Sale Fell

Written and walked by Lee McCoy · Summited July 2024

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359 mWainwright — North Western Fells+3 bonus Birketts within 3 km Fewer traps in Clag

Sale Fell at 359m (1,178ft) is a pleasant little summit above Bassenthwaite Lake, its low summit giving fine views of the lake and across to Skiddaw above.

Summit conditions on Sale Fell

On the summit on Tuesday 27 October: 14° to 8°C, gusts to 51 mph, 5.7 mm of rain forecast over the whole day, midnight to midnight.

Against our lines, Tuesday 27 October: wind, cold and cloud from the Met Office UKV 2 km model (daylight hours, as in the verdict above); rain from the summit line’s forecast (the whole day). A tile is large when this top is past its line.

Wind on the top

Past the line

48 mph, our estimate for the open top in the worst daylight hour

The Met Office 2 km model’s gust of 46 mph times our exposure factor of 1.05. The summit line above gives Open-Meteo’s highest gust for the whole day, 51 mph, before any exposure factor.

The line Our line: 25 mph, where our wind Scale begins its 25–35 band: “balance affected; buffeting on exposed ground”. MWIS (opens in new tab) describes what wind does to a walker across a range rather than at a line: from about 20–25 mph it starts to affect your balance.

Estimated: it is not calibrated against summit readings, and the two forecasts can disagree by more than a band.

Also checked cold: feels like 5 °C, no ice or snow forecast; cloud: a clear-top reading of 45 out of 100, over our in-cloud line of 20; rain: 5.7 mm in the day, under our 6 mm line. Under a line is not the same as fine: it means only that these figures are under the lines we use.

Not in these tiles Lightning, river levels, snow or ice already lying, and the ground under your feet. A tile cannot see them, so an empty space here never means they are absent.

Snow figures with a second opinion: Powered by Met Office data

Full 7-day summit forecast ↓

Wainwrights are scored for walking conditions each morning from the Met Office’s UK forecast model, read for each summit through Open-Meteo; the forecast figures are Open-Meteo’s, worked out for the summit’s height. How we check →

Weather data by Open-Meteo.com (opens in new tab)

Routes up Sale Fell

Both start from unnamed layby north-east of Ling Fell; the last two rows give its parking and bus. Full maps further down.

Compared	Ling Fell & Sale Fell	Rivings and Lothwaite
Starts from	unnamed layby north-east of Ling Fell	Wythop Mill
Distance and climb	4.98 km, 422 m of climb	4.38 km, 273 m of climb
Time, fast to steady	~1½–2½ h	~1¼–2 h
Scrambling	Not mentioned in the route’s notes	Not mentioned in the route’s notes
Exposure	Easy	Not assessed
Navigation	Easy	Moderate
Steepest stretch	Descent of about 27% at 1.7 km (Hard)	Descent of about 26% at 4.0 km (Hard)
After the summit	No further tops	No further tops
Walked or planned	Walked by Lee, July 2024	Planned: drawn, not yet walked
Car park at the start	unnamed layby north-east of Ling Fell	unnamed layby north-east of Ling Fell
Bus to the start	X5, 2.7 km walk from Embleton Close Barn (near)	X5, 2.7 km walk from Embleton Close Barn (near)

Times run from fast to steady pace (Naismith’s rule). Scrambling quotes each route’s own notes; “not mentioned” means they do not say, not that the ground has none. Each route’s page has its map, stages and GPX.

Distance, climb and the steepest stretch are measured from each route’s GPX track; the other grades are set on the ground, judged from the map or estimated from OpenStreetMap, and each route page says which. How we check →

How hard is Sale Fell?

The shortest way up we hold is Rivings and Lothwaite — 4.38 km, 273 m of ascent, ~1¼–2 h. On our scale its hardest axis is steepness — Hard.

All axes: steepness: Hard · navigation: Moderate · length: Easy · terrain: Not assessed · exposure: Not assessed.

