Kidsty Pike: 781m Height, Walks and Haweswater Views

Kidsty Pike has a sharper presence than many of its neighbours in the Far Eastern Fells. At 781m, its rocky summit stands above Riggindale, with Haweswater below and the broad uplands around Rampsgill Head behind it. For walkers, that contrast is much of the appeal: open, grassy country gives way to a distinct edge, and a summit that feels quite different depending on the approach.

A pointed summit above Riggindale

Kidsty Pike’s defining feature is its profile above Riggindale. Seen from the dale, it forms a pointed skyline, with steep, craggy ground beneath the summit. From the higher ground to the north and west, it looks less separate: the summit belongs to a short ridge extending east from Rampsgill Head. That difference between its valley-facing side and its upland setting helps explain why a relatively small summit feature has such a strong identity.

Riggindale lies between Kidsty Pike and High Street, opening towards Haweswater. From the summit, the view brings together the reservoir, the dale and the surrounding ridges. High Street’s eastern face is an important part of the scene, while the rolling ground towards High Raise shows the gentler character often associated with the Far Eastern Fells. This meeting of steep valley sides and broad tops gives the view its particular interest.

Kidsty Pike among the Far Eastern Fells

Alfred Wainwright included Kidsty Pike in The Far Eastern Fells, the second book of his Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells. It stands at 781m, or 2,562ft, and ranks 46th in height among the 214 Wainwrights. Its summit grid reference is NY447125.

Nearby Wainwrights include Rampsgill Head, High Raise, The Knott and High Street. Their close grouping makes Kidsty Pike a natural part of longer outings across this upland area, rather than necessarily an isolated objective. Mardale Head, at the southern end of Haweswater, is a familiar starting point for walks here. The surrounding tops are linked by high ground, but the steep sides of Riggindale remain a significant feature of the terrain. In cloud, the broader ridges require careful navigation.

A high point on the Coast to Coast

Kidsty Pike is particularly well known as the highest point on the usual line of Wainwright’s Coast to Coast walk. The qualification matters because optional high-level alternatives elsewhere on the crossing reach higher summits. On the customary passage between Patterdale and Shap, however, Kidsty Pike is the high point before the walk drops towards Haweswater.

That long-distance connection gives the summit a place in many walkers’ memories beyond Wainwright collecting. It belongs both to the enclosed dale-and-reservoir landscape of eastern Lakeland and to the open country crossed on the journey towards Shap.

Where Kidsty Pike stands

Summit at grid reference NY447125 · open full map

The real Kidsty Pike

Walking Kidsty Pike

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

• Guide links to be curated.

Weather on Kidsty Pike

Conditions estimated at summit height (781 m) via Open-Meteo. For a walker's forecast, use the Mountain Weather Information Service.

Kidsty Pike on your wall

A painting of Kidsty Pike can bring back the contrast that makes this fell memorable: a sharp summit above Riggindale, broad uplands behind and Haweswater below. On a wall at home, that familiar profile offers a quiet connection to days spent on the eastern fells.

Own “Sunlit Ridge on Kidsty Pike” — our painting of Kidsty Pike → or browse all Fells & Mountains artwork

Neighbouring Wainwrights in The Far Eastern Fells

• Rampsgill Head 792 m
• High Raise (High Street) 804 m
• The Knott 739 m
• High Street 828 m

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