Stickle Pike

Stickle Pike is a small, sharp-topped fell in the southern Lake District. It stands between the Duddon Valley and Dunnerdale, south of the town of Broughton-in-Furness. Though only 375 metres high, its pointed shape makes it stand out in views from Broughton and Furness. The area shows signs of past mining with spoil heaps and old shafts scattered around. From the summit, the Scafell range can be seen to the north and the Duddon Estuary to the south. Alfred Wainwright wrote about Stickle Pike in his book The Outlying Fells of Lakeland. He described a clockwise walk starting from Broughton Mills that passes Great Stickle, Tarn Hill, Stickle Pike, a nameless summit, and The Knott. The route avoids Raven’s Crag and returns down the Dunnerdale valley road or along a bridleway on the east side. The fell is also often climbed from the Kiln Bank fell road, where the summit is less than half a mile from the road. The fell’s name comes from the Old English word ‘stickle’, meaning a hill with a rocky top. Walkers find open slopes and ridges with wide views across the Lake District. The landscape is quiet, with few crowds, and the mining remains add a touch of history to the walk. The route is straightforward but rewards with long sightlines over the valleys and fells.