BOOTboys

BB2526 : The Synge is the Thing

Thursday 17th July 2025

That’s Synge with a “y”, not an “i”. Nothing to do with burning.

It was a new word to me.

I would have asked Uncle Google for an explanation but first I thought I should ask Stan, as he is a learned chap.

“I presume,” he replied, “that you are referring to John Lighton Synge (1897 to 1995). He was an Irish mathematician credited with a new geometrical approach to the theory of relativity. I would have thought you, of all people, would have known that.”

No, I didn’t and I wasn’t convinced he had anything to do with my query.

TV Mike chipped in that I might be referring to John Millington Synge, an Irish poet who lived from 1871 to 1909.

Seemingly, he was a key figure in the Irish Literary Revival, his plays being known for their vivid portrayal of rural Irish life and their use of unique, poetic language.

They might be known as such but not by me.

Bryan, of course, had the answer. He explained that the Synge fells are named after Tim Synge who, in his 1995 book “The Lakeland Summits”, included all the peaks in the Lake District over 300 metres with a minimum drop of 30 metres on all sides. Bryan added that, according to the Westmorland Gazette, a man from Staveley plus his dog recently completed all 648 Synges.

How many Synges would we get under our belts today?

Sadly, it was not a day for going high or far as rain was expected by midday. Consequently we got up early and headed for Outgate, just north of Hawkshead where the car park was being turned into a shale depot.

Our route was essentially to be one that Bryan had used for another group but in the reverse direction. My logic was that this would provide us with quit-and-run options if the rain set in.

Target number 1 was Black Crag. Unfortunately that meant the first mile and a half being on road, passing en-route the Drunken Duck where, many years ago, I had the best Scotch egg I can recall. I looked longingly through the window but none were on offer. At least there was a good view outside.

I’d like to say that shortly afterwards we reached the Pullscar Plantation and the summit of Black Crag but I can’t.

The humidity was horrendous and it really slowed me down.

Tarn Hows was next on the agenda but the question was whether to walk alongside it or alternatively climb over Tom Heights. As, remarkably, it was a top never before visited by Bryan plus we are in training for Stan’s upcoming epic (more of which in due course) we chose the latter. The climb was on a path that waded through a forest of huge bracken. Fortunately there was a bit of a welcome breeze on the top with good views, but not of the tarn.

We dropped down to Tarn Hows.....

..... which was busy with school parties, then onward to the Hawkshead Hill hamlet. I have driven but never walked that road previously so couldn’t miss the opportunity to call in at the small Baptist Chapel. Charming on the outside and surprisingly modern on the inside with its huge wall mounted TV screen.

Out the back, down by the beck, is the christening pool for total baptismal immersion. Hence this report’s Song of The Week (one that I may have used previously but Uncle Google couldn't remember): Alison Krauss singing Down in the River to Pray together with a very evocative video.

Our next stop was also a church- the parish church of Hawkshead, set on top the small mound over-looking the village. We didn’t examine it- partly because we have been there before and partly because we were still concerned about rain coming in, so took advantage of the south facing bench to have our lunch before heading off west.

Final objective was Latterbarrow.

Not this time via the Armageddon of the chopped forest (BB1206) but the direct (i.e. steep) route from the west. The rain held off but it was horribly humid and the views not a clear as we might have hoped.

When I commented on the steepness of the hills we had climbed, Bryan responded to the effect of that was why he had done it the other, gentler way round!

So that completed the adventure (apart from the obligatory stop at the Eagle and Child at Staveley. What was our Synge score? Well, Black Fell is a Synge but, sadly, Tom Heights and Latterbarrow fail the 300 metre test. Only 647 to go!

Don, Thursday 17^th July 2025

Bonus Pictures from TVM:

Comitibus:

Don, TV Mike, Bryan, Stan

Ccomments :

Steve G: I think a Synge is similar to a TuMP ( not a Trump ) . A new hill classification could be a Trump - a bigly Tump :)

Don: The Relative Hill Society defines a TuMP (Thirty and upwards Metre Prominence) as a hill in Scotland, England, Wales, the Isle of Man or Channel Islands which is separated from adjacent tops by a height difference of at least 30 metres on all sides. On that basis, a Synge is the subset of TuMPS comprising hills in the Lake District that have a height of at least 300 metres.

It would seem therefore that today we climbed three TuMPs, one of whih was also a Synge.

As for a TRUMP, I would imagine that Donald would describe it as The BIGGEST big hill that has ever been so Big. So BIG that only he can climb it, which he has done regularly including TWICE this morning without Oxygen.

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Map: OS 1:50k

STATISTICS	BB2526 : The Synge is the Thing
Date:	Thursday 17th July 2025
Features:	Black Crag, Tom Heights, Latterbarrow
Distance in miles:	11.4
Height climbed in feet:	2,216
GPX track:	BB2526.GPX
Comitibus:	Bryan, Don, TV Mike, Stan

For the index pages of our various earlier outings click on the relevant links below:

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