Pike of Stickle
Encyclopedia
Pike of Stickle, also known as Pike O’ Stickle, is a fell
in the English Lake District
. It reaches a height of 709 metres (2,326 feet) and is situated in the central part
of the national park
in the valley of Great Langdale
. The fell is one of three fells which make up the picturesque Langdale Pikes (the others being Harrison Stickle
and Loft Crag
), one of the best known areas in Lakeland. A "stickle" is a hill with a steep prominent rocky top, while a "pike" is a hill with a peaked summit, the name is therefore partly tautological
.
. Pike Of Stickle stands at the western end of this system and its crags fall south from the summit, presenting an arresting view from the valley floor 2,000 ft below, or from further afield.
Loft Crag
stands next along the rampart, with Thorn Crag and Harrison Stickle
further to the east. 'Behind' Pike of Stickle to the north is the depression of Harrison Combe, beyond which are the twin tops of Thunacar Knott. Westward the height of the land gradually falls away to Martcrag Moor, a wide plateau with a few small tarns
near the summit (1,795 ft). Martcrag Moor represents the end of the Central Fells as defined by Alfred Wainwright
, providing a high level connection to Rossett Pike
in the Southern Fells.
and breccia
. The Langdale face displays several strata, from the top The Lingmell Formation, Crinkle Member and Bad Step Tuff. These are composed, respectively, of tuff
, lapilli
-tuff and breccia; rhyolitic tuff and breccia; and rhyolitic lava
-like tuff..
surrounded by a small level area. Loft Crag and Gimmer Crag steal the attention in the foreground while Bowfell
impresses across Langdale. A wide swathe of the Southern Fells
is in view, whilst even distant Skiddaw
puts in an appearance.
showing well. The fell is invariably climbed from Great Langdale with either the New or Old Dungeon Ghyll Hotel
s as the starting points. There are a number of routes, the most common ascent being a path that slants across the hillside from the New hotel passing between Thorn Crag and Gimmer Crag and then turning left at the col
. A quieter route is by Troughton Beck; the walker starts from the Old hotel and goes four kilometres towards the head of the valley before bearing right and following a zig-zag path at the side of Troughton Beck. This route gives the walker an unusual view of the fell from this unfrequented side. There is another route directly up the Stickle Stone Shoot: this route is steep and has become severely eroded in recent years and is no longer recommended as a means of ascent or descent. The Langdale or Borrowdale
sides of Stake Pass can also be used, giving access onto Martcrag Moor.
stone axe factory
; it is situated on the scree slope on the steep southern slope of the fell and is one of the most important prehistoric axe
factories in Europe
. The factory was set up here because of a vein of greenstone
, a very hard volcanic rock
, which comes to the surface around the head of the valley. Evidence of axe manufacture have been found in many areas of Great Langdale but it is the screes of Pike of Stickle which have yielded the most discoveries. There is a small cave at the top of the Stickle Stone Shoot near the summit of the fell which was part of the stone axe factory.
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 :...
in the English 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...
. It reaches a height of 709 metres (2,326 feet) and is situated in the central part
Central Fells
The Central Fells are a group of hills in the English Lake District. Reaching their highest point at High Raise , they occupy a broad area to the east of Borrowdale. Perhaps unexpectedly the Central Fells are generally lower than the surrounding hills, the Lake District's general dome-like...
of the national park
National parks of England and Wales
The national parks of England and Wales are areas of relatively undeveloped and scenic landscape that are designated under the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949...
in the valley of Great Langdale
Great Langdale
Great Langdale is a valley in the Lake District National Park in the county of Cumbria, in the northwest of England. It is often simply referred to as Langdale, the epithet Great distinguishing it from the neighbouring valley of Little Langdale....
