High Nook (Gavel Fell North Top)

About High Nook (Gavel Fell North Top)

Often overlooked for its taller neighbours, the North Top of Gavel Fell is a quiet spot in the Loweswater group. It's a grassy, sprawling summit that offers a peaceful escape and lovely, less-seen perspectives over the Vale of Lorton and towards the Solway Firth.

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Did You Know?

• •Ever wondered about the name? 'Gavel' comes from the Old Norse 'gafl', meaning the gable-end of a house. Stand back in the valley, and you can see how the fell's steep, triangular profile might have reminded early settlers of home.
• •Don't get too summit-happy up there! The main Gavel Fell plateau is famously broad and boggy with a few cairns vying for attention, making navigation a fun little challenge. This North Top, High Nook, is a separate, lower summit on the same sprawling ridge.
• •While you're here, you're in the company of the highest fell in this little group, Blake Fell. Though Gavel is a bit shorter, it's part of the same family of wonderfully unfrequented grassy hills, perfect for when you want to dodge the crowds.
• •The ground beneath your feet has a hidden history. The area around the Loweswater Fells, including the slopes of Gavel, was once a hub for iron ore mining. Keep an eye out for tell-tale signs of this industrial past, like old tracks and disused levels on your walk.
• •Even the great Alfred Wainwright found Gavel Fell a bit of a puzzle, describing its main summit as a 'featureless expanse'. He did, however, praise the brilliant view of the Scafells from its southern cairn, a fine reward for navigating the grassy top.