Hindscarth: 727m Height, Walks and Newlands Views

Hindscarth stands above Newlands, its long northern ridge rising from the crags of Scope End to a broad, grassy summit. At 727m, it belongs to the high ground shared with Robinson and Dale Head, and often features in rounds linking these fells. Its appeal lies in that contrast: a rugged approach from the dale, then open ridges and wide views across the North Western Fells.

A long ridge above Newlands

Hindscarth is best understood as a ridge rather than an isolated summit. Its northern arm runs down towards Newlands through Scope End, where rock outcrops give the fell a more rugged appearance than its grassy upper slopes suggest. From the dale, this ridge is a strong feature of the landscape, separating the valley of Newlands Beck from neighbouring Scope Beck. Above it, the ground opens out towards the 727m summit.

The outlook changes as you gain height. Across Newlands lies the ridge of Catbells, Maiden Moor and High Spy; farther north are Skiddaw and Blencathra. Views from the fell also take in Derwentwater and the surrounding country. Robinson and Dale Head are much closer companions, helping to frame the view from the upper slopes.

Hindscarth in the North Western Fells

Hindscarth appears in Alfred Wainwright’s Book Six, The North Western Fells. It ranks 73rd by height among the 214 Wainwrights, with a summit elevation of 727m, or 2,385ft. Its summit grid reference is NY215165. The fell sits within the compact network of ridges around Newlands, where several substantial summits can be linked without returning to the valley between them.

Dale Head and Robinson are its immediate high-level neighbours. High Spy stands across the upper Newlands valley, while Ard Crags belongs to the nearby group of fells to the north-west. These relationships make Hindscarth a useful landmark when reading the landscape: its northern ridge points into the dale, while its higher connections belong to the skyline enclosing the valley’s head.

The Newlands Horseshoe and Goldscope

Hindscarth is commonly included in the Newlands Horseshoe, the fell-walking round linking the ridges on either side of the valley. Versions of the round vary, but the longer circuit brings together Catbells, Maiden Moor, High Spy, Dale Head, Hindscarth and Robinson. Hindscarth is therefore often encountered as part of a substantial day across several summits, rather than as a single-fell outing.

There is an industrial history beneath these slopes too. Goldscope Mine, below Scope End, is particularly associated with copper mining and the German miners who worked in the district during the sixteenth century. Lead was also mined here. The surviving workings connect the fell to a much older working landscape, a reminder that Newlands was a place of extraction as well as farming long before recreational fell-walking became widespread.

Where Hindscarth stands

Summit at grid reference NY215165 · open full map

The real Hindscarth

Walking Hindscarth

We make artwork, not route guides — these are the guides we'd point a friend to:

• Dale Head, Hindscarth and Robinson (wainwrightwalking.co.uk)
• Robinson, Dale Head and Hindscarth in Rain and Wind. (josweeney.net)
• Robinson, Hindscarth and Dale Head (walklakes.co.uk)

Weather on Hindscarth

Conditions estimated at summit height (727 m) via Open-Meteo. For a walker's forecast, use the Mountain Weather Information Service.

Hindscarth on your wall

A painting of Hindscarth can recall more than the summit: the rocky line of Scope End, the green depth of Newlands, or the open ground towards Dale Head. On a wall at home, those familiar shapes keep a particular day on the fells in view.

Own “Winter Sunlight on Hindscarth Peak” — our painting of Hindscarth → or browse all Fells & Mountains artwork

Neighbouring Wainwrights in The North Western Fells

• Dale Head 754 m
• Robinson 738 m
• High Spy 653 m
• Ard Crags 581 m

Part of our guide to all 214 Wainwrights — see the full index.