These are the route page’s grades, set by the rules on how we grade: length and steepness measured from its GPX track, the others set on the ground, judged from the map or estimated from OpenStreetMap. The route page says which. How we check →

Conditions and 7-day summit forecast

Modelled for the 359 m summit (Open-Meteo). Check the Met Office mountain forecast and MWIS before you set off.

Full 7-day forecast

Tue 27 Oct

14° / 8°

51 mph

5.7 mm (100%)

Wed 28 Oct

11° / 8°

39 mph

3.9 mm (100%)

Thu 29 Oct

12° / 7°

20 mph

0.4 mm (6%)

Fri 30 Oct

11° / 7°

15 mph

0.2 mm (9%)

Sat 31 Oct

10° / 4°

7 mph

5.4 mm (12%)

Sun 1 Nov

9° / 1°

15 mph

0.4 mm (2%)

Mon 2 Nov

8° / 0°

5 mph

0.0 mm (0%)

Taken 27 October 2026, 20:59 UTC; the live forecast replaces it when it loads. Weather data by Open-Meteo.com (opens in new tab)

Pro mountain forecasts: MWIS · Met Office mountain forecast

Parking & buses for Sale Fell

Parking

Where do you park for Sale Fell?

The classic start is near the Pheasant Inn at the foot of Bassenthwaite Lake, using the roadside laybys (not the inn's own car park), or from the Wythop valley lane where both our routes start, south-west of the top — both informal and limited, so park considerately and don't block the lane or gateways.

Route starts first, then the car parks nearest the summit, which are not always a way up.

Ling Fell, north-east (layby) — 0.1 km from the start of Ling Fell & Sale Fell and Rivings and Lothwaite (straight line)

Walking base for Ling Fell, Sale Fell, Rivings and Lothwaite — the 'Ling Fell & Sale Fell' route starts 80 m away. Also serves 'Rivings and Lothwaite'. Free (OSM-tagged). Ground surface (OSM-tagged).

Directions Something changed here?

Roadside parking for Sale Fell (free) — 0.6 km from summit (straight line)

0.6 km from Sale Fell. Added from the 5 August 2026 OSM candidate review.

Directions Something changed here?

Burthwaite Heights (layby) — 1.0 km from summit (straight line)

Nearest fells: Burthwaite Heights (0.5 km), Ling Fell (1.0 km), Sale Fell (1.0 km). Free (OSM-tagged). Ground surface (OSM-tagged).

Directions Something changed here?

2 more places to park near Sale Fell

Lothwaite, north (layby) — 1.0 km from summit (straight line)

Nearest fells: Lothwaite (0.8 km), Sale Fell (1.0 km), Rivings (1.1 km). Free (OSM-tagged). Ground surface (OSM-tagged).

Directions Something changed here?

Dubwath, 0.6 km SE (layby) — 1.2 km from summit (straight line)

Nearest fells: Lothwaite (1.1 km), Sale Fell (1.2 km), Rivings (1.3 km). Fee not verified — check signage on arrival.

Directions Something changed here?

Positions are approximate.

Vehicles are left at their owner’s risk: we list places people park and cannot vouch for any of them. Take valuables with you and leave nothing on show.

Buses

The X4 and X5 stop at Embleton Close Barn (near). From there it is 2.7 km and 151 m of ascent to the start of Rivings and Lothwaite — a route we rate Hard overall (hardest: steepness) — a walk in before the walk. And the same back: about 9.8 km in all, with the walk. As timetabled from 27 October to 1 November. Towards Keswick (X5): Tuesday to Thursday 21:35; Friday and Saturday 23:50; Sunday 17:55. Checked against the operator’s timetable, 24 September 2026. Times here are a guide, not a promise — leave yourself more than the minute.

Stagecoach X4 / X5

Penrith – Rheged – Threlkeld – Keswick – Braithwaite – Cockermouth – Workington

Catch it from: Penrith

Year-round, every 30 minutes Monday to Saturday between Penrith and Keswick and hourly on Sundays, from outside Penrith station. One ticket from any station on the West Coast Main Line to Keswick includes this bus: search for ‘Keswick Bus (KWK)’ when you book the train. From Penrith this is your way into Keswick and the Northern fells — Threlkeld/Scales stops serve Blencathra directly, Braithwaite serves the Coledale fells.

