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 beinga great horseshoe around this long wild valley. Brandreth is a near neighbour of Great Gable, forming part of the head of Ennerdale.
The spine of the range runs north from Great Gable via Green Gable to Brandreth, before curving north west to form the watershed between Ennerdale and Buttermere. The fells along this section are Haystacks and the High Stile group. A lesser ridge also runs out north east from Brandreth to Grey Knotts, bending around parallel to the main range to form the side valley of Warnscale. Fleetwith Pike encloses Warnscale on the other side.
As a consequence of its three connecting ridges, Brandreth assumes a triangular plan. The south west face falls steeply, but relatively smoothly to Ennerdale, Brin Crag being the only prominent feature. To the east a rim of crags mark the drop into Gillercomb. This classic hanging valley lies between Brandreth and Base Brown, emptying around the latter into the wide strath of Borrowdale at Seathwaite. The northern slopes fall gently toward Warnscale, the workings of Dubs Quarry lying at the foot of the slope. Brandreth is thus the only fell to feed Ennerdale Water, Derwentwater and Buttermere.
The ridge connecting to Green Gable narrows to Gillercomb Head, complete with a number of small tarns, following the line of the ruined Ennerdale boundary fence. The connection to Grey Knotts is wider, but still a definite ridge, crossing the stony terrain where the transition from one fell to the other is hard to determine. North westward the topography is more complex, a sloping tableland gradually resolving into the ridge of Haystacks as the high ground is squeezed between Warnscale Beck and the River Liza. The rocky top of Great Round How marks the completion of the change.
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