Lest we forget - 100th anniverary of the Great Gable plaque

Hill Walking News
04 Jul
6 min read

Many people will have visited the summit of Great Gable in the Lake District and looked at the bronze plaque close to the summit commemorating FRCC members killed in World War One. This plaque was unveiled 100 years ago this year, on 8 June 1924, so this year, the FRCC held a commemorative meet with members staying at their huts in Wasdale, Borrowdale and Buttermere. This was attended by the BMC’s Hill Walking Rep Steve Charles and Lakes Area Rep Ron Kenyon, who sent this fascinating report of the day’s events and the history of the plaque.

On Saturday 8 June 2024 FRCC members made ascents of all the 12 summits which were part of the ‘Great Gift’ of land from the FRCC to the National Trust in 1923. One member made ascents of all the summits himself and two members climbed the iconic Napes Needle. At 4pm they all gathered on the summit of Great Gable where the President (John Holden) and Richard Hargreaves (FRCC member and Great Nephew of Geoffrey Winthrop Young) led a short service of rededication of the plaque. The plaque was draped in the flag which had been flown on HMS Barham at the Battle of Jutland - the same flag as used in 1924.

FRCC members gather on Great Gable summit 8 June 2024. Photo: Jim Gregson

Richard told of the life of Young and read the first, poignant paragraph, read by Young himself in 1924:

Upon this mountain summit we are met today to dedicate this space of hills to freedom. Upon this rock are set the names of men - our brothers, and our comrades upon these cliffs -who held, with us, that there is no freedom of the soil where the spirit of man is in bondage; and who surrendered their part in the fellowship of hill and wind

and sunshine, that the freedom of this land, the freedom of our spirit, should endure.

The President read the names of the 20 members commemorated on the plaque which was then unveiled and a two minutes silence observed.

The Great Gift was a milestone in commemorating casualties of conflict by giving freedom to roam in the mountains for future generations, which we now enjoy. However, with that freedom comes a responsibility to look after these same hills and mountains for our own children and grandchildren to enjoy.

The history of the Great Gable plaque

The Fell and Rock Climbing Club (FRCC) was founded in 1906 to “encourage the pursuits of fell walking and rock climbing, particularly in the English Lake District”. Although founded before women had the vote, membership has always been open to men and women. Today the club has over 1100 members from around the UK.

Shortly after the club was formed, in 1914 Europe was plunged into the First World War, with massive losses of soldiers on both sides. At a time when the membership of the club was little over 300 men and women, 78 members served in the forces in the war. Of these servicemen 20 were either killed in action or died of their wounds.

After the war there were discussions as to how these brave men could be best commemorated by the Club. There were several ideas but by 1920 the favourite was to buy a fell upon which to build a memorial to those fallen in the war. This was apparently first launched by HP Cain from FRCC with the historic words “Let’s buy a Fell” in February 1919. Initial plans to buy Pillar (for £50), and then Napes Needle were unsuccessful. A Mr Herbert Walker of Seascale subsequently bought the farm at Wasdale Head which included Great Gable and Napes Needle. This new owner was approached by representatives of FRCC in 1923 with an offer to buy the Needle, and as negotiations were going well they discussed the possibility of extending the offer to include Great Gable. When Mr Walker and his solicitor asked for a more precise statement of what was wanted, Herbert Cain pointed to a map of the central part of Lakeland and said “all of this over 1500 feet”.

Herbert Walker, an old climber and previous member of FRCC, was sympathetic to the idea and requested £400 for the deal. This was to include all land above the 1500 foot contour, but dropping to include Kern Knotts, and rising to exclude Sty Head Summit. Nearly £600 was raised from 450 members and the sale was agreed. Then at the Annual FRCC Dinner in Coniston in October 1923 the title deeds to 3,000 acres of high fells in central Lakeland including Lingmell, Broad Crag, Great End, Seathwaite Fell, Allen Crags, Glaramara, Kirk Fell, Great Gable, Green Gable, Base Brown, Brandreth and Grey Knotts were donated to the National Trust for “the use and enjoyment of the people of our land for all time”.

The Great Gift map 1924

A bronze plaque was then made as a permanent memorial. This was a relief map of the area purchased and a list of those that had been killed cast in bronze. It was carried up Great Gable on a stretcher, but higher up was strapped to a rucksack. Members carried it in turn but apparently could only manage 200 yards at a time due to the weight.

The plaque was unveiled on Sunday June 8 1924 attended by a “nearly silent throng of some 500 climbers, hillwalkers and dales folk assembled in soft rain and rolling mist, the gloom and gentle wind sounds added to the impressiveness of the occasion. There was no effort at pageantry or emotion”. One of those to speak was Geoffrey Winthrop Young, a well known climber, poet and educator who had lost a leg in the war. Young subsequently climbed the Matterhorn in 1928, later becoming President of the Alpine Club and it was through his efforts that the British Mountaineering Council was created in 1945.

The date of the 8 June 1924 was poignant as it was also the day the George Mallory (a friend of many on the summit that day) and Andrew Irvine were last seen before going missing on Mount Everest.

Subsequently every November on the Sunday closest to the 11th day, the FRCC holds an Act of Remembrance: all are welcomed whatever their beliefs. It is not uncommon for over 500 people to attend in all weathers! Alterations were made to the original plaque due to incorrect spelling and a wrong initial, and then the plaque was re-cast in 2013, having been carried down off Great Gable, and then replaced by a team of Royal Engineers. The original plaque has been placed in St Olav’s churchyard at Wasdale Head.

Source material: “We Remember” FRCC publication, 2014; FRCC Journal Archives (1923, 1924).

Great Gable rises as a distinct hump amidst the surrounding peaks. Photo: Johanna Schiele

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