Sergeant Man

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Sergeant Man
Westmorland
Sergeant Man.jpg
Sergeant Man from High Raise (Langdale)
Range: Lake District Central Fells
Summit: 2,415 feet NY286089
54°28’14"N, 3°6’12"W

Sergeant Man is a fell in the Lake District. It is properly a secondary summit of High Raise, but is given a separate chapter by Alfred Wainwright in his Pictorial Guides to the Lakeland Fells as it "is so prominent an object and offers so compelling a challenge". The two tops are separated too by the county border: while the summit of Sergeant Man is in Westmorland, that of High Raise is in Cumberland.

The rocky cone of Sergeant Man is, as Wainwright observes, in great contrast to the grassy dome of High Raise.

Landscape

Sergeant Man is to be found a third of a mile to the south-east of the parent fell and is the pivotal point for a complex system of ridges radiating eastward from High Raise. South east, passing between Codale and Stickle Tarns is the broad spur leading to Blea Rigg, Silver How and Loughrigg. Sitting above Codale Tarn is the rocky subsidiary top of Codale Head — a grandchild of High Raise. From here further ridges run east to Tarn Crag and north east to Calf Crag and the circuit of Greenburn.

Steep ground falls away to the south of Sergeant Man, down to the valley of Bright Beck, this being the main feeder of Stickle Tarn. All water from this flank flows to Great Langdale. East of the summit between the Tarn Crag and Blea Rigg ridges, lie Codale Tarn and the headwaters of Easedale, streams bound for Grasmere. To the north of Sergeant Man are the upper gathering grounds of Wythburndale, which flow by way of Thirlmere to the sea at Workington.

Ascents

The popular ways up Sergeant Man are either from Great Langdale by way of Stickle Tarn, or by a variety of routes from Grasmere village. These can take in the Blea Rigg, Tarn Crag or Calf Crag ridges, or ascend by way of Far Easedale or Easedale Tarn. The latter route takes the walker past Belles Knott, a striking feature near Codale Tarn. From below it appears as a sharp peak, etched against the skyline, but from above an easy grassy promenade is revealed behind.[1][2]

Summit

The area between Sergeant Man and Codale Head has a rash of small tarns, but the summit area is otherwise reasonably dry. The final cone is most easily climbed by way of a ridge on the northern side, and has good all round views except where obscured by High Raise.[1]

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 Wainwright, Alfred: A Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells, Book Three — The Central Fells (1958)
  2. Mark Richards: The Central Fells: Collins (2003): ISBN 0-00-711365-X