The Land of the Lune - Drakkar Press

To the south of Fell End Clouds, Clouds Gill makes
a brave effort to cross the limestone to reach Sally Beck.
Most of the time it fails but sometimes, judging by the
erosion, it succeeds with a vengeance. It flows from
Sand Tarn, a perhaps unexpected oasis just below the
Wild Boar Fell trig point.
At 708m, Wild Boar Fell is the highest hill we have
met so far – and the most dramatic, although admittedly
most of the drama is on the eastern slopes, which are
within the Eden catchment area. The broader, western
slopes drain to the Lune, via the Rawthey.
Wild Boar Fell has a flat top, with many cairns.
Those on the eastern rim provide marvellous views
into Mallerstang and across to the hills of the Yorkshire
Dales. The trig point is on the western edge and provides
a unique viewpoint down onto the Howgills, giving a
wonderful impression of the rolling contours.
Wild Boar Fell is so called because the last English
wild boar fell here, or so it is said. In case you should
be sceptical, we are given a date and perpetrator for the
deed: 1396 and Sir Richard Musgrave of Hartley Castle.
If doubts still remain, then we’re told that his tomb in
Kirkby Stephen church was found to contain a boar’s
The Top 10 lakes in Loyne
Sally Beck 67
(Are there 10 lakes in Loyne?)
1. Sand Tarn, Wild Boar Fell
2. Greensett Tarn, Whernside
3. Sunbiggin Tarn
4. Whernside Tarns (could count as four?)
5. West Baugh Fell Tarn (a good view, at least)
6. Kitmere (but can hardly see it)
7. East Tarns, Baugh Fell (another five or more?)
8. Terrybank Tarn
9. Island Pond, Quernmore
10. The Lake, Clapham Beck (but it’s artificial)
(Only just.)
tusk. But your clinching counter-argument is that there
are wild boars in England now.
As Clouds Gill passes the limestone it reaches an
appealing high-level road that was the original road but
is now a quiet by-way above the A683. It is open to the
fell, has wide grassy verges, and has a line of farmsteads
most of which are being revitalised as holiday homes.
Cold Keld, for example, offers guided walking holidays.
To the south is Fell End bunkhouse, which is owned by
Left: Sand Tarn, with Harter Fell (with its Five Gills) beyond, and beyond that Green Bell, with Randygill Top,
Kensgriff and Yarlside to the left, and with the Lake District hills in the distance.
Below: Wild Boar Fell trig point, looking towards Cautley Crag.
This is Chapter 4 of The Land of the Lune (2nd edition), http://www.drakkar.co.uk/landofthelune.html, Copyright © 2010 John Self