Great Langdale update

I was lucky enough to get out in Great Langdale here in the Lake District here on Wednesday April 24th... a brilliant day with clear skies and amazing views of all the fantastic mountains (we call them fells after the Old Norse 'fjall ' - mountain) surrounding this beautiful valley!

I was there on a photo mission for a new book about some of the fells of the Lakes - I'm an ambassador for the Pike o'Stickle. This mountain, along with Scafell Pike, is one of the key sources of volcanic tuff sought by miners in the Early Neolithic, some 6000 to 5500 years ago. These miners created rough-out axe blades from this tuff - a beautiful greeny-blue stone when polished - as it was when taken to the Cumbrian coast and onwards.

These axe blades were created in their thousands, and were taken all over Britain and Ireland. Pike o'Stickle and Scafell Pike were the largest sources of axe production in these islands. These peaks - I suggest - were sacred to the people of the time, and had enormous significance for them. This led, I consider, to the creation of some of the earliest stone circles. A topic which we'll explore during the first Castlerigg Connections Festival.

Back soon!