Great Langdale

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. 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.

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Langdale axe industry

The Langdale axe industry (or factory) is the name given by archaeologists to a Neolithic centre of specialised stone tool production in the Great Langdale area of the English Lake District. The existence of the site, which dates from around 4,000–3,500 BC, was suggested by chance discoveries in the 1930s. More systematic investigations were undertaken by Clare Fell and others in the 1940s and 1950s, since when several field surveys of varying scope have been carried out. Typical finds include reject axes, rough-outs and blades created by knapping large lumps of the rock found in the scree or perhaps by simple quarrying or opencast mining. Hammerstones have also been found in the scree and other lithic debitage from the industry such as blades and flakes. The area has outcrops of fine-grained greenstone or hornstone suitable for making polished stone axes. Such axes have been found distributed across Great Britain. 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 nature and extent of the axe-flaking sites making up the Langdale Axe Factory complex are still under investigation. Geological mapping has established that the volcanic tuff used for the axes outcrops along a narrow range of the highest peaks in the locality. Other outcrops in the area are known to have been worked, especially on Harrison Stickle, and Scafell Pike where rough-outs and flakes have been found on platforms below the peaks at and above the 2000- or 3000-foot level. Recent research has shown that Langdale tuff was used for tools before the Neolithic 'axe factories' were established. In Maryport (Cumbria) it was selected for tool manufacture in the Final Palaeolithic and Mesolithic

1.3 km

Blea Rigg

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.

Chapel Stile

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 (formerly The Langdale Hotel), and a quarry is located in the vicinity. Couples who choose to get married at the church are traditionally 'tied in' during the service. The local children tie up the church gates and the newlyweds are only released when coins (of small denomination) are thrown to said children. The Co-op has been established for well over a hundred years. Chapel Stile also gives access to the Langdale Pikes, Pike o' Stickle and Harrison Stickle. Other notable fells nearby are Pavey Ark, Bowfell and Pike o' Blisco. Rock climbing in the area includes Raven Cragg. A worthy climbing venue and less populated than its famous counterpart further in the Langdale valley at the back of the Old Dungeon Ghyll. In popular culture, or at least 'underground popular culture', there is a nu jazz track called 'Chapel Stile' by Pretz (N.Cowley). Due to its location within a popular tourist destination, around 85% of the homes within the community are now either second homes or holiday lets.

Church Landmark

Lingmoor Fell

Lingmoor Fell is a fell in the English Lake District, situated eight kilometres (five miles) 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.

Hiking Landmark