. The fell is one of three fells which make up the picturesque Langdale Pikes (the others being Harrison Stickle
Harrison Stickle
Harrison Stickle is a fell in the central part of the English Lake District, situated above Great Langdale. The fell is one of the three fells which make up the picturesque Langdale Pikes, the others being Pike of Stickle and Loft Crag. Together they make up one of the most picturesque, and...
and Loft Crag
Loft Crag
Loft Crag is a fell in the English Lake District, it is situated 9 kilometres west of Ambleside in the valley of Great Langdale and along with the neighbouring fells of Harrison Stickle and Pike of Stickle it forms the picturesque Langdale Pikes which when viewed from the area around...
), one of the best known areas in Lakeland. A "stickle" is a hill with a steep prominent rocky top, while a "pike" is a hill with a peaked summit, the name is therefore partly tautological
Tautology
Tautology may refer to:*Tautology , using different words to say the same thing even if the repetition does not provide clarity. Tautology also means a series of self-reinforcing statements that cannot be disproved because the statements depend on the assumption that they are already...
.
Topography
The Langdale Pikes form a raised rocky parapet around the southern and eastern edges of a high tableland centred upon Thunacar KnottThunacar Knott
Thunacar Knott is a fell in the central part of the English Lake District in the county of Cumbria.-Topography:The main spine of the Central Fells runs south from Bleaberry Fell to High Raise, before turning sharply east en route for Blea Rigg and Loughrigg Fell. A secondary ridge projects...
. Pike Of Stickle stands at the western end of this system and its crags fall south from the summit, presenting an arresting view from the valley floor 2,000 ft below, or from further afield.
Loft Crag
Loft Crag
Loft Crag is a fell in the English Lake District, it is situated 9 kilometres west of Ambleside in the valley of Great Langdale and along with the neighbouring fells of Harrison Stickle and Pike of Stickle it forms the picturesque Langdale Pikes which when viewed from the area around...
stands next along the rampart, with Thorn Crag and Harrison Stickle
Harrison Stickle
Harrison Stickle is a fell in the central part of the English Lake District, situated above Great Langdale. The fell is one of the three fells which make up the picturesque Langdale Pikes, the others being Pike of Stickle and Loft Crag. Together they make up one of the most picturesque, and...
further to the east. 'Behind' Pike of Stickle to the north is the depression of Harrison Combe, beyond which are the twin tops of Thunacar Knott. Westward the height of the land gradually falls away to Martcrag Moor, a wide plateau with a few small tarns
Tarn (lake)
A tarn is a mountain lake or pool, formed in a cirque excavated by a glacier. A moraine may form a natural dam below a tarn. A corrie may be called a cirque.The word is derived from the Old Norse word tjörn meaning pond...
near the summit (1,795 ft). Martcrag Moor represents the end of the Central Fells as defined by 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...
, providing a high level connection to Rossett Pike
Rossett Pike
Rossett Pike is a fell in the English Lake District. It is located at the head of Mickleden, one of two tributary valleys of Great Langdale.-Topography:...
in the Southern Fells.
Geology
The rearward slopes show evidence of the Pavey Ark Member, pebbly sandstoneSandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
and breccia
Breccia
Breccia is a rock composed of broken fragments of minerals or rock cemented together by a fine-grained matrix, that can be either similar to or different from the composition of the fragments....
. The Langdale face displays several strata, from the top The Lingmell Formation, Crinkle Member and Bad Step Tuff. These are composed, respectively, of tuff
Tuff
Tuff is a type of rock consisting of consolidated volcanic ash ejected from vents during a volcanic eruption. Tuff is sometimes called tufa, particularly when used as construction material, although tufa also refers to a quite different rock. Rock that contains greater than 50% tuff is considered...
, lapilli
Lapilli
Lapilli is a size classification term for tephra, which is material that falls out of the air during a volcanic eruption or during some meteorite impacts. Lapilli means "little stones" in Latin. They are in some senses similar to ooids or pisoids in calcareous sediments.By definition lapilli range...
-tuff and breccia; rhyolitic tuff and breccia; and rhyolitic lava
Lava
Lava refers both to molten rock expelled by a volcano during an eruption and the resulting rock after solidification and cooling. This molten rock is formed in the interior of some planets, including Earth, and some of their satellites. When first erupted from a volcanic vent, lava is a liquid at...
-like tuff..
