Climbing in The British Isles. Vol. 1 - EnglandHaskett Smith, W. P. (Walter Parry)
History
Climbing in The British Isles. Vol. 1 - England
Haskett Smith, W. P. (Walter Parry)
Mountaineering -- England; Mountains -- England -- Guidebooks
The great feature of the mountain is its southern front, which is cut
away to form enormous cloughs, divided by narrow ridges. The latter are
the Edges of Saddleback. Narrow Edge (as _Halls Fell top_ is now
generally called) is the finest and most romantic. It runs up from
Threlkeld, where there is a convenient station. The proper name of Broad
Edge is _Gategill Fell_. Part of _Middle Tongue_ straight behind the
lead-mine is also very narrow. A writer in the _Penny Magazine_ for 1837
speaks of 'the serrated precipices above Threlkeld,' and adds, 'One of
these is called _Razor Edge_.' That name, however, has now for many
years at least been used as the equivalent of _Sharp Edge_, which is on
the east side of the mountain and on the north side of _Scales Tarn_,
and at one time enjoyed a tremendous reputation as a perilous climb.
The name of the mountain itself has been jeered at as a post-boy's name,
and romantically-minded people use the name Blencathara, for which many
Celtic etymons have been suggested. The most usual form seems to have
been Blenkarthur, and only the more northern of the two peaks was so
called.
The quickest ascent of the mountain is from Threlkeld up _Narrow Edge_,
but if the return is to Keswick, it should be made along the shoulder
towards Skiddaw, and so by Brundholme Wood.
=Sail.=--This word, in the opinion of Dr. Murray, the learned editor of
the new 'English Dictionary,' signifies 'a soaring dome-shaped summit.'
It occurs as a hill-name in the Grassmoor group, near Buttermere in
Cumberland; but the characteristics required by the above definition
are, to say the least, not conspicuously evident either there or in the
other cases where this element is found in fell-country place-names.
(See _Black Sail_.)
=St. Bees.=--In Cumberland, on the west coast. Several accidents have
occurred on the cliffs here. They are of sandstone, and incline to be
rotten. The best are about _Fleswick Bay_. The height is only about 200
ft. The Rev. James Jackson--the Patriarch (q.v.)--lived at Sandwith
close by, and was fond of climbing about on these cliffs.
=St. John's Vale.=--A name of modern invention, which has ousted
_Buresdale_ (q.v.). It is used in an article in the _Gentleman's
Magazine_ for 1754, and also in 'Gray's Journal,' which possibly misled
Sir Walter Scott, whose poem caused it to meet with general acceptance.
=St. Sunday Crag=, in Westmorland (sheet 19 of the Ordnance map), is of
far more importance than _Helvellyn_ to the views of and from Ullswater.
Moreover, it has some capital crags facing north-west, among which many
a good rock-problem may be found. They were long a favourite
scrambling-ground with Major Cundill, R.E., the inventor of the _North
Climb_ on _Scafell_, and are within easy reach of Patterdale.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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