Rural routes change seasonally — confirm on stagecoachbus.com (opens in new tab) or Traveline before relying on a last bus.

Getting there across the Lake District: Buses · Parking map · By train · By boat

Hazards on Sale Fell

We have not written a hazard card for this fell yet, and that is not a sign that it is low-hazard. Read the warnings on the route pages that climb it, check the forecast, carry a map and compass, and turn back in cloud if the ground is not what you expected. The National Park Authority’s What to pack page, AdventureSmart’s hill walking kit list and Mountain Rescue England and Wales’s safety page are linked from our what to carry guide.

Navigating in cloud

Fewer traps in cloud

Of the three things our terrain model measures, the highest reading here is the amount of near-level ground around the summit. This top is in the lowest of the index’s four bands, and a low band never means “safe”: carry map and compass and know how to use them.

In winter — snow, whiteout, cornices, buried features — every top demands full winter navigation skills whatever its band, and a broad, gentle summit can be the worst place of all. See walking in bad weather and the navigation guide.

How Sale Fell compares with all 214: the Clag Index (experimental).

If you need Mountain Rescue

Dial 999 or 112 and ask for the Police, then Mountain Rescue.

Before you call, have ready: where you are (a grid reference if you can – the OS Locate app shows yours on your phone), what has happened, how many of you there are, and your mobile number.

Then stay where you are until the rescue team contacts you.

If you cannot make a voice call because of a hearing or speech impairment, emergency SMS works only if you have registered first: text “register” to 999.

From Mountain Rescue England and Wales’s guidance on calling them out (opens in new tab) (read 26 October 2026).

Map, GPX and nearby Birketts

Free mapping: OpenTopoMap / OpenStreetMap, with SRTM elevation data (switch layers top-right).

Parking, toilets and buses: Parking & buses ↑.

Birketts within 3 km of Sale Fell

These Birkett tops are not Wainwright summits. Distances are straight lines: check the ground and access on a map before adding one.

0.4 km ESERivings335 m · North Western

0.9 km ELothwaite345 m · North Western

1.5 km SSWBurthwaite Heights318 m · North Western

Routes over Sale Fell

Ling Fell & Sale Fell

Summits: Ling FellSale Fell

Download GPX Walked by Lee, July 2024

Route guide: Ling Fell & Sale Fell →

Rivings and Lothwaite

Summits: Rivings LothwaiteSale Fell

Download GPX Planned route · not yet walked

Route guide: Rivings and Lothwaite →

Every line here is a guide, not a guarantee — conditions change. Navigate for yourself and carry a map and compass. How to use this guide.

About Sale Fell

Wainwright described it as an excellent evening walk from Keswick — the views of Bassenthwaite and the Skiddaw group are very fine for such a modest height. The ascent from Wythop Mill is short and enjoyable. Combined naturally with Ling Fell for a gentle half-day outing.

My Strava hikes over Sale Fell

1 logged hike pass over this summit:

Ling Fell & Sale Fell: Won't be rushing to do these again (opens in new tab) — 4.9 km · 408 m ascent · 1h 23m moving · 27 July 2024

Data from Strava.

Classifications & hill data

Selected lists

359 m

Height

1,178 ft

In feet

NY 1944 2966

Grid ref

This is the summit’s grid reference. If you call from anywhere else, give your own position, not this one.

The summit is also a Birkett.

