Wainwright refers to it as a Sea Serpent, generations of children know it as The Snake, whilst the Ordnance Survey call it Causey Pike. Around 1800 Samuel Taylor Coleridge called it Causeway Pike, which seemingly relates back to the Roman Road which crossed the marshes between Derwentwater and Bassenthwaite, and known in 13th century documents as (le) Cauce/Chauchey. Thus the Causeway Peak.
Whatever name you give to it, it is one of the most recognisable hills in Cumberland. Looking good from a distance, and also close up. Few will surmount the final summit tower without their hands touching rock. It is the first, or more usually the final, peak on the classic Coledale Horseshoe walk. In Wainwright it was given a height of 2,035ft, nowadays it has grown an impressive 55ft to 2,090ft.
The cache is a basic box, containing a log book and pencil. As ever with me it starts life as a tat free zone. Room for small trackables.
Information about the meaning of hill names is gleaned from Diana Whaley’s book ‘A Dictionary of Lake District Place-Names’ - maybe not exactly bed time reading, but great for dipping into occasionally!
Placed with permission of the National Trust