North Pennines
The Old Pike
401M
1314FT
About The Old Pike
Rising above the Rawthey Valley near Sedbergh, this grassy summit offers a quiet alternative to its busier Howgill neighbours. Part of the distinctive velvet-like ridges characteristic of the range, it provides an exceptional vantage point for surveying the steep eastern flanks of Arant Haw and the distant Lakeland peaks.
Key Statistics
Rank
232nd Highest in Region
Parent Range
Yorkshire Dales
Prominence
?
Data coming soon
Nearest Town
Rathmell
Geology
You’re walking on layers of hardened mud and silt, topped with beds of gritty sandstone.
Classifications
Find It
OS Grid Reference
SE102526
Latitude
54.0300°N
Longitude
2.3000°W
Did You Know?
- •The name derives from the Old English 'pīc', typically denoting a pointed hill. In the context of the rounded Howgill Fells, it refers to a prominent shoulder on the ridge rather than a sharp rocky summit.
- •It is frequently bagged as a short detour on the popular ascent of Arant Haw from Sedbergh, sitting on the spur that divides the Settlebeck Gill from the lower slopes of the Rawthey catchment.
- •From the summit, walkers can look directly across the Lune Valley to the Lake District, where the unmistakable jagged skyline of the Langdale Pikes is clearly visible on a fine day.
- •Despite the name suggesting a rugged or ancient landmark, the summit is a characteristically smooth, wind-swept hump of grass with very little to distinguish it from the miles of similar terrain surrounding it.