Scafell Pike

Scafell Pike features on the Gingerguide audio walk through Lake District. Give it roughly ~300 min: enough to look, hear a two to three minute story on the spot, and ask the AI guide whatever the story leaves open.

Scafell Pike, Lake District
Photo: Wikimedia Commons

About Scafell Pike

The highest mountain in England at 978 metres, a wild dome of grey boulders in the western Lakes whose summit was given to the nation as a First World War memorial.

Scafell Pike, at 978 metres (3,209 ft), is the highest mountain in England and the most prominent peak in the country, in the wild western Lake District. It is built of hard volcanic rock and is the high point of a massif that includes Broad Crag and Ill Crag, with Sca Fell across the gap of Mickledore. The shortest and most popular ascent is from Wasdale Head; other routes climb from Borrowdale, Great Langdale and Eskdale.

The boulder-strewn summit is crowned by a large cairn. In 1919 the summit was given to the National Trust by Lord Leconfield as a memorial to the men of the Lake District who died in the First World War. Scafell Pike is the English leg of the National Three Peaks Challenge; in 2022 an estimated 250,000 people reached its summit.

Did you know? At 978 metres, Scafell Pike is the highest mountain in England. On a clear day the view from its boulder-strewn summit can reach across the sea to Scotland, Wales and Ireland.

How long is a visit to Scafell Pike?

Set aside roughly ~300 min for Scafell Pike. That covers a good look and the narrated story, and because you set the pace you can always stay on.

Is Scafell Pike worth your time?

Scafell Pike is among the 13 narrated highlights the Gingerguide team chose for Lake District, so it is worth a look. Hear the story for the context, then ask the AI guide for anything more.

Nearby stops in Lake District

Sources and further reading

Where to check the facts about Scafell Pike and read more:

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Hear the story of Scafell Pike

Preview the Lake District tour free in the Gingerguide app.