Humphrey Head

Landforms of CumbriaNature reserves of the Cumbria Wildlife TrustRock formations of EnglandSites of Special Scientific Interest in Cumbria

Humphrey Head is a limestone outcrop situated south of the village of Allithwaite in Cumbria, England. It is whale-back-shaped and accessible for walkers, giving views over Morecambe Bay to Lancaster, Morecambe, Heysham and over the Leven estuary to Ulverston. There is an Ordnance Survey trig point at the top. Since 1906 it has been the home of Humphrey Head Outdoor Centre, currently operated by Mere Mountains. Most of the Head is a nature reserve, managed by Cumbria Wildlife Trust since 1992 although still owned by the Holker Estate. On the eastern flank is a wood with permitted rights of way. It used to be possible to walk to the end of the outcrop by walking on the sands to the west of Humphrey Head, but changes in the sands have rendered this difficult (although still possible in wellies) (2011). To the east of Humphrey Head is a marsh which forms part of Kents Bank. Humphrey Head is the traditional location for the killing of the last wolf in England, in about 1390. Folklore has it that the wolf descended the fells from near Coniston where it had caused havoc among the sheep flocks. After it attacked a child in Cark the country-folk chased it to the end of Humphrey Head where it was killed with pikes while hiding among the rocks. Below Humphrey Head there used to be house with a spring. The water was reputed to have therapeutic properties. Miners from Durham used to walk here just to take the water. All that is now left is a rusting lead pipe and a clear trickle of water. On the rock face lies a memorial to William Pedder who died in August 1857, it reads: "Beware how you on these rocks ascend Here William pedder met his end August 22nd 1857 Aged 10 years by permission". Humphrey Head is the subject of a chapter of Wainwright's book The Outlying Fells of Lakeland, although he says "Not by any exercise of the imagination can Humphrey Head be classed as an outlying fell of Lakeland" as although it is "outlying", the summit is 172 feet (52 m) and "a fell it is certainly not". He describes a walk from Kents Bank railway station.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Humphrey Head (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

Humphrey Head
Holy Well Lane,

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Geographical coordinates (GPS)

Latitude	Longitude
N 54.157 °	E -2.933 °

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Address

The Holy Well

Holy Well Lane
LA11 7LX , Lower Allithwaite
England, United Kingdom
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Nearby Places

Kents Bank

Kents Bank is a small village in Cumbria, England, so named for its proximity to the River Kent estuary. Part of the historic County Palatine of Lancashire, it is located 2 miles (3.2 km) south-west of Grange-over-Sands.

Kents Bank railway station

Kents Bank is a railway station on the Furness Line, which runs between Barrow-in-Furness and Lancaster. The station, situated 17+1⁄4 miles (28 km) north-west of Lancaster, serves the village of Kents Bank in Cumbria. It is owned by Network Rail and managed by Northern Trains.

Wraysholme Halt railway station

Wraysholme Halt was a railway station on the Furness Railway in the Furness exclave of Lancashire. Situated between Cark and Cartmel and Kents Bank the halt was not open to the public and was used by the British army's Territorial Force as a railhead for troops training at the Rougholme Rifle Range at nearby Humphrey Head.

Allithwaite

Allithwaite is a village in Cumbria, England, located roughly 1.2 miles (1.9 km) west of Grange-over-Sands. Within the boundaries of the historic county of Lancashire, Allithwaite, and the village of Cartmel situated to the north, are part of the civil parish of Lower Allithwaite. At the 2001 census, the parish had a population of 1,758, increasing to 1,831 at the 2011 Census.There is also a civil parish previously known as Upper Allithwaite which was renamed in 2018 as Lindale and Newton-in-Cartmel, and includes Lindale, Low Newton and High Newton. The population of this parish at the 2011 Census was 843.

Lower Allithwaite

Lower Allithwaite is a civil parish in the South Lakeland district of the English county of Cumbria. It includes the villages of Allithwaite and Cartmel, the historic Cartmel Priory, Humphrey Head and Cartmel Racecourse. In the 2001 census the parish had a population of 1,758, increasing at the 2011 census to 1,831.

RAF Cark

Royal Air Force Cark or more simply RAF Cark is a former Royal Air Force station in the county of Cumbria (formerly Lancashire) which was operational between 1941 and 1945. It was built near the villages of Cark and Flookburgh on the Cartmel Peninsula which today forms part of Cumbria.

Lindale and Newton-in-Cartmel

Lindale and Newton-in-Cartmel, formerly Upper Allithwaite (sometimes Allithwaite Upper) is a civil parish in the Westmorland and Furness district, in the ceremonial county of Cumbria, England. The spelling Lindale and Newton in Cartmel, without hyphens, is used by the parish council.The parish includes the villages of Lindale, High Newton and Low Newton and lies north of Grange-over-Sands.The parish has an area of 1,390.08 hectares (3,435.0 acres) and in the UK census 2011 had a population of 842.

St Mary's Church, Allithwaite

St Mary's Church is in the village of Allithwaite, Cumbria, England. It is an active Anglican parish church in the deanery of Windermere, the archdeacon of Westmorland and Furness, and the diocese of Carlisle. Its benefice is united with those of St Mary and St Michael, Cartmel, St Peter, Field Broughton, St John the Baptist, Flookburgh, St Paul, Grange-over-Sands, Grange Fell Church, Grange-Over-Sands, and St Paul, Lindale to form the benefice of Cartmel Peninsula. The church is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II listed building.

Grange Lido

Grange Lido is an open-air 50 m sea-water swimming pool, or lido, in Grange-over-Sands, Cumbria, England. It opened in 1932 and closed in 1993, but campaigners are working to see it re-opened as a swimming pool. The lido is in Art Deco style, and is grade II listed.

Grange Fell Church, Grange-Over-Sands

Grange Fell Church commonly referred to by locals as the Fell Church is a Church of England church in the Grange Fell area of Grange-over-Sands, Cumbria, England. It was built in 1907. Its benefice is united with those of St Mary, Allithwaite, St Mary and St Michael, Cartmel, St Peter, Field Broughton, St John the Baptist, Flookburgh, St Paul, Grange-over-Sands, and St Paul, Lindale, to form the benefice of Cartmel Peninsula.

Grange-over-Sands

Grange-over-Sands is a town and civil parish on the north side of Morecambe Bay in Cumbria, England, a few miles south of the Lake District National Park. In the 2001 census the parish had a population of 4,042, increasing at the 2011 census to 4,114. Within the boundaries of the historic county of Lancashire, the town became administered as an urban district in 1894. Though the town remains part of the Duchy of Lancaster, since 2023 it has been administered as part of the Westmorland and Furness Council area. Travelling by road, Grange-over-Sands is 13.1 miles (21.1 km) to the south of Kendal, 14.9 miles (24.0 km) to the east of Ulverston, 25 miles (40 km) to the east of Barrow-in-Furness and 28.1 miles (45.2 km) to the west of Lancaster.

Flookburgh

Flookburgh is an ancient village on the Cartmel peninsula in Cumbria, England. Within the boundaries of the historic county of Lancashire and being close to Morecambe Bay, cockle and shrimp fishing plays a big part in village life. Flookburgh has a Haven Holidays site called Lakeland Leisure Park. Flookburgh is sometimes thought to derive its name from a flat fish, known as the Fluke, found in the area. (Many people in Flookburgh say, in fact, that Flookburgh wasn't named after the Fluke; the Fluke was named after the village.) However, it is far more likely that the name is Norse, an adaptation of 'Flugga's Town'.