Great Langdale

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Great Langdale seen from the top of Rossett Pike Great Langdale from Rossett Pike.jpg
Great Langdale seen from the top of Rossett Pike
Cumbria UK location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Great Langdale valley shown within Cumbria
(grid reference NY305065 )

Great Langdale is a valley in the Lake District National Park in North West England, the epithet "Great" distinguishing it from the neighbouring valley of Little Langdale. Langdale is also the name of a valley in the Howgill Fells, elsewhere in Cumbria.

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It is a popular location for hikers, climbers, fell-runners, and other outdoor enthusiasts who are attracted by the many fells ringing the head of the valley. Among the best-known features of Great Langdale are the Langdale Pikes, a group of peaks on the northern side of the dale. England's highest mountain, Scafell Pike, can be climbed by a route from Langdale. Langdale has views of, in particular, Dungeon Ghyll Force waterfall, Harrison Stickle, and Pike of Stickle.

Great Langdale was an important site during the Neolithic period for producing stone axes and later, was also one of the centres of the Lakeland slate industry.

History

Great Langdale is known to archaeologists as the source of a particular type of Neolithic polished stone axe head, created on the slopes of the Pike of Stickle and traded all over prehistoric Great Britain and Europe. It also supplied stone for some Bronze Age items, including stone wrist-guards. Neolithic cup and ring marks are found on the Langdale Boulders at Copt Howe.

Geography

The mouth of the valley is located at Skelwith Bridge, which lies about two miles (three kilometres) west of Ambleside. The Langdale valley contains two villages, Chapel Stile and Elterwater, and a hamlet at High Close. Great Langdale is a U-shaped valley formed by glaciers, while Little Langdale is a hanging valley.

Slate industry

Great Langdale and Elterwater were centres of the Lakeland slate industry. Two slate workings, Elterwater Quarry and Spout Cragg Quarry have been more or less continually working using modern methods. Elterwater is the larger of the two, and like Spout Cragg, is operated by the Burlington Stone company. There are various other local quarries now fallen into disuse, such as Lingmoor, Banks, Thrang Crag and Colt Howe.

Axe industry

Great Langdale had a productive stone axe industry during the Neolithic period. The area has outcrops of fine-grained greenstone suitable for making polished axes which have been found distributed across the British Isles. [1] The rock is an epidotised greenstone quarried or perhaps just collected from the scree slopes in the Langdale Valley on Harrison Stickle and Pike of Stickle.

The Langdale Pikes

The Langdale Pikes and the Langdale Boulders, Great Langdale. Great Langdale and Copt Howe.jpg
The Langdale Pikes and the Langdale Boulders, Great Langdale.

Among the best-known features of Great Langdale are the Langdale Pikes, a group of peaks on the northern side of the dale. From below, they appear as a sharp rocky ridge, though they are precipitous only on their southern side; to the north, the land sweeps gently to High Raise, the parent peak of the range. The Pikes themselves include (from west to east) Pike of Stickle, Loft Crag, Harrison Stickle, and Pavey Ark.

Pike of Stickle

Pike of Stickle, also known as Pike o’ Stickle, reaches a height of 709 metres (2,326 ft). The rearward slopes show evidence of the Pavey Ark Member, pebbly sandstone 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. [2] The altitude places Loft Crag and Gimmer Crag within sightlines to east-southeast while Bowfell is three kilometres (two miles) west-southwest. The Southern Fells and Skiddaw are also potentially visible. [3]

Loft Crag

Loft Crag has a summit elevation of 2,238 feet (682 metres). It lies between Harrison Stickle and Pike o’ Stickle and is usually climbed in conjunction with these two peaks. The fell has a small sharp summit, below which rises Gimmer Crag, which is one of the top rock climbing venues in the Lake District. The crag is made of Rhyolite rock and was pioneered in the early 1880s by the father of British rock climbing Walter Parry Haskett Smith. [4] [3] [5]

