Wales
Little Orme [Creigiau Rhiwledyn]
141M
463FT
About Little Orme [Creigiau Rhiwledyn]
The Little Orme is the Great Orme’s scrappy, less-commercialised younger brother. Standing at a modest 141 metres, it offers rugged limestone cliffs and spectacular coastal views without the indignity of a tramway or a gift shop selling plastic dragons to reach the top.
Key Statistics
Rank
900th Highest in Wales
Parent Range
Snowdonia
Prominence
?
135m
Nearest Town
Ulverston
Geology
Old Red Sandstone
Nearby Fells
Find It
OS Grid Reference
SH813823
Latitude
53.3243°N
Longitude
3.7836°W
Did You Know?
- •The cliffs are a sanctuary for breeding seabirds like fulmars and guillemots, though the real local celebrities are the Atlantic grey seals that pup at Angel Bay below.
- •In 1587, a cave on the Little Orme housed a secret printing press used by Catholic Recusants to print the first Welsh book ever published within Wales.
- •The headland was once a hive of industrial activity, with extensive Victorian limestone quarrying carving out the massive, sheer faces that now attract daring rock climbers.
- •Unlike its 'Great' neighbor, this hill provides no cafe at the summit, meaning your reward for the climb is strictly spiritual fulfillment rather than a toasted teacake.
- •The summit view is lovely, but the main local pastime is watching navigationally-challenged tourists realize that their 'gentle shortcut' back down is actually a vertical 100-meter drop.
![Little Orme [Creigiau Rhiwledyn]](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/23/Little_Orme_%28Creigiau_Rhiwledyn%29_-_geograph.org.uk_-_3329877.jpg)