Ingleborough Lyrics
Two lines name three high hills in the north of England and claim they are the tallest between Scotland and the river Trent.
Ingleborough
Ingleborow, Pendle, and Penigent,
Are the highest hills betwixt Scotland and Trent.
Printed from https://nurseryrhymes.co/ingleborough/
- Type
- Mother Goose
- Tune
- Spoken like a proud boast
- Best for ages
- 5 to 9 years
Hand Motions and Actions
| When you sing | Do this |
|---|---|
| Ingleborow, Pendle, and Penigent | Raise one hand high for each hill name, a little higher each time. |
| highest hills | Stand on tiptoe and reach up. |
What Does Ingleborough Mean?
The rhyme is a boast about three hills: Ingleborow, Pendle and Penigent. It says they are the highest hills betwixt Scotland and Trent, meaning anywhere between the Scottish border and the river Trent in the middle of England.
It is a good rhyme for learning place names, because the three names are different lengths and make a nice rhythm when said in a row.
History and Origin
James Orchard Halliwell prints this rhyme in Popular Rhymes and Nursery Tales (1849) in a section of rhymes about places. He copies it from an older description of the three hills, which says they seem as high as the clouds and that a plant called cloudsberry grows on top as though it came out of the clouds.
The same old description says the hill is famous as a weather sign: when its top is covered with mist, rain is certain to follow.
Learning Activities
- Map hunt: find the three hills and the river Trent on a map of England.
- Weather watch: look at a hill or tall building on a misty day and talk about what the weather might do.
- Hill heights: look up how tall each hill is and put them in order.