Summit and view
Despite the peaked profile the summit is wide enough for a sizeable 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...
surrounded by a small level area. Loft Crag and Gimmer Crag steal the attention in the foreground while Bowfell
Bowfell
Bowfell is a pyramid-shaped mountain lying at the heart of the English Lake District, in the Southern Fells area. It is the sixth highest mountain in the lakes and one of the most popular of the Lake District fells...
impresses across Langdale. A wide swathe of the Southern Fells
Southern Fells
Image:Annotated Scafell range.jpg|thumb|300px|The Scafellsrect 23 372 252 419 Slight Side rect 173 794 560 834 Scafell East Buttressrect 707 787 893 861 Esk Pike or Crag rect 245 303 409 358 Sca Fell rect 408 238 637 280 Mickledore Image:Annotated Scafell range.jpg|thumb|300px|The Scafellsrect 23...
is in view, whilst even distant 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...
puts in an appearance.
Ascents
Pike of Stickle rises steeply from Langdale, culminating in a narrow tapering summit which gives excellent views of the head of the valley, the fells of Bow Fell and Crinkle CragsCrinkle Crags
Crinkle Crags is a fell in the English Lake District in the county of Cumbria. It forms part of two major rings of mountains, surrounding the valleys of Great Langdale and Upper Eskdale. The name reflects the fell's physical appearance as its summit ridge is a series of five rises and depressions ...
showing well. The fell is invariably climbed from Great Langdale with either the New or Old Dungeon Ghyll Hotel
Hotel
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. The provision of basic accommodation, in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms...
s as the starting points. There are a number of routes, the most common ascent being a path that slants across the hillside from the New hotel passing between Thorn Crag and Gimmer Crag and then turning left at the col
Mountain pass
A mountain pass is a route through a mountain range or over a ridge. If following the lowest possible route, a pass is locally the highest point on that route...
. A quieter route is by Troughton Beck; the walker starts from the Old hotel and goes four kilometres towards the head of the valley before bearing right and following a zig-zag path at the side of Troughton Beck. This route gives the walker an unusual view of the fell from this unfrequented side. There is another route directly up the Stickle Stone Shoot: this route is steep and has become severely eroded in recent years and is no longer recommended as a means of ascent or descent. The Langdale or Borrowdale
Borrowdale
Borrowdale is a valley and civil parish in the English Lake District in the Borough of Allerdale in Cumbria, England.Borrowdale lies within the historic county boundaries of Cumberland, and is sometimes referred to as Cumberland Borrowdale in order to distinguish it from another Borrowdale in the...
sides of Stake Pass can also be used, giving access onto Martcrag Moor.
Stone Axe Factory
Pike of Stickle is famous as the site of a neolithicNeolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
stone axe factory
Langdale axe industry
The Langdale axe industry is the name given by archaeologists to the centre of a specialised stone tool manufacturing at Great Langdale in England's Lake District during the Neolithic period .The area has outcrops of fine-grained greenstone suitable for making polished axes which have been...
; it is situated on the scree slope on the steep southern slope of the fell and is one of the most important prehistoric axe
Axe
The axe, or ax, is an implement that has been used for millennia to shape, split and cut wood; to harvest timber; as a weapon; and as a ceremonial or heraldic symbol...
factories in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. The factory was set up here because of a vein of greenstone
Greenstone (archaeology)
Greenstone is a common generic term for valuable, green-hued minerals and metamorphosed igneous rocks and stones, that were used in the fashioning of hardstone carvings such as jewelry, statuettes, ritual tools, and various other artefacts in early cultures...
, a very hard volcanic rock
Igneous rock
Igneous rock is one of the three main rock types, the others being sedimentary and metamorphic rock. Igneous rock is formed through the cooling and solidification of magma or lava...
, which comes to the surface around the head of the valley. Evidence of axe manufacture have been found in many areas of Great Langdale but it is the screes of Pike of Stickle which have yielded the most discoveries. There is a small cave at the top of the Stickle Stone Shoot near the summit of the fell which was part of the stone axe factory.