Rampsgill Head: Height (792.4m), Walks and Views

Rampsgill Head is a broad, grassy summit in the High Street range, where several familiar fell walks meet. At 792.4m, it stands higher than nearby Kidsty Pike, though its quieter outline attracts less attention. Its appeal lies in the contrast between easy-looking upland ground and the steep-sided dale below: a fell best appreciated as part of the connected landscape of the Far Eastern Fells.

A broad summit above Ramps Gill

Rampsgill Head takes its name from the valley beneath it, one of the branching dales of Martindale. From the surrounding uplands, the summit appears rounded and relatively unassuming. The ground falling away towards Ramps Gill gives it a different character, with steep slopes and crag breaking the gentler lines of the skyline. That contrast is central to understanding the fell: its height alone tells only part of the story.

The summit stands at 792.4m, or 2,600ft, at grid reference NY443128. Its outlook takes in the neighbouring High Street fells and the deeply cut country towards Martindale. Close at hand, Kidsty Pike provides a sharper profile than Rampsgill Head itself. This is a place to study how the ridges and valleys fit together, rather than expect a solitary summit standing clear of everything around it.

Its place in the Far Eastern Fells

Rampsgill Head belongs to Book Two of Alfred Wainwright’s guides, The Far Eastern Fells, and ranks 38th in height among the 214 Wainwrights. Its neighbouring Wainwrights are Kidsty Pike, High Raise, The Knott and High Street. The High Raise here is the one in the High Street range, not the Central Fells summit of the same name.

These neighbours help explain why Rampsgill Head is often encountered during a longer ridge walk rather than treated as a separate destination. It occupies an important position within a closely linked group of high summits. The wider range is associated with the Roman road over High Street, although that historical distinction belongs to High Street rather than to Rampsgill Head’s summit.

Walks and the character of the high ground

Walks including Rampsgill Head commonly approach the range from Hartsop and Hayeswater, or from Mardale Head beside Haweswater. Longer circuits can combine it with several neighbouring Wainwrights. These are substantial fell days: the broad appearance of the upper ground should not obscure the ascent needed to reach it from the valleys.

In clear weather, the connected ridges make the geography unusually rewarding to read. In cloud, those same rounded shoulders can make identifying the correct line less obvious. A dedicated route guide and proper navigation matter here. Rampsgill Head rewards walkers who pause between the better-known names, looking down into the dale as well as across the high ground.

Where Rampsgill Head stands

Summit at grid reference NY443128 · open full map

The real Rampsgill Head

Walking Rampsgill Head

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

• Lake District Walk: A Riggindale Round (walklakes.co.uk)
• Hartsop, Kidsty Pike, High Raise, Rampsgill Head, The ... (walkingenglishman.com)
• Riggindale Horseshoe - High Street walk - Rampsgill Head (andrewswalks.co.uk)

Weather on Rampsgill Head

Conditions estimated at summit height (792 m) via Open-Meteo. For a walker's forecast, use the Mountain Weather Information Service.

Rampsgill Head on your wall

A painting of Rampsgill Head can hold something familiar for anyone who has crossed these ridges: the broad grass slopes, the darker dale and the changing light over High Street. A print or canvas brings that remembered stretch of fell country into everyday view.

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

Neighbouring Wainwrights in The Far Eastern Fells

• Kidsty Pike 781 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.