The Langdale Valley holds a special place in my heart – its rugged mountains, sweeping views, varied hiking and scrambling options, excellent wild swimming locations and its sheer beauty really makes you remember why it is we spend so much time outdoors. So, when I accidentally stumbled across a brief online blog post about some random neolithic cave nestled into the side of Pike of Stickle (the big hunk of rock that you literally can’t miss) I knew it was somewhere I had to hunt out.
After some research I concluded two things:
- It was located somewhere on the steep scree slope to the side of Pike of Stickle
- I shouldn’t attempt the scree slope from the valley floor as it’s too steep (turns out it’s not however it’s probably not the most enjoyable choice)
We decided to tie the cave hunting in with a scramble up Jack’s Rake from the National Trust car park at Dungeon Ghyll (LA22 9JU). Following up the very empty (blame the scorching, dry summer we had) Stickle Ghyll and traversing around the edge of Stickle Tarn, Jack’s Rake is a Grade 1 scramble towards the summit of Pavey Ark. From here, you can tie in Harrison Stickle before making your way over to the knobbly mound that is Pike of Stickle.
Where is the secret cave on Pike of Stickle?
Finding the cave is the simplest secret place I’ve ever hunted out in all my years of finding secret places that aren’t secret. As you hike your way along the clear path to Pike of Stickle and when you get to the base of the final ascent you’ll see a steep scree slope to your left. A peep over the edge and it looks awful. It’s really not though. Stick to the right hand side as much as possible where it’s not quite as loose and enjoy the views as you slide your way down. Navigate your way down the scree slope for about 80m and the cave is on the right hand-side just before a grassy ledge.
Now the cave isn’t technically a cave – sorry to burst your bubble BUT it has an awesome history behind it which makes up for it. It’s believed it was a neolithic axe factory from 6000 years ago. Neolithic people would chip out the rocks to make flint axes and other tools so even though the cave might only be a few metres wide and the same deep, it’s crazy to think about what its actual purpose was.
From here, we headed back up the scree slope and onto the summit of Pike of Stickle for the most stunning views down the Langdale Valley and towards Blea Tarn.
There’s a whole host of extended routes you could plan from here but we decided to head back towards Harrison Stickle and then down the side of Dungeon Ghyll back towards the car park.
A great day out and a lovely little hidden gem to find full of history!
Map and route information for the cave on Pike of Stickle
- Parking is available at the National Trust car park and is chargeable or free for National Trust members
- The little cafe at the bottom is a must visit – the food is delicious!
- Be careful on the scree slope not to push off loose rocks incase someone is heading up from below
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Happy adventuring and here’s a bonus video of the cave!