Grike (Lake District)
Encyclopedia
Grike is a hill in the west of the English
Lake District
, near Ennerdale Water
. It is part of the Lank Rigg
group, the most westerly Wainwright as the fell
s diminish toward the coastal plain. It can be climbed from Kinniside or Ennerdale Bridge.
occupy a triangular sector of the Lake District, bordered by the River Cocker to the north east and Wasdale
to the south east. Westwards, the hills diminish toward the coastal plain of Cumberland. At the central hub of the high country are Great Gable
and its satellites, while two principal ridges fan out on either flank of Ennerdale
, the western fells in effect being a great horseshoe around this long wild valley. Grike stands at the extremity of the southern arm.
The main watershed runs broadly westwards from Great Gable, dividing the headwaters of Ennerdale and Wasdale
. The fells in this section are Kirk Fell
, Pillar
, Scoat Fell
, Haycock and Caw Fell
. The surrounding valleys gradually diverge until other rivers spring up to drain the intervening country. Worm Gill is one such watercourse, running southwards from Caw Fell and forcing the ridge to detour northwards around the head of its valley. Beyond this stand the fells of the Lank Rigg
group, the final high country within the National Park
. Crag Fell
and Grike complete the westward line of the ridge, while Lank Rigg itself lies to the south across the head of the River Calder.
The western ridge of Crag Fell narrows to a marshy depression at 1,480 ft, before climbing again up the easy slopes of Grike. The southern flanks of both fells have been planted with a long belt of conifers, running down to the headwaters of the Calder. Grike's northern slopes are also forested where gradient and crags allow. The Ennerdale face is less impressive than that of Crag Fell, although deeply riven by the beds of Ben Gill and Red Gill. Grike looks down not upon the lake itself, but on the floodplain of the River Ehen, its outflowing stream.
West of the summit is a broad slope leading down to Heckbarley (1,280 ft), a wide plateau with little prominence which is separated from the main fell by Stinking Gill and Goat Gill. Heckbarley has Grike's only real crags on its northern face. The ridge now turns south over a wooded depression to cross the minor tops of Blakeley Raise (1,276 ft), Burn Edge (1,050 ft) and Swarth Fell (1,099 ft). In his influential Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells
, Alfred Wainwright
included only the first of these within the territory of Grike, although some later writers have added the whole of the ridge as far as the National Park boundary. The Coldfell road runs along the western side of these tops.
together with two smaller ones, built from the many specimens lying near the summit on an otherwise grassy dome. The main cairn gives the fell its alternative local name, Stone Man. A weather station is a rather more modern addition to the summit decorations.
The view seawards is extensive, but to the east the Lakeland panorama is partly obscured by Crag Fell. The horseshoe of the Western Fells is all that can be seen well, although the summits of Dollywaggon Pike
and Fairfield
put in unexpected appearances, along with Skiddaw
and a small section of the North Western Fells. The foot of Ennerdale Water is also in sight.
. This was once the road to the Crag Fell Iron Mines and crosses the initial ridge between Heckbarley and Blakeley Raise. It then contours along the southern flank of Grike, just above the trees.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
Lake District
Lake District
The Lake District, also commonly known as The Lakes or Lakeland, is a mountainous region in North West England. A popular holiday destination, it is famous not only for its lakes and its mountains but also for its associations with the early 19th century poetry and writings of William Wordsworth...
, near Ennerdale Water
Ennerdale Water
Ennerdale Water is the most westerly lake in the Lake District National Park in Cumbria, England. It is a glacial lake, with a maximum depth of 45 metres , and at 700 to 1,500 metres wide and 3.9 kilometres is one of the smallest lakes in the area...
. It is part of the Lank Rigg
Lank Rigg
Lank Rigg is a fell in the English Lake District. It stands to the south of Ennerdale in the Western Fells. A sprawling hill with gentle grassy slopes it can be climbed from various points on the Coldfell road...
group, the most westerly Wainwright as the fell
Fell
“Fell” is a word used to refer to mountains, or certain types of mountainous landscape, in Scandinavia, the Isle of Man, and parts of northern England.- Etymology :...
s diminish toward the coastal plain. It can be climbed from Kinniside or Ennerdale Bridge.
Topography
The Western FellsWestern Fells
The Western Fells are a group of hills in the English Lake District. Centred on Great Gable they occupy a triangular area between Buttermere and Wasdale...
occupy a triangular sector of the Lake District, bordered by the River Cocker to the north east and Wasdale
Wasdale
Wasdale is a valley and civil parish in the western part of the Lake District National Park in Cumbria, England. The River Irt flows through the valley to its estuary at Ravenglass. A large part of the main valley floor is occupied by Wastwater, the deepest lake in England...
to the south east. Westwards, the hills diminish toward the coastal plain of Cumberland. At the central hub of the high country are Great Gable
Great Gable
Great Gable is a mountain lying at the very heart of the English Lake District, appearing as a pyramid from Wasdale , but as a dome from most other directions. It is one of the most popular of the Lakeland fells, and there are many different routes to the summit...
and its satellites, while two principal ridges fan out on either flank of Ennerdale
Ennerdale
Ennerdale may refer to:* Ennerdale, Gauteng, a suburb of Johannesburg, South Africa* Ennerdale Water, a lake in the Lake District in England**Ennerdale Bridge, a nearby settlement...
, the western fells in effect being a great horseshoe around this long wild valley. Grike stands at the extremity of the southern arm.
The main watershed runs broadly westwards from Great Gable, dividing the headwaters of Ennerdale and Wasdale
Wasdale
Wasdale is a valley and civil parish in the western part of the Lake District National Park in Cumbria, England. The River Irt flows through the valley to its estuary at Ravenglass. A large part of the main valley floor is occupied by Wastwater, the deepest lake in England...
