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Lake District Entertainment > About The Lake District > The Fells Of The Lake District > Raise (Lake District)
Raise (Lake District)Raise is situated among the Eastern Fells along the Helvellyn range, snug tightly between Thirlmere and Ullswater, with Stybarrow Dodd directly north and White Side to the south. As a matter of fact, the Raise Fell is significant in that it marks to two historical points along the Helvellyn range. First, the Sticks Pass, or col, which runs directly between Raise and Stybarrow Dodd, once served as the only means of traverse through the seven-mile-long (11 kilometres) stretch of Helvellyn range through which communities could reach the other side. This was important because it saved time climbing over the mountains (which was also dangerous on account of the outcropping along the east facings), because it formed a virtual unifying connection between communities on either side of the Helvellyn range, and also because it was, and still is, the highest passage, or col, in the Lake District (745 metres/2,445 feet). The second historical point involving Raise Fell was the Kepple Cove, built in 1891, which was located just off of Raise’s south-eastern face, near White Side Fell at the northeast.A side note regarding the Kepple Cove, or Greenside Mine: This was the first ever in all of England to utilize hydroelectric power. An artificial tarn located somewhere under ground provided all the water needed, and so the convenience was perpetual, until a thunderous rainstorm in 1927 burst through the Kepple Cove Dam, washed through the villages along the east and flooded the Greenside Mine. Only a few outcroppings of rocks on Raise’s south end serve as a reminder of that mine’s existence and the flood that destroyed it. The wondrous Lake District is filled with rich history such as this. Geographically speaking, Raise is much like others comprising the Western Fells: The are green and grassy on the west side and rough and rocky on the eastern, though this contrast isn’t as sharp and distinct as it is farther south along the Helvellyn range where the Nethermost Pike is located. Raise’s summit, which some argue is merely a section of the Birker Fell formation, comprises plagioclase-phtric andesite magna (i.e. lava), mixed with gravel drift. Pyroclastic breccia can be found in the south western area of the area. Studding the otherwise carpet of grass are cairns and rock outcropping. Raise would be a geologist’s dream, although much of these elements can be found all over the Lake District. Ascending Raise is easy, from every direction. The primary routes to Raise’s summit squirrel off of Sticks Pass in the north, originating from Legburthwaite or other nearby villages. These routes are well-established on the slopes of Raise from the constant traffic that has moved through the area over the years and decades. Fisherplace Gill (stream) provides yet alternate access up the plush western slope, whereas other paths from Glenridding Beck , not far from Kepple Cove to the southeast, zig-zag through the rough facing on Raise’s east side in correlation with the abrupt Stang ridge that is there. As blocked in as Raise is, the fell is still very much and independent entity as far as Lake District’s geography goes. The historical significance and panoramic vistas all the way around make this an intriguing mountain to climb and to visit. |
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