Sale Fell
Park at: St Margaret's Church Wythop layby - free parking
Distance: 3.5 mile circular walk
Duration: 2 hours
Height: 359m / 1,178ft
Wainwright height ranking: 208 of 214
1) From the road looking at the church go 100m left then turn right through a gate.
2) Follow the footpath diagonally up the hill past a bench overlooking St Margaret's Church with views over Bassenthwaite Lake. Continue up the grassy path in the same direction until you come to a T junction.
3) Turn right at the T junction which is the more obvious path. Follow the path straight and it will eventually bear left.
4) Before the path starts to steeply descend turn left up the hill. The path will shortly split. Keep to the right hand side path and follow this to the summit.
5) Enjoy views over Bassenthwaite Lake towards the Skiddaw range, over the Vale of Embleton towards Cockermouth and over the Solway Firth to Scotland.
6) From the summit continue in the same direction downhill until you reach the wall.
7) Turn right before the wall and follow its line down the path past a farm until you reach a tarmacked lane.
8) Turn left at the tarmacked lane and follow it for about 50m before turning right past a bench signposted 'Beck Wythop'.
9) Go through a gate and continue forwards on a grassy path past the ruins of Kelswick Church.
10) Go through a tall gate and into Chapel Wood. Follow the path keeping left along the top path when the path splits.
11) Continue along the woodland path until it rises to another tall gate that leaves the wood. Go through the tall gate.
12) Follow the path as it rises upwards with Bassenthwaite Lake coming into view on the right. Before the path reaches a gate in front of you, turn left steeply up a grassy path.
13) When the path forks take the right hand one. The path soon curves left past an area of felled trees.
14) The path gradually drops down. Take care crossing a stream which in wet periods the surrounding area can be very boggy.
15) Turn right and go through a gate. Follow the path downhill. Bassenthwaite Lake soon comes into view again on the right.
16) Keep following the path down curving left with views towards the A66 on the right until you come to the bench at the start of the walk above St Margaret's Church.
17) Turn right at the bench and follow the path downhill to the gate where the walk started.