Blea Rigg facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Blea Rigg
Blea Rigg Location in Lake District
Highest point
Elevation	541 m (1,775 ft)
Prominence	c. 20 m
Parent peak	Harrison Stickle
Listing	Wainwright
Geography
Location	Cumbria, England
Parent range	Lake District, Central Fells
OS grid	NY302078
Topo map	OS Explorer OL7

Blea Rigg is a beautiful fell (that's a type of mountain or hill) located in England's famous Lake District. It sits right between two lovely valleys, Easedale and Great Langdale. Blea Rigg is part of the Central Fells, which are a group of mountains in the middle of the Lake District. It's known for its wide, flat top with many rocky spots.

Many people enjoy hiking up Blea Rigg. You can start your adventure from either Grasmere or Great Langdale. Just remember that some paths can be a bit tricky to find, so it's good to be prepared!

What Blea Rigg Looks Like

The main line of mountains in the Central Fells runs from north to south. Blea Rigg is part of a long ridge that stretches out to the east from High Raise, which is the tallest mountain in this area. This ridge then continues over other fells like Silver How and Loughrigg Fell.

Blea Rigg itself is a wide, flat area, about one mile wide and two miles long. It slowly climbs higher as you go from east to west. It connects to Sergeant Man and then to High Raise in the west. This connection happens through a narrower part of the ridge, found between two tarns (which are small mountain lakes): Stickle Tarn and Codale Tarn.

Stickle Tarn is the bigger of the two lakes. It's about 50 feet deep and was made deeper by a stone dam. This tarn helps provide water to the people living in Great Langdale. Codale Tarn is a shallower lake, surrounded by rough ground a little to the northeast.

Blea Rigg has several rocky tops, not just one main summit. As you walk from west to east, you'll find tops like Great Castle How, Little Castle How, Swinescar Pike, and Lang How.

Water and Rocks of Blea Rigg

Water flowing from the southern side of Blea Rigg goes into Stickle Gill and then into Great Langdale Beck. One of these streams is White Gill, which flows through a deep valley. This valley is an interesting way to climb up the fell.

Water from the northern side of Blea Rigg flows into Grasmere lake through Easedale Beck. There are also steep cliffs that look down over Easedale Tarn and Blindtarn Moss to the north. More rough ground can be seen overlooking the road in Great Langdale.

The very top of Blea Rigg is made of a type of rock called Pavey Ark Member. This rock is a mix of small pebbles and broken rock pieces. It comes from the Borrowdale Volcanic series, which means it was formed from ancient volcanoes. People have not mined for minerals in this area.

Reaching the Summit

Blea Rigg has many rocky tops and several small lakes, or tarns. This, along with the many paths, can sometimes make it a bit confusing for hikers to find their way. It's not always easy to tell which rocky spot is the actual highest point. However, a small pile of stones, called a cairn, marks the summit. It sits on a rock next to a stone shelter.

From the top, you can see amazing views of the eastern and southern mountains. You can also see the famous Langdale Pikes nearby.

How to Hike Up Blea Rigg

There are many ways to climb Blea Rigg from either side of the ridge. A popular hike starts from Grasmere and goes over Silver How first.

If you are starting from the New Dungeon Ghyll Hotel in Great Langdale, you can choose to climb up past Stickle Tarn. Another option is to go up the valley of White Gill.

If you start from Grasmere, your first goal will be Easedale Tarn. From there, you can go around Blea Crag on either side to reach the summit ridge. It's interesting to know that before World War II, there was even a stone hut on Blea Rigg, just above Easedale Tarn, where hikers could buy refreshments! It's hard to imagine buying food and drinks halfway up a mountain today.