Great Rigg
Encyclopedia
Great Rigg is a fell
in the English Lake District
, it is situated 7 kilometres north northwest of Ambleside
and reaches a height of 766 metres (2,513 feet). It is most often climbed as part of the Fairfield horseshoe
, a 16 km circular walk which starts and finishes in Ambleside. The fells name originates from the Old English Language
with “Rigg” meaning a bumpy or knobbly ridge.
where from that angle its summit seems to dominate the valley.
The fell is rocky on its eastern side as Stone Cove drops to Rydal Beck, on its western flank it is mostly grassy as it falls away to Tongue Gill, to the north and south are ridges which continue to other fells, with Fairfield
being 1.5 km away to the north while Heron Pike
lies 2.5 km to the south. There is a third less significant ridge which goes south west towards Grasmere which has the “Wainwright” fell of Stone Arthur
on its shoulder overlooking Grasmere.
of the Esk Pike Formation comprises the summit area. Beneath is the dacitic
lapilli
-tuff
of the Lincomb Tarns Formation.
before returning to Grasmere to complete a 10 km circular walk.
which is named on large scale maps as Greatrigg Man, it gives good views of the Lakeland mountains to the west, a distinctive feature of the outlook is the large number of lakes and tarns
that are in view, with ten sizeable bodies of water well seen.
Fell
“Fell” is a word used to refer to mountains, or certain types of mountainous landscape, in Scandinavia, the Isle of Man, and parts of northern England.- Etymology :...
in the English Lake District
Lake District
The Lake District, also commonly known as The Lakes or Lakeland, is a mountainous region in North West England. A popular holiday destination, it is famous not only for its lakes and its mountains but also for its associations with the early 19th century poetry and writings of William Wordsworth...
, it is situated 7 kilometres north northwest of Ambleside
Ambleside
Ambleside is a town in Cumbria, in North West England.Historically within the county of Westmorland, it is situated at the head of Windermere, England's largest lake...
and reaches a height of 766 metres (2,513 feet). It is most often climbed as part of the Fairfield horseshoe
Fairfield horseshoe
Fairfield Horseshoe is a classic circular hillwalking ridge walk route starting from Rydal or Ambleside in the English Lake District that takes in all the fells that surround the valley of the Rydal Beck....
, a 16 km circular walk which starts and finishes in Ambleside. The fells name originates from the Old English Language
Old English language
Old English or Anglo-Saxon is an early form of the English language that was spoken and written by the Anglo-Saxons and their descendants in parts of what are now England and southeastern Scotland between at least the mid-5th century and the mid-12th century...
with “Rigg” meaning a bumpy or knobbly ridge.
Topography
Great Rigg is mostly without merit being just an undulation on one of Fairfield’s southern ridges, with 31 metres of prominence it just qualifies as a Hewitt. It is best seen from the south west near GrasmereGrasmere
Grasmere is a village, and popular tourist destination, in the centre of the English Lake District. It takes its name from the adjacent lake, and is associated with the Lake Poets...
where from that angle its summit seems to dominate the valley.
The fell is rocky on its eastern side as Stone Cove drops to Rydal Beck, on its western flank it is mostly grassy as it falls away to Tongue Gill, to the north and south are ridges which continue to other fells, with Fairfield
Fairfield (Lake District)
Fairfield is a fell in the English Lake District. It is the highest of a group of hills in the Eastern Fells, standing to the south of the Helvellyn range.-Topography:...
being 1.5 km away to the north while Heron Pike
Heron Pike
Heron Pike is a fell in the English Lake District, two kilometres east of Grasmere. It is part of the Fairfield group in the Eastern Fells.-Topography:...
lies 2.5 km to the south. There is a third less significant ridge which goes south west towards Grasmere which has the “Wainwright” fell of Stone Arthur
Stone Arthur
Stone Arthur is a fell in the English Lake District, an outlier of the Fairfield group in the Eastern Fells. It stands above Grasmere village.-Topography:...
on its shoulder overlooking Grasmere.
Geology
Volcaniclastic sandstoneSandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
of the Esk Pike Formation comprises the summit area. Beneath is the dacitic
Dacite
Dacite is an igneous, volcanic rock. It has an aphanitic to porphyritic texture and is intermediate in composition between andesite and rhyolite. The relative proportions of feldspars and quartz in dacite, and in many other volcanic rocks, are illustrated in the QAPF diagram...
lapilli
Lapilli
Lapilli is a size classification term for tephra, which is material that falls out of the air during a volcanic eruption or during some meteorite impacts. Lapilli means "little stones" in Latin. They are in some senses similar to ooids or pisoids in calcareous sediments.By definition lapilli range...
-tuff
Tuff
Tuff is a type of rock consisting of consolidated volcanic ash ejected from vents during a volcanic eruption. Tuff is sometimes called tufa, particularly when used as construction material, although tufa also refers to a quite different rock. Rock that contains greater than 50% tuff is considered...
of the Lincomb Tarns Formation.
Ascents
As mentioned Great Rigg is invariably climbed on the way to the more significant fell of Fairfield which lies close by to the north, however a direct ascent of sorts can be done from Grasmere up the south west ridge taking in Stone Arthur on the way. This walk can be continued to Fairfield and Seat SandalSeat Sandal
Seat Sandal is a fell in the English Lake District, it is situated four kilometers north of the village of Grasmere from where it is very well seen...
before returning to Grasmere to complete a 10 km circular walk.
Summit and view
The summit is crowned by a substantial cairnCairn
Cairn is a term used mainly in the English-speaking world for a man-made pile of stones. It comes from the or . Cairns are found all over the world in uplands, on moorland, on mountaintops, near waterways and on sea cliffs, and also in barren desert and tundra areas...
which is named on large scale maps as Greatrigg Man, it gives good views of the Lakeland mountains to the west, a distinctive feature of the outlook is the large number of lakes and tarns
Tarn (lake)
A tarn is a mountain lake or pool, formed in a cirque excavated by a glacier. A moraine may form a natural dam below a tarn. A corrie may be called a cirque.The word is derived from the Old Norse word tjörn meaning pond...
that are in view, with ten sizeable bodies of water well seen.