Lists, height and summit position from the Database of British and Irish Hills; the feet are converted from its metres and the grid reference from that position. How we check →

The view from Sale Fell

The 360° skyline from Sale Fell

A computed 360° skyline — every visible named top labelled by distance and bearing, from the terrain model in perfect clarity, not photographed. Drag to pan; reveal the far four-nations horizon.

drag to pan · arrow keys

The skyline as a list, by direction

North-east: Little Sca Fell (10 km), Great Sca Fell (11 km), Brae Fell (11 km)
East: Long Side (6 km), Skiddaw (7 km), Skiddaw North Top (7 km), Skiddaw Middle Top (7 km), Skiddaw South Top (7 km), Broad End (7 km), Skiddaw Little Man (8 km), Skiddaw Lesser Man (8 km), Little Calva (9 km), Frozen Fell (10 km), Knott (11 km)
South-east: High Seat (15 km), Clough Head (16 km), Little Dodd (17 km), Great Dodd (17 km), Watson's Dodd (17 km), Randerside (18 km), Stybarrow Dodd (18 km), Raise (19 km), White Side (19 km), Helvellyn Lower Man (20 km), Catstye Cam (21 km), Nethermost Pike (22 km), High Crag (22 km), Dollywaggon Pike (22 km), Seat Sandal (24 km), Great Rigg (25 km)
South: Lord's Seat (3 km), Ladyside Pike (7 km), Grisedale Pike (7 km), Hopegill Head (8 km), Sand Hill (8 km), Whiteside East Top (8 km), Whiteside (8 km), Grasmoor (10 km), Iron Crag (19 km)
South-west: Blake Fell (13 km)

On the clearest days the far horizon adds: Slieve Donard (181 km, Ireland), Merrick (95 km, Scotland), Snaefell (90 km, Isle of Man), Cairnsmore of Carsphairn (91 km, Scotland), Cairnsmore of Fleet (79 km, Scotland), Corserine (90 km, Scotland), Lamachan Hill (90 km, Scotland), Green Lowther (88 km, Scotland).

Computed from Copernicus GLO-30 terrain; distant tops from the Database of British and Irish Hills v18.4 (opens in new tab) (CC BY 4.0). See how we compute the view · and the summit intervisibility report below.

Sunrise and sunset on Sale Fell

Sale Fell waits for the sun. Its longest wait of the modelled year falls at the March equinox, when the sun is up for 36 minutes before it clears this skyline — first light 06:52 against an almanac sunrise of 06:16. You are standing in shadow while the valley below is already lit. The sun comes up to the east from here (96.5°), and the skyline on that bearing stands at 4.82°.

Midsummer. The filled shape is the skyline as seen from the summit; the line is the sun’s path. Where they meet is first light — everything left of that point is the wait.

Times for 2026, in Lakeland clock time (GMT in winter, BST in summer) — and model outputs rather than observations.
	First light	Almanac sunrise	Difference
Midsummer	04:34 BST ±5.0 min	04:36	-2 min
Equinox	06:52 GMT ±5.0 min	06:16	+36 min
Midwinter	08:50 GMT ±5.0 min	08:34	+16 min

A low, open northern horizon — the ground falls away northwards (mean -0.09°).

Last light — when the sun leaves Sale Fell

The evening here runs close to the flat-horizon case. Even on its earliest evening of the modelled year (on 1 January) last light is only 3 minutes before almanac sunset, so the published sunset time is a fair guide on Sale Fell.

The evening of the same three days. A negative difference means a ridge takes the sun before the valley loses it.
	Last light	Almanac sunset	Difference
Midsummer	21:57 BST ±5.0 min	21:54	+3 min
Equinox	18:31 GMT ±5.0 min	18:27	+4 min
Midwinter	15:47 GMT ±5.0 min	15:49	-2 min

These are daylight figures, not a descent plan: the light goes on fading for a good while after the sun leaves, and going down in it is a decision about your own ground and party, not about this table.

What you can see from Sale Fell

On a clear day — computed sightlines, curvature- and refraction-corrected.

41Wainwrights in view+1 marginal

181 kmFurthest sightlineSlieve Donard · possible under favourable refraction

2Sea in viewIrish Sea, Solway Firth

On the clearest days the view reaches across to Scotland, the Isle of Man and Northern Ireland.

