the villages of Patterdale and Ambleside. It may be considered an outlier of the Fairfield group in the Eastern Fells, but is separated from its neighbours by low cols. This gives Red Screes an independence which is reflected in its prominence.
Red Screes is a ridge of high ground which runs for nearly 7 km in a north north-easterly direction from the town of Ambleside, and reaches a maximum height of 776 m. This ridge narrows at either end, giving it the shape of a long upturned boat. It is separated from neighbouring fells by Scandale Pass to the west (c.516 m) and Kirkstone Pass to the east (455 m). These two low cols mean that Red Screes is seen as an independent fell when viewed from the south of the Lake District. They also give the fell sufficient prominence to be classified as a Marilyn. There are two minor subsidiary tops: Snarker Pike (644 m) on the south ridge and Middle Dodd (654 m) on the north ridge. Each of these, however, has very little prominence above the ridge (less than 10 m).
Red Screes forms part of the main watershed of the Lake District, which runs in an east-west direction across the summit and the two adjacent cols. All streams to the north eventually flow into the Solway Firth, and those to the south flow into Morecambe Bay. The boundaries of Red Screes are formed by the four streams in the adjacent valleys. To the south, Scandale Beck drains the western slopes and Stock Ghyll the eastern ones. These both join the River Rothay a few yards apart just to the west of Ambleside. To the north, Caiston Beck drains the western slopes and Kirkstone Beck the eastern ones, and these join where they reach more level ground at the end of the ridge. Thus the boundaries of Red Screes are formed symmetrically by four valleys, with the fell between them, rather than rising at the head of any one of them.