Buckbarrow - Topography

Topography

The Western Fells occupy a triangular sector of the Lake District, bordered by the River Cocker to the north east and Wasdale to the south east. Westwards the hills diminish toward the coastal plain of Cumberland. At the central hub of the high country are Great Gable and its satellites, while two principal ridges fan out on either flank of Ennerdale, the western fells in effect being a great horseshoe around this long, wild valley. Buckbarrow is an outlier of the southern branch of the horseshoe.

Buckbarrow is not really a separate hill, but just the craggy end of the southern ridge of the neighbouring fell of Seatallan, which reaches a height of 692 m (2,270 ft). Seatallan itself lies to the south of the main ridge, connecting to Haycock across the Pots of Ashness depression.

Seatallan's south western ridge falls gently at first across the broad green expanse of Nether Wasdale Common, finally narrowing to a point at Cat Bields (500 m or 1,640 ft), a mile from the summit. From here the slope continues in the same direction to the Greendale- Gosforth road, its progress only briefly interrupted by the few desultory rocks of Gray Crag. A smaller spur runs out south from Cat Bields, only resolving into a definite ridge some way down the slope at Glade How (435 m or 1,425 ft). This cairned top is recognised as a summit by some guidbooks. A little to the south of Glade How the spur ends in a wall of crag, dropping 900 ft to the road below. This is Buckbarrow.

Buckbarrow's crags face the Wastwater Screes across the foot of the lake, aping their more famous neighbours in miniature. About three quarters of a mile in length, the principal features of Buckbarrow's southern face are Long Crag, Pike Crag, Bull Crag and Broad Crag. The western boundary is formed by Gill Beck, flowing between Buckbarrow and the main ridge of Seatallan. To the east the crags overlook Greendale Gill, the boundary with Middle Fell.