On top of the Beacon

With the sun brightening the afternoon there was no excuse for staying in and with Kevan and Jean joining us along with Mum and Dad, we drove up to Beacon Fell for some fresh air and a little stroll.

Beacon Fell is one of the oldest country parks in the country, designated back in 1970. Over the forty years since it was created, a network of paths have been created through woods and around the top of the fell, and once we found somewhere to park (the fine weather meant the Fell was very popular today), there were plenty of routes to explore including a relatively easy climb to the summit.


The top of the fell is a modest 873ft above sea level, but as the main car parks around the visitor centre are not far from the top then the walk up to the trig point takes no time at all. The top is clear of trees and there are reasonable views west to the coast, north to the Bowland hills, most notably Fair Snape Fell and Parlick, and south to the Ribble Valley.

The summit proved popular with other visitors, meaning Dad couldn't get the shot of the trig point without people in the way, so we walked on eventually reaching the small picturesque tarn further round the fellside. From here there were several paths to choose from, leading through the woods and eventually back to the car park.