| Scafell Pike | |
|---|---|
 Scafell Pike (centre) fromYewbarrow | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 978 m (3,209 ft)[1] |
| Prominence | 912 m (2,992 ft) Ranked 13th inBritish Isles |
| Parent peak | Snowdon |
| Isolation | 151.98 km (94.44 mi) |
| Listing | Marilyn,Hewitt,Hardy,Wainwright,Nuttall,Furth,County Top,Country high point |
| Coordinates | 54°27′15″N3°12′42″W / 54.45424°N 3.21160°W /54.45424; -3.21160 |
| Geography | |
  Scafell Pike Location in the Lake District Show map of the Lake District Scafell Pike Location in the former Copeland Borough Show map of the former Borough of Copeland Scafell Pike Location in England Show map of England | |
| Location | Lake District National Park,Cumbria, England |
| Parent range | Cumbrian Mountains,Southern Fells |
| OS grid | NY215072 |
| Topo map | OSLandrangers 89, 90,Explorer OL6 |
Scafell Pike (/ˈskɔːfɛl/)[2] is a hill in theLake District region ofCumbria, England. It has an elevation of 978 metres (3,209 ft) abovesea level, making it the highest and the mostprominentmountain in England.[1][3] The mountain is part of theScafell massif,[4] an extinctvolcano,[5] and is one of theSouthern Fells.
The nameScafell is believed by some to derive from the Old Norseskalli fjall, meaning either the fell with theshieling or the fell with the bald summit, and is first recorded in 1578 in the corrupted formSkallfield.[6]
Alternatively,Scafell means "the mountain of thescaw (orpromontory)". This usage can be compared etymologically with, for example,Skaw, Unst.[7][8][9]
The name originally referred toScafell, which neighbours Scafell Pike.[10] What are now known as Scafell Pike,Ill Crag, andBroad Crag were collectively called eitherthe Pikes (peaks) orthe Pikes of Scawfell (see below regarding spelling); from many angles, Scafell seems to be the highest peak, and the others were thus considered subsidiary to it. The nameScawfell Pikes was adopted "by common consent" according toJonathan Otley, shortly before the publication of the 4th edition of his guidebook in 1830.[11] Up to this point, England's highest mountain (its status as such was not known until the early 1800s) did not have a name of its own; it was labelledSca-Fell Higher Top by the Ordnance Survey in their initial work in Cumbria in the first decade of the 19th century.[12] The newly developed name reported by Otley first appeared on a published Ordnance Survey map in 1865.
Formerly the name was spelledScawfell, which better reflects local pronunciation.[10][13][14][note 1] This spelling has declined due to the Ordnance Survey's use ofScafell on their 1865 map and thereafter.
Scafell Pike is one of a horseshoe of highfells, open to the south, surrounding the head ofEskdale, Cumbria. It stands on the western side of thecirque, withScafell to the south andGreat End to the north. This ridge forms the watershed between Eskdale andWasdale, which lies to the west.[15]
The narrowest definition of Scafell Pike begins at the col ofMickledore 831.6 m (2,728 ft) in the south, takes in the wide, stony summit area and ends at the next depression, Broad CragCol, c. 877.6 m (2,879 ft). A more inclusive view takes in two further tops:Broad Crag, 935.3 m (3,069 ft) andIll Crag, 930.9 m (3,054 ft), the two being separated by Ill Crag Col, 882.3 m (2,895 ft). This is the position taken by most guidebooks.[16][15] North of Ill Crag is the more definite depression of Calf Cove at 853.4 m (2,800 ft), before the ridge climbs again to Great End, 909.5 m (2,984 ft).
Scafell Pike also has outliers on either side of the ridge.Lingmell 807 m (2,648 ft), to the north west, is invariably regarded as a separate fell,[16][15] while Pen, 760 metres (2,490 ft), a shapely summit above the Esk, is normally taken as a satellite of the Pike. Middleboot Knotts is a further top lying on the Wasdale slopes of Broad Crag, which is listed as aNuttall.
The rough summit plateau is fringed by crags on all sides with Pikes Crag and Dropping Crag above Wasdale and Rough Crag to the east. Below Rough Crag and Pen is a further tier, named Dow Crag and Central Pillar onOrdnance Survey maps, although known as Esk Buttress among climbers.[17]
Broad Crag Col is the source of Little Narrowcove Beck in the east and of Piers Gill in the west. The latter works its way around Lingmell toWast Water through a spectacular ravine, one of the most impressive in the Lake District. It is dangerous in rain and treacherous in winter, as when it freezes over it creates an icy patch, with lethal exposure should you slip. Several accidents and some deaths have occurred in Piers Gill.[18][19]
Broad Crag is a small top with its principal face on the west and the smaller Green Crag looking down on Little Narrowcove. From Broad Crag, the ridge turns briefly east across Ill Crag Col and onto the shapely pyramidal summit of Ill Crag. Ill Crag and its associated crags overlook Eskdale.[15]
Scafell Pike has a claim to the highest standing water body in England in Broad Crag Tarn, which (confusingly) is on Scafell Pike proper, rather than on Broad Crag. It lies at about 820 m (2,690 ft), a quarter of a mile (400 m) south of the summit.Foxes Tarn on Scafell is of comparable height.[20]
Scafell Pike is aMarilyn summit which automatically makes it aHuMP and aTuMP. Scafell Pike is topologically unusual because the Marilyn qualification contour ("Maquaco") line, 150 metres below the summit, passes around Scafell, which is itself a HuMP.[citation needed] This contour also encloses three other TuMP summits: Broad Crag, Ill Crag and Great End.
