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| Nab Scar | ||
|---|---|---|
| Historic name | nabbr/nabbi + sker / scā̆rre | |
| Meaning of name | projecting ridge with steep crag | |
| Origin of name | Old Norse / Middle English | |
| Elevation | 460 m (1,509 ft) | |
| Prominence | 5 m (16 ft) | |
| Parent Peak | Heron Pike | |
| Listing | Wainwright | |
| Topo Map | OS Explorer OL7 | |
| Coordinates | 54.457623 , -2.9957497 | |
| OS Grid Ref. | NY 35544 07372 | |
| what3words | dodges.twee.novel | |
Nab Scar is a fell with a rocky prominence that stands above Rydal Water. It is part of the Fairfield group situated in the Eastern Fells. Nab Scar itself is not a separate fell, instead it is what Wainwright called the "butt of the long southern ridge of Fairfield"[1] and what Harriet Martineau's 1855 A Complete Guide to the English Lakes calls the "blunt end of Fairfield, which overlooks the road and the lake...with its water-worn channels, its wood, and grey rocks."[2]
Although Nab Scar has a summit, which is located further along the path towards Heron Pike, it is the rocky south face that bears the name. Looking up at the wooded slopes towards Nab Scar from openings along the coffin route, it is not difficult to stand in awe of such a towering crag over the landscape. Nab Cottage, built in 1702 and which sits at the foot of Nab Scar with stunning views across Rydal Water, was once home to the writer Thomas de Quincey and poet Hartley Coleridge, eldest son of Samuel Taylor Coleridge. The cottage is now a wellbeing retreat. There are three routes to the summit, two from Grasmere, and one from Rydal.
Of Nab Scar, Wainwright describes it thus:
Nab Scar is well known. Its associations with the Lake Poets who came to dwell at the foot of its steep wooded slopes have invested it with romance, and its commanding position overlooking Rydal Water brings it to the notice of the many visitors to that charming lake. It is a fine abrupt height, with a rough, craggy south face; on the flanks are easier slopes. Elevated ground continue beyond the summit and rises gently to Heron Pike at the start of the western arm of the popular Fairfield horseshoe walk.[1]
Route from Grasmere
There are two routes from Grasmere, one starting from Dove Cottage, and the other from The Swan (the old coaching inn located on the A591 opposite Swan Lane). Both of the routes from Grasmere go via Alcock Tarn, the charming but generally featureless tarn perched on a shelf below Heron Pike. The small path from the southern end of the tarn will direct the explorer towards the main path that leads directly to Nab Scar. There are no technical sections along this route, although after Alcock Tarn there are a couple of slightly boggy sections.
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Route from Rydal
Though much shorter than either of the Grasmere routes, the route from Rydal appears to be steeper at times. Due to its popularity, there are repaired sections with stone steps that aid the walker's ascent or descent. There are no major challenges to be had along the way. There are several exceptional scenic viewpoints along the way that furnish the walker with wide open vistas of Rydal Water, Loughrigg Fell, Ambleside, and Windermere beyond.
Etymology
The first element nab appears eight times in different names and comes from Old Norse nabbr, nabbi (knob) which means "promontory".[3] It may be encouraged from Middle English knabbe, which means hill-top,[4] or by Middle English neb or Old English nebb which simply means "nose", "beak" or "bill" – in this case a promontory or projecting piece of land, either into a lake or from the end of a mountain,[5] or prominent hills and hill-spurs.[4]
The second element scar comes from Old Norse sker, which is the ancestor of modern skerry and means either an "isolated rock in the sea" or a "small rocky island". How this moves away from coastal rock features to an inland projecting crag comes with Middle English scā̆rre, which has multiple similar definitions: (a) "rocky cliff or precipice; a crag or jagged outcropping", (b) "crag or rock formation rising out of the sea",[6] and (c) "bare rocky place on the side of a hill or mountain".[7] Although the Old Norse definitions relate more so with skerries, the Middle English version includes a broader definition. The word scar appears around twenty times in various forms, originating from the 13th century onwards. A simpler definition would be "a projecting ridge with a steep crag."[8]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Wainwright, Alfred (2005). A Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells. Book 1: The Eastern Fells. Nab Scar, p.Nab Scar 2.
- ↑ Martineau, Harriet (1855). A Complete Guide to the English Lakes Windermere: John Garnett. p.53.
- ↑ Collingwood, W.G. (1925). Lake District History. Kendal: Titus Wilson and Son. p.91.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Whaley, Diana (2006). A Dictionary of Lake District Place-Names. English Place-Name Society. School of English Studies, University of Nottingham. p.412.
- ↑ Otley, Jonathon (1834). Concise Description of the English Lakes Fifth Edition. Keswick: Jonathon Otley. p.85.
- ↑ scā̆rre Middle English Compendium. Accessed 26 August 2024.
- ↑ scar Wiktionary. Accessed 26 August 2024.
- ↑ Gambles, Robert (1985). Lake District Place-Names. 2nd Edition. Dalesman Books. p.30.
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