'A' Gully, Cumbria, England

The Alphabet’s Most Mysterious Ravine

Introduction: An Identity Crisis in the Hills

If you’re the kind of person who enjoys poring over Ordnance Survey maps, you may one day find yourself in Cumbria, high on the slopes of the Lake District, staring in disbelief at a name so minimal it’s practically existential: ‘A’ Gully. That’s right. Not “Apple Gully” or “Ash Gully.” Just the letter A, standing there all alone like a forgotten exam question or the start of a list someone never finished.

“A” Gully is a real place. A geographical feature. A named thing. And it’s possibly the least helpful place name in Britain, especially if you’re lost, tired, and asking a local for directions: “I’m looking for ‘A’ Gully.” “A gully? Any gully?” “No, THE ‘A’ Gully.” “You what, mate?”

Yet, like so many strange British toponyms, this one has a surprisingly rich story tucked behind its cryptic moniker. So, buckle your boots, grab your compass, and let’s navigate the curious contours of this alphabetically confusing corner of Cumbria.

Toponymy: What’s in a Letter?

At first glance, ‘A’ Gully sounds like someone got bored halfway through naming places. But there’s actually a method to the madness—especially if you’re familiar with the shadowy world of mountain rescue maps, military navigation, and geological shorthand.

The Letter Game

In many mountainous regions—especially areas used for climbing, military training, or geological surveying—it's common to name natural features with letters. These designations are usually shorthand, part of a coded or utilitarian naming system developed by climbers, soldiers, or scientists. Think “Gully A,” “Gully B,” etc.—not for charm, but for clarity in environments where conditions can be life-threatening and communication must be quick.

‘A’ Gully is believed to be one such place: a steep, narrow cleft on one of Cumbria’s higher fells, likely named by climbers or army cadets who needed a clear, no-nonsense way to refer to specific terrain. Over time, as maps formalised these features, the name stuck. And what was once “Gully A” became “A Gully”—complete with quotation marks, as if it’s nervously trying to justify itself.

The Quotation Marks Mystery

Why the quotation marks? Nobody’s entirely sure. It might be a typographical quirk that crept into official maps and just never left - sort of like how the internet kept “LOL” even when no one was actually laughing. Or perhaps it was someone’s attempt to signal that this is a code, not a full name. Either way, ‘A’ Gully is now one of the only places in Britain whose name is also a single-letter literary device.

Historical Context: Mountains, Maps, and Miscommunication

The Lake District and surrounding areas in Cumbria have long been a playground for adventurers, walkers, climbers, and ramblers who don’t mind the occasional encounter with sheep or perilous scree slopes. It's also been the stomping ground for military training, particularly during and after World War II, when troops were trained to navigate tough terrain.

It’s likely that ‘A’ Gully gained its name during one of these practical mapping exercises.

Climbers, rescue services, and even the British military often assign letters to gullies and ridges on difficult peaks so they can plan safe routes or coordinate evacuations. As these shorthand names were passed from maps to common use, they solidified into semi-official toponyms.

There are similar examples throughout the UK’s uplands. The Scottish Highlands feature “Point Five Gully” on Ben Nevis—a famously difficult ice climb.

Other Cumbrian fells include “Great Gully,” “Central Gully,” and, yes, even “B” and “C” gullies if you know where to look.

However, ‘A’ Gully is unusual in that it’s one of the few to have made the leap from climber’s code to published place name. Its name now appears on maps, guidebooks, and confused hiking blogs across the internet.

Notable Figures: The Climbers and Cartographers

Although no single person can claim to have named ‘A’ Gully (unless someone has been hoarding the first OS map where it appears), we can credit its survival to a few types of Cumbrian heroes:

1. The Lake District Climbers of the 19th Century

The “Golden Age” of British climbing saw figures like Walter Parry Haskett Smith (best known for pioneering the ascent of Napes Needle) and Owen Glynne Jones popularise climbing in the Lake District. These mountaineering pioneers laid the groundwork for many climbing routes—some of which were named on the fly, using letters, numbers, or local slang.

2. The Fell & Rock-Climbing Club

Founded in 1906, this venerable club has been instrumental in recording and maintaining knowledge about the Lake District’s climbs, including gully names. It's highly possible that ‘A’ Gully was first formally documented in one of their early guidebooks, and from there made its way into wider use.

3. Mountain Rescue Teams

Let’s not forget the unsung heroes of the hills. For mountain rescue services, knowing the difference between ‘A’ Gully and ‘B’ Gully can mean the difference between saving a life or losing valuable time. These teams help turn obscure codes into standard references—making sure the “A” doesn’t stand for “ambiguous.”

Conclusion: Alphabet Soup, British Style

‘A’ Gully may not have an illustrious past, a royal charter, or a haunted inn with its own ITV series—but what it does have is quintessential British eccentricity. It’s a place name that’s both practical and bizarre, born of necessity but preserved through sheer oddity. It’s as if someone looked at the grandeur of the Lake District and said, “Let’s keep this one simple.”

The name raises questions before you even get there. Is it the first of many gullies? Is it the definitive gully? Is it ranked “A” for excellence? Or did someone just run out of ideas?

Whatever the answer, ‘A’ Gully earns its spot on the roll call of Britain's most peculiar place names. It reminds us that sometimes the most curious names come not from folklore or royal decree, but from the boots-on-the-ground logic of climbers, soldiers, and mapmakers trying to make sense of a rugged, unpredictable landscape.

So here’s to ‘A’ Gully: short on letters, long on intrigue, and proof that in the strange alphabet of British geography, sometimes A really is for Awesome.

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