. The fells in this section are Kirk Fell
Kirk Fell
Kirk Fell is a fell in the Western part of the English Lake District. It is situated between Great Gable and Pillar on the long ring of fells surrounding the valley of Ennerdale, and also stands over Wasdale to the south...
, Pillar
Pillar (Lake District)
Pillar is a mountain in the western part of the English Lake District. Situated between the valleys of Ennerdale to the north and Wasdale to the south, it is the highest point of the Pillar group . At 892 metres it is the eighth highest mountain in the Lake District...
, Scoat Fell
Scoat Fell
Scoat Fell is a fell in the western part of the English Lake District. It stands at the head of the Mosedale Horseshoe with its back to Ennerdale...
, Haycock and Caw Fell
Caw Fell
Caw Fell is a fell in the English Lake District, standing between Haycock the Lank Rigg group. It occupies a wide upland area with Ennerdale to the north and Blengdale to the south...
. The surrounding valleys gradually diverge until other rivers spring up to drain the intervening country. Worm Gill is one such watercourse, running southwards from Caw Fell and forcing the ridge to detour northwards around the head of its valley. Beyond this stand the fells of the Lank Rigg
Lank Rigg
Lank Rigg is a fell in the English Lake District. It stands to the south of Ennerdale in the Western Fells. A sprawling hill with gentle grassy slopes it can be climbed from various points on the Coldfell road...
group, the final high country within the National Park
Lake District National Park
The Lake District National Park is located in the north-west of England and is the largest of the English National Parks and the second largest in the United Kingdom. It is in the central and most-visited part of the Lake District....
. Crag Fell
Crag Fell
Crag Fell is a hill in the English Lake District. It is part of the Lank Rigg group, standing above Ennerdale Water in the Western Fells. The craggy northern face above the lake gives the fell its name, prominent in views from the car park at Bowness Knott...
and Grike complete the westward line of the ridge, while Lank Rigg itself lies to the south across the head of the River Calder.
The western ridge of Crag Fell narrows to a marshy depression at 1,480 ft, before climbing again up the easy slopes of Grike. The southern flanks of both fells have been planted with a long belt of conifers, running down to the headwaters of the Calder. Grike's northern slopes are also forested where gradient and crags allow. The Ennerdale face is less impressive than that of Crag Fell, although deeply riven by the beds of Ben Gill and Red Gill. Grike looks down not upon the lake itself, but on the floodplain of the River Ehen, its outflowing stream.
West of the summit is a broad slope leading down to Heckbarley (1,280 ft), a wide plateau with little prominence which is separated from the main fell by Stinking Gill and Goat Gill. Heckbarley has Grike's only real crags on its northern face. The ridge now turns south over a wooded depression to cross the minor tops of Blakeley Raise (1,276 ft), Burn Edge (1,050 ft) and Swarth Fell (1,099 ft). In his influential Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells
Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells
A Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells is a series of seven books by A. Wainwright, detailing the fells of the Lake District in northwest England...
, Alfred Wainwright
Alfred Wainwright
Alfred Wainwright MBE was a British fellwalker, guidebook author and illustrator. His seven-volume Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells, published between 1955 and 1966 and consisting entirely of reproductions of his manuscript, has become the standard reference work to 214 of the fells of the...
included only the first of these within the territory of Grike, although some later writers have added the whole of the ridge as far as the National Park boundary. The Coldfell road runs along the western side of these tops.
Mining
Iron mines operated beneath the northern slopes of Grike and Crag Fell from 1860 to 1896. Levels were driven into the banks of Goat Gill and Red Gill, with the principal working, Main Drift Mine, between the two. The yields were never as great as hoped and the venture was a commercial failure.Summit and view
The top bears a massive stone cairnCairn
Cairn is a term used mainly in the English-speaking world for a man-made pile of stones. It comes from the or . Cairns are found all over the world in uplands, on moorland, on mountaintops, near waterways and on sea cliffs, and also in barren desert and tundra areas...
together with two smaller ones, built from the many specimens lying near the summit on an otherwise grassy dome. The main cairn gives the fell its alternative local name, Stone Man. A weather station is a rather more modern addition to the summit decorations.
The view seawards is extensive, but to the east the Lakeland panorama is partly obscured by Crag Fell. The horseshoe of the Western Fells is all that can be seen well, although the summits of Dollywaggon Pike
Dollywaggon Pike
Dollywaggon Pike is a fell in the English Lake District. It stands on the main spine of the Helvellyn range in the Eastern Fells, between Thirlmere and the Ullswater catchment.-Name:...
and Fairfield
Fairfield (Lake District)
Fairfield is a fell in the English Lake District. It is the highest of a group of hills in the Eastern Fells, standing to the south of the Helvellyn range.-Topography:...
put in unexpected appearances, along with Skiddaw
Skiddaw
Skiddaw is a mountain in the Lake District National Park in England. With a summit at 931 m above sea level it is the fourth highest mountain in England. It lies just north of the town of Keswick, Cumbria, and dominates the skyline in this part of the northern lakes...
and a small section of the North Western Fells. The foot of Ennerdale Water is also in sight.
Ascents
From Ennerdale Bridge, or the car parks near the outflow of the lake, the lane to Crag Farm can be used to give access onto the fell. A good path makes for Crag Fell and this can be followed as far as Ben Gill before turning right up the hillside. The Coldfell road provides another starting point, a track heading eastward from near the Kinniside stone circleStone circle
A stone circle is a monument of standing stones arranged in a circle. Such monuments have been constructed across the world throughout history for many different reasons....
. This was once the road to the Crag Fell Iron Mines and crosses the initial ridge between Heckbarley and Blakeley Raise. It then contours along the southern flank of Grike, just above the trees.