Harrison Stickle

A waterfall in Stickle Ghyll DungeonGhyll.jpg
A waterfall in Stickle Ghyll

Harrison Stickle is the high point of the Langdale Pikes and its crags fall south and east from the summit, presenting an arresting view from the valley floor 2,000 feet (610 metres) below, or from further afield. To the north, the main ridge of the central fells passes over Thunacar Knott before climbing to High Raise. The craggy eastern face of this ridge continues north as far as Harrison's near neighbour, Pavey Ark, visually the most impressive face in the area. The southwestern border of Harrison Stickle is formed by the deep ravine of Dungeon Ghyll, which cuts through the parapet of the Langdale Pikes and into the lower hinterland of Harrison Combe. Across the Ghyll westwards are Thorn Crag, Loft Crag, and finally Pike of Stickle. Below the steep eastern face of Harrison Stickle lie Stickle Tarn and its Ghyll, thus ensuring that all drainage from the fell is to Great Langdale. The tarn is a water-filled corrie about 50 feet (15 metres) deep, this being enhanced by a dam. The water is used for public consumption in Great Langdale. [6]

Pavey Ark

Pavey Ark is 700 metres (2,297 feet) high. The main face is a little over 14 mile (400 metres) across and drops about 400 feet (120 metres). To the southwest, it merges into the crags of Harrison Stickle, while the northern end peters out into the valley of Bright Beck. Stickle Tarn is wholly within the territory of the Ark, a corrie tarn which has been dammed to create additional capacity. The stone-faced barrage is low enough not to spoil the character of the pool, and the water is used for public consumption in the hotels and homes below. The tarn has a depth of around 50 feet (15 metres). [6]

Other fells

Bow Fell at the head of Great Langdale Bow Fell Great Langdale.jpg
Bow Fell at the head of Great Langdale

Great Langdale's highest fell is Bow Fell. Other notable Langdale fells are Crinkle Crags, at the head of the Oxendale valley, and Pike o' Blisco on the southern side of the valley.

Dungeon Ghyll

Dungeon Ghyll is a ravine on the north side of the valley, starting on the fell slopes between Harrison Stickle and Loft Crag/Pike o' Stickle. It is narrow, and a No Through Route for walkers. Much more open is Stickle Ghyll, which descends from Stickle Tarn. There is a well–trodden path from the Stickle Ghyll car park opposite the New Dungeon Ghyll hotel up to the tarn, parts of which have been improved with stone slabs to reduce erosion. Another waterfall, known as Dungeon Ghyll Force, is up a path behind the Old Dungeon Ghyll Hotel.

Middle Fell Bridge here is the bridge centring in the plot of the landmark film 1945 Brief Encounter . [7]

Cultural reference

Letitia Elizabeth Landon's poetical illustration, Langdale Pikes (1832), to a picture by Thomas Allom, ignores the mountains and eulogises on the excellent trout fishing in the river. [8]

Tourism

Old Dungeon Ghyll from Side Pike ODG Langdale.jpg
Old Dungeon Ghyll from Side Pike

There are several popular fell walking routes including Bowfell, Crinkle Crags, the Langdale Pikes and England's highest mountain, Scafell Pike. There are also rock-climbing spots on the valley floor, such as Raven Crag, Gimmer Crag, and White Ghyll, providing some of the most spectacular rock routes in the UK. [9] The Langdale Leisure Limited company, consisting of a hotel, timeshare lodges and leisure facilities, operates in the valley. [10]

Old Dungeon Ghyll

The Old Dungeon Ghyll Hotel was originally a farm and inn. It was bought by the historian Professor G.M. Trevelyan who donated it to the National Trust, and who was later buried in Holy Trinity Church in Chapel Stile. The hotel and the Hikers Bar have a long association with climbing and many famous climbers have stayed at the hotel or drunk in the bar. In climbing circles it is known as the "ODG". [11] Further down the valley there is the New Dungeon Ghyll hotel, built in 1862. [12] Campsites in the area include the National Trust site near Dungeon Ghyll and the Baysbrown Farm campsite at Chapel Stile.

Related Research Articles

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crinkle Crags</span> Mountain in the English Lake District, Cumbria, England

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 (crinkles) that are very distinctive from the valley floor. In Old English, cringol means twisted or wrinkled.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pavey Ark</span> Mountain in the English Lake District, Cumbria, England

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">High Raise (Langdale)</span> Mountain in the English Lake District, Cumbria, England

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Esk Pike</span> Fell in the Lake District, Cumbria, England

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Loft Crag</span> Mountain in the English Lake District, Cumbria, England

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pike of Stickle</span> Mountain in the English Lake District, Cumbria, England

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 ft) 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, 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 being therefore partly tautological.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pike o' Blisco</span> Mountain in the English Lake District, Cumbria, England

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harrison Stickle</span> Mountain in the English Lake District, Cumbria, England

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 probably the best-known, mountain groups in the District. A "stickle" is a hill with a prominent rocky top.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thunacar Knott</span> Fell in the Lake District, Cumbria, England

