Hopegill Head: Height, Ridge Walks and Fell Views

Hopegill Head is a meeting point of ridges with a summit that feels properly mountainous. At 769.6m, it stands among the North Western Fells, linking the country around Grisedale Pike, Whiteside and Coledale Hause. Walkers value it for the contrast between open fell slopes and the abrupt edge of Hobcarton Crag, as well as the long ridge walks that bring its pointed outline into view.

A sharp summit above Hobcarton Crag

Hopegill Head has a more angular character than several of its higher neighbours. Its summit brings together ridges from Whiteside, Grisedale Pike and Ladyside Pike, while the southern connection runs over Sand Hill towards Coledale Hause. That arrangement makes the top feel like a junction in the landscape: each ridge draws the eye towards a different part of the north-western Lakes.

Hobcarton Crag is its most striking feature. The crag falls steeply beneath the summit on the north-eastern side, giving the fell a severe profile when seen from Hobcarton. It is this abrupt change from walkable ridge to broken rock that defines Hopegill Head, rather than height alone. The summit stands at grid reference NY185221 and reaches 769.6m, or 2,525ft.

Hopegill Head in the North Western Fells

The fell appears in Book Six of Alfred Wainwright’s A Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells, The North Western Fells. It ranks 53rd by height among the 214 Wainwrights. This is a region of long connecting ridges, and Hopegill Head sits firmly within that pattern rather than standing apart as an isolated summit.

Grisedale Pike lies to the east, with Whiteside extending westwards. To the south, Coledale Hause separates the Hopegill Head side of the surrounding ridge system from the higher ground around Crag Hill and Grasmoor. Wandope is another nearby Wainwright within this closely linked group. Looking across them helps explain why walkers so often experience these fells together: their individual shapes are distinct, but the intervening ridges and cols give the area its coherence.

Ridge walks and summit views

Hopegill Head is commonly included in versions of the Coledale Horseshoe, the fell-walking circuit associated with Braithwaite and the valley of Coledale. There is no single fixed list of summits for every version of that walk. The link with Grisedale Pike is particularly well known, while the Whiteside ridge offers another memorable setting for seeing Hopegill Head’s compact summit ahead.

The outlook combines close views of neighbouring ridges with more open views towards the coastal plain and Solway Firth. Grasmoor provides a substantial presence to the south-west, contrasting with the sharper lines immediately around the summit. These ridges are exposed to wind, and the crag edges demand care, especially in poor visibility or winter conditions. A dedicated route guide and an appropriate mountain weather forecast are useful companions when planning a visit.

Where Hopegill Head stands

Summit at grid reference NY185221 · open full map

The real Hopegill Head

Walking Hopegill Head

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

• Hopegill Head - Whiteside walk (andrewswalks.co.uk)
• Lake District Walk: Grisedale Pike and Hopegill Head (walklakes.co.uk)
• Whiteside and Hopegill Head (treksandtors.co)

Weather on Hopegill Head

Conditions estimated at summit height (770 m) via Open-Meteo. For a walker's forecast, use the Mountain Weather Information Service.

Hopegill Head on your wall

Hopegill Head’s converging ridges and the dark edge of Hobcarton Crag give a painting of the fell a strong sense of place. A print or canvas at home can recall that moment on the ridge when familiar neighbouring summits fall into order around you.

Own “Sunlit Ridge at Hopegill Head” — our painting of Hopegill Head → or browse all Fells & Mountains artwork

Neighbouring Wainwrights in The North Western Fells

• Crag Hill 839 m
• Grisedale Pike 790 m
• Wandope 774 m
• Grasmoor 852 m

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