Lake District
Tongue Head
656M
2152FT
About Tongue Head
Overlooking the high mountain crossroads of Sty Head, this rugged shoulder provides a dramatic perspective on the north face of Great End. While usually ignored in favour of the Scafell Pike main path, it offers a quieter vantage point with direct views into the steep, dark clefts of Skew Gill.
Key Statistics
Rank
204th Highest in Region
Parent Range
Southern Fells
Prominence
?
10m
Nearest Town
Borrowdale
Geology
Tongue Head is built from ancient volcanic ash and rocky debris. You are stepping on hardened layers of sediment and stone forged during massive prehistoric eruptions.
Classifications
Find It
OS Grid Reference
NY240080
Latitude
54.4619°N
Longitude
3.1727°W
Did You Know?
- •The name originates from the Old Norse 'tunga', describing a tapering piece of land between two valleys; here, the summit marks the head of the ridge dividing the ravine of Skew Gill from the upper reaches of Grains Gill.
- •It is classified as a Synge, a list of Lakeland fells over 2,000 feet with at least 15 metres of prominence, first documented by author Tim Synge in his 1995 guide to the mountains of England and Wales.
- •The summit acts as a natural grandstand for the north face of Great End, offering an intimate view of the deep, winter-blackened fissures of Cust’s Gully and Central Gully that dominate the skyline.
- •The fell sits directly above the Sty Head mountain rescue stretcher box, a famous local landmark located at the junction of the historic packhorse routes between Wasdale and Borrowdale.
- •It is an ideal spot for a quiet lunch while observing the 'Wasdale Shuffle'—the distinctive, weary gait of walkers returning from Scafell Pike who have just realised the valley floor is significantly further away than it looks.