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tarn Crag (Easedale)</span> Fell in the Lake District, Cumbria, England

Tarn Crag is a fell in the Central Fells of the English Lake District. Strictly the name refers only to the rock face looking down upon Easedale Tarn, but Alfred Wainwright applied it to the entire ridge lying between the Easedale and Far Easedale valleys in his Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells

Blea Rigg is a fell in the English Lake District, lying between the valleys of Easedale and Great Langdale. One of the Central Fells, it is a broad plateau with a succession of rocky tops. Many routes of ascent are possible, beginning either from Grasmere or Great Langdale, though the paths are often poorly marked and hard to follow.

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Lingmoor Fell is a fell in the English Lake District, situated eight kilometres west of Ambleside. The fell reaches a height of 469 m (1,540 ft) and divides the valleys of Great Langdale and Little Langdale. The fell's name originates from the Old Norse word lyng meaning “heather covered”. The actual summit of the fell is named as Brown How on Ordnance Survey maps.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rossett Pike</span>

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.

The Central Fells are a part of the Cumbrian Mountains in the Lake District of England. Reaching their highest point at High Raise, they occupy a broad area to the east of Borrowdale. The Central Fells are generally lower than the surrounding hills, the Lake District's dome-like structure having a slight dip in the middle. The range extends from the boggy ridge between Derwentwater and Thirlmere in the north, to the rock peaks of the Langdale Pikes in the south.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chapel Stile</span> Human settlement in England

Chapel Stile is a village in Cumbria, England, located approximately 5 miles northwest of Ambleside, within the Langdale valley. It contains a school, Holy Trinity church, the Co-op and the Wainwrights' Inn, and a quarry is located in the vicinity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Langdale Horseshoe</span>

The Langdale Horseshoe is an annual Lake District fell race that starts and finishes at the Old Dungeon Ghyll. The course climbs to Stickle Tarn before heading to Thunacar Knott, Esk Hause shelter, Bowfell, Crinkle Crags and Pike of Blisco. The route is approximately 21 kilometres (13 mi) in length with 1,450 metres (4,760 ft) of ascent. It includes much rough and rocky ground. On the descent from Crinkle Crags, many runners negotiate the Bad Step, although it can be avoided depending on route choice. The race often presents navigational difficulties, especially in poor visibility.

References

  1. Rodney Castleden, Neolithic Britain: new stone age sites of England, Scotland, and Wales. Routledge, 1992. 1992. ISBN   0415058457 . Retrieved 10 October 2009.
  2. British Geological Survey: 1:50,000 series maps, England & Wales Sheet 38: BGS (1999)
  3. 1 2 Mark Richards: The Central Fells: Collins (2003): ISBN   0-00-711365-X
  4. British Geological Survey: 1:50,000 series maps: sheet 38; BGS (1998)
  5. Alfred Wainwright: Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells, Book 3 The Central Fells: Westmorland Gazette (1958): ISBN   0-7181-4002-8
  6. 1 2 Blair, Don: Exploring Lakeland Tarns: Lakeland Manor Press (2003): ISBN   0-9543904-1-5
  7. bill&ben (24 August 2010). "Brief Encounter, Middle Fell Bridge, Dungeon Ghyll, Cumbria, UK - Movie Locations on Waymarking.com". waymarking.com. Retrieved 17 February 2019.
  8. Landon, Letitia Elizabeth (1832). "picture". Fisher's Drawing Room Scrap Book, 1833. Fisher, Son & Co.Landon, Letitia Elizabeth (1832). "poetical illustration". Fisher's Drawing Room Scrap Book, 1833. Fisher, Son & Co.
  9. "Camping in the Lake District – Great Langdale". National Trust. Retrieved 10 October 2009.
  10. Grayson, David (2005). "12.4 The community". The sustainable enterprise: profiting from best practice. By Brown, Christopher Stephen. Kogan Page Publishers. p. 340. ISBN   0-7494-4220-4. Mini case-study of business–community partnership.
  11. "The Old Dungeon Ghyll Hotel in Langdale has a fascinating history in the Lake District area". www.odg.co.uk. Retrieved 10 October 2009.
  12. Bill Birkett (15 November 2004). A Year in the Life of the Langdale Valley. Frances Lincoln Ltd. p. 13. ISBN   978-0-7112-2449-0.

54°26′57″N3°04′24″W / 54.44912°N 3.07333°W / 54.44912; -3.07333