The summit was donated to theNational Trust in 1919 byLord Leconfield "in perpetual memory of the men of theLake District who fell for God and King, for freedom peace and right in theGreat War 1914–1918".[21] There is a better-known war memorial onGreat Gable, commemorating the members of theFell & Rock Climbing Club.[22][23]
The actual height of Scafell Pike is a matter of definition or guesswork. The highest point is buried beneath a massive summitcairn over 3 metres high and it is not known how high the fabric of the mountain rises under the cairn. Traditionally the height was given as a very memorable 3,210 feet (978.4 m).[15] The rounded metric height of 978 metres converts to 3209 feet ±1 ft 8 in.
Scafell Pike is one of three British peaks climbed as part of theNational Three Peaks Challenge, and is the highest ground for over 90 miles (145 km).
| Name | Grid ref | Height | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ill Crag | NY223073 | 930.9 m (3,054 ft) | Hewitt, Nuttall |
| Broad Crag | NY218075 | 935.4 m (3,069 ft) | Hewitt, Nuttall |
| Middleboot Knotts | NY213080 | 702.9 m (2,306 ft) | Nuttall |
Scafell Pike consists ofigneous rock, includingbreccia,andesite andrhyolite, as well as geothermaltufa,[24] dating from theOrdovician; it isgeologically part of theBorrowdale Volcanics and along with the other peaks of theScafells, forms part of an extinct volcano which was active around 400–450 million years ago.[5]
The rugged summit of Scafell Pike was shaped by glacial erosion of theLast Glacial Maximum (c. 20 kya), during which the Lake District was overlain by ice sheets with thicknesses of several kilometers.[25]
The summitplateau of Scafell Pike, and that of other neighbouring peaks, is covered with shattered rock debris which provides the highest-altitude example of a summit boulder field in England.[26] The boulder field is thought to have been caused in part by weathering, such asfrost action. Additional factors are also considered to be important; however, opinion varies as to what these may be.James Clifton Ward suggested that weathering with earthquakes as a secondary agent could be responsible, whileJohn Edward Marr andReginald Aldworth Daly believed that earthquakes were unnecessary and suggested that frost action with other unspecified agents was more likely.[27] To the north of the summit are a number of high altitudegills which flow into Lingmell Beck. These are good examples in Cumbria for this type of gill and are also biologically important due to theirspecies richness.[26]
Scafell Pike is a popular destination for walkers. There is open access to Scafell and the surrounding fells, with many walking and rock climbing routes. Paths connect the summit with Lingmell Col to the northwest, Mickledore to the southwest, and Esk Hause to the northeast, and these in turn connect with numerous other paths, giving access to walkers from many directions includingWasdale Head to the west,Seathwaite to the north,Langdale to the east, andEskdale to the southwest. The shortest route is from Wasdale Head, about 80 metres above sea level, where there is a climbers' hotel, the Wasdale Head Inn, made popular in the Victorian period byOwen Glynne Jones and others. According to theNational Trust, as of 2014 there were over 100,000 people per year climbing Scafell Pike from Wasdale Head,[28] many as part of theNational Three Peaks Challenge. In 2022, the number reaching the summit by any route was 250,000.[29]
Scafell Pike was used in 1826 as a station in thePrincipal Triangulation of Britain by theOrdnance Survey when they fixed the relative positions of Britain and Ireland. Angles betweenSlieve Donard inNorthern Ireland and Scafell Pike were taken fromSnowdon inWales as were angles between Snowdon and Scafell Pike from Slieve Donard. Given the need for clear weather to achieve these very long-range observations (111 miles (179 km) to Slieve Donard), the Ordnance surveyors spent much of the summer camped on the respective mountain tops. Scafell Pike was not used as a station in the earlier part of the Principal Triangulation of Britain, even thoughSca-Fell formed one corner of a Principal Triangle.[note 2] The Ordnance Survey's high precisiontheodolite was not taken to the summit until 1841.[12][30][31]
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As the highest ground in England, Scafell Pike has a very extensive view, ranging from theMourne Mountains inNorthern Ireland toSnowdonia inWales. On a clear day, the following prominent mountain tops (Marilyns) can be seen the summit.[32]
Highest mountains of the United Kingdom (by country) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Scotland | Ben Nevis /Beinn Nibheis – 1,345 metres (4,413 ft) |  |
| Wales | Snowdon /Yr Wyddfa – 1,085 m (3,560 ft) | |
| England | Scafell Pike – 978 m (3,209 ft) | |
| Northern Ireland | Slieve Donard /Sliabh Dónairt – 849 m (2,785 ft) | |
| Overseas Territories | Mount Paget 2935 m (9,629 ft),Mount Hope 3,239 metres (10,626 ft) (Antarctic) | |
| Northern Highlands (20) |    | |
|---|---|---|
| Western Highlands (20) | ||
| Central and Eastern Highlands (13) | ||
| Southern Highlands (15) | ||
| Islands (13) | ||
| Scottish Lowlands, England and Wales (13) | ||
| Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland (25) | ||
Marilyns of Northern England | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1. Northumberland |  | |
| 2. Northern Lakeland | ||
| 3. Western Lakeland | ||
| 4. Central and Southern Lakeland | ||
| 5. Eastern Lakeland | ||
| 6. North Pennines and Durham | ||
| 7. Northern Yorkshire Dales | ||
| 8. Southern Yorkshire Dales | ||
| 9. North York Moors to the Humber | ||
| 10. Forest of Bowland | ||
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