Far horizons

Slieve Donard Northern IrelandWSW · 181 km clear
Merrick ScotlandNW · 96 km clear
Snaefell Isle of ManWSW · 90 km clear
Criffel ScotlandNW · 41 km distant
Solway Firth bay/estuaryNW · 30 km in view
Irish Sea open waterW · 27 km in view

All 41 Wainwrights in clear view (nearest first)

Ling Fell, Broom Fell, Lord's Seat, Barf, Graystones (Graystones North Top), Ullock Pike, Dodd (Skiddaw), Long Side, Carl Side, Skiddaw, Binsey, Grisedale Pike, Skiddaw Little Man, Hopegill Head, Whiteside (Whiteside West Top), Fellbarrow - Mosser Fell, Great Cockup, Grasmoor, Meal Fell, Latrigg, Longlands Fell, Great Sca Fell, Knott, Brae Fell, Walla Crag, Burnbank Fell, Blake Fell, Bleaberry Fell, High Rigg (Naddle Fell), Clough Head, Great Dodd, Watson's Dodd, Stybarrow Dodd, Raise, White Side, Catstye Cam, Helvellyn, Nethermost Pike, Dollywaggon Pike, Seat Sandal, Great Rigg

How the view from Sale Fell compares with all 214 — the View Report: every Wainwright ranked by what you can see from the top.

How the skyline, light and sightlines are computed

Computed, not photographed. First light is the first minute the sun’s upper limb clears this summit’s own skyline and last light the last minute it is still clear of it, both solved against the 360° horizon profile behind The View from Sale Fell. Almanac sunrise and sunset are the flat-horizon convention. Every time carries a ± band from the 30 m elevation model — it smooths arêtes and cornices, so nothing here claims better than five minutes.

Sightlines from the Copernicus GLO-30 elevation model, which is a surface model: each 30 m cell holds the top of whatever stands there, trees and buildings included, rather than bare ground. Corrected for the Earth’s curvature and average atmospheric refraction. “Distant” sightlines and any over 100 km depend on exceptionally clear air. Modelled from Copernicus GLO-30 open elevation data — a guide to the view, not a guarantee of any single one.

Places to stay near this fell

Embleton Spa Hotel (opens in new tab) hotelabout 1.6 km
Bassenfell Manor Christian Centre (opens in new tab) hostelabout 4.7 km

We have not stayed at any of them. We take no bookings or affiliate fees. Distances are straight lines from each route start, never walking times. Properties found via OpenStreetMap (opens in new tab).

Frequently asked questions about Sale Fell

How long does it take to walk Sale Fell? Answered above: Routes up Sale Fell.

Where do you park for Sale Fell? Answered above: Parking for Sale Fell.

Is Sale Fell a Wainwright?

Yes — one of the gentlest in the book, in the North Western Fells above the Wythop valley. Wainwright wrote of it with real affection as an evening stroll of a fell. Its natural partner is Ling Fell, the matching heather dome just across the valley — baggers usually take both in an afternoon — and both count towards more than one Lakeland list.

Is Sale Fell good for families and dogs?

One of the best: grassy and short, with one steep descent to take slowly, and full of interest, with lovely views over Bassenthwaite Lake. It's sheep country end to end, so dogs on leads — and lambing time deserves extra care.

Questions from Google’s “People also ask”. · Last updated 2026-07-27 · Suggest a question or correction (opens in new tab)

Sale Fell

Summit conditions on Sale Fell

Wind on the top

Routes up Sale Fell

How hard is Sale Fell?

Conditions and 7-day summit forecast

Parking & buses for Sale Fell

Parking

Where do you park for Sale Fell?

Buses

Hazards on Sale Fell

Navigating in cloud

If you need Mountain Rescue

Map, GPX and nearby Birketts

Birketts within 3 km of Sale Fell

Routes over Sale Fell

About Sale Fell

My Strava hikes over Sale Fell

Classifications & hill data

Selected lists

The view from Sale Fell

The 360° skyline from Sale Fell

Sunrise and sunset on Sale Fell

Last light — when the sun leaves Sale Fell

What you can see from Sale Fell

Places to stay near this fell

Frequently asked questions about Sale Fell

Other fells near Sale Fell