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| Westmorland Fells | |
|---|---|
| Name | Westmorland Fells |
| Location | Cumbria; Lake District National Park |
| Highest | Helm (approx. 1,480 ft) |
Westmorland Fells The Westmorland Fells are a range of upland fells in Cumbria within the Lake District National Park, lying between the Kendal area and the Duddon Valley and bordering the historic county of Westmorland. The landscape includes ridges, becks and tarns shaped by Quaternary glaciation, and has been a focus for walkers from Kendal and visitors to Windermere, Grasmere, Coniston and Ambleside. The area intersects routes linked to Hadrian's Wall tourism, Cumbrian Way walkers and nearby Yorkshire Dales National Park attractions.
The fells occupy upland terrain between Kendal and the coastal plain near Barrow-in-Furness, bounded by valleys such as the Duddon Valley, Borrowdale (West), and the Lune Valley corridor; nearby settlements include Burneside, Staveley and Broughton-in-Furness. Prominent fell summits and ridges lie close to features like Lake Windermere, Coniston Water and Esthwaite Water, with transport links via the A591 road, the M6 motorway, and railways serving Oxenholme Lake District and Kendal railway station. The fells form part of the watershed feeding rivers including the River Kent, River Leven and tributaries of the River Duddon.
The geology reflects exposures of Borrowdale Volcanic Group and later Windermere Supergroup sediments overlain by glacial till from the Last Glacial Maximum, with notable outcrops of volcanic and sedimentary strata similar to those at Skiddaw and Helvellyn. Tor-like outcrops, crags and scree slopes mirror formations across Buttermere and Ennerdale, and the topography shows classic corrie amphitheatres, U-shaped valleys and drumlins comparable to features mapped by the British Geological Survey. Peat moorlands, acidic grasslands and limestone pavements occur in fringes akin to those in Ingleborough and Orton Fells, influencing hydrology that connects to the Morecambe Bay catchment.
Habitat mosaics include blanket bog, montane heath and upland grassland hosting species found across Cumbria such as red deer, mountain hare, barn owl and peregrine falcon, with upland breeding birds comparable to those in Wasdale and Ennerdale including common snipe, ring ouzel and merlin. Plant communities feature heather, bilberry and bog mosses resembling those in Duddon Mosses and Drigg Coast SSSIs, while aquatic habitats contain brown trout and invertebrate assemblages like those protected in River Kent Special Areas. Non-native tree plantations and ancient oak woods near valley bottoms host lichens and fungi with affinities to woodlands at Grizedale Forest and Borrowdale.
Human presence dates from prehistoric cairns and field systems like those documented across Cumbria and the Pennines, with medieval transhumance and packhorse routes linking to markets at Kendal and Hawkshead. The fells appear in literature and art traditions tied to the Lake Poets—including associations with William Wordsworth, Samuel Taylor Coleridge and contemporaries who travelled between Grasmere and Rydal Mount—and in the landscape imagery adopted by painters of the Romanticism movement and the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood who painted nearby scenes. Industrial archaeology includes remnants of slate working and iron ore extraction analogous to sites at Coniston and Borrowdale; estate histories involve families associated with Kendal and landed houses similar to Sizergh Castle and Levens Hall.
The fells are popular with walkers, fell-runners and peak baggers following routes linked to the Cumbria Way, Coast to Coast Walk approaches, and local circulars beginning at Kirkby Lonsdale and Ulverston. Climbing, scrambling and navigation training use ridges comparable to Blencathra and Catbells, while mountain biking and orienteering take place in adjacent lowland woods like Grizedale Forest. Access is facilitated by rights of way recorded by Ordnance Survey and promoted by organisations including National Trust, Friends of the Lake District and Lake District National Park Authority; events draw participants from British Mountaineering Council and local clubs such as Kendal Mountain Festival affiliates.
Management involves statutory designations present elsewhere in Cumbria—Sites of Special Scientific Interest, Special Areas of Conservation and landscape protection under the Lake District National Park framework—coordinated by bodies including the Lake District National Park Authority, Natural England and local parish councils. Conservation priorities mirror programs at South Walney Nature Reserve and Duddon Mosses focusing on peat restoration, invasive species control, and rewilding discussions aligned with initiatives supported by Wildlife Trusts and the Environment Agency. Agri-environment schemes and common grazing rights persist under stewardship models similar to those at Hayeswater and Buttermere, balancing sheep farming traditions with habitat enhancement funded via schemes administered by Defra and regional partnerships.