Robinson: 737.6m Height, Walks and Summit Views

Robinson stands between Buttermere and the Newlands valley, a broad-topped fell whose grassy upper slopes contrast with the steeper ground below. At 737.6m, it offers a generous view of the North Western Fells and the higher country beyond. Walkers often combine it with Hindscarth and Dale Head, but Robinson has its own appeal: open ridges, a spacious summit and a strong sense of the divide between neighbouring dales.

A broad summit above Buttermere and Newlands

Robinson is a substantial fell rather than a sharply pointed summit. Its upper ground is rounded and largely grassy, with exposed rock around the top. That gentler skyline does not tell the whole story: the flanks fall steeply towards the surrounding valleys, and the approaches have a more rugged character than the summit profile might suggest.

Its position is central to its appeal. Buttermere lies to the west, while the Newlands valley opens to the north-east. Across the Buttermere valley, the High Stile ridge forms a long, steep-sided skyline; Grasmoor is another prominent neighbour in the wider view. Looking east brings Hindscarth and Dale Head into the picture. These overlapping ridges make Robinson a useful place to understand how the western valleys and their watersheds fit together.

Robinson among the North Western Fells

Robinson belongs to Book Six of Alfred Wainwright’s Pictorial Guide, The North Western Fells. The Database of British and Irish Hills records its height as 737.6m, or 2,420ft, placing it 67th in height among the 214 Wainwrights. Its summit grid reference is NY201168.

Hindscarth is its close companion, and the two are frequently included in the same walk, often with Dale Head. Knott Rigg, Ard Crags and Sail also belong to the neighbouring fell country, although being nearby does not necessarily mean sharing a direct ridge connection. Robinson can feature in longer horseshoe walks around Newlands, where the attraction is the succession of linked summits and changing valley views rather than a single summit ascent.

Walking country and the Bob Graham Round

Walkers approach Robinson from both Buttermere and the Newlands side. These starting points give quite different impressions of the fell, from its western slopes to the ridges enclosing the upper Newlands valleys. Choosing between them is a matter for a dedicated route guide: distance, ascent and the character of the ground vary considerably.

Robinson also has a particular place in fell-running history. On the conventional clockwise Bob Graham Round, it is the last of the 42 summits before the return to Keswick. The challenge links those fells within 24 hours, and Robinson follows Dale Head and Hindscarth on its final leg. For walkers familiar with the round, that association adds another layer of interest to an otherwise unassuming summit.

Where Robinson stands

Summit at grid reference NY201168 · open full map

The real Robinson

Walking Robinson

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

• Dale Head Summit – Robinson loop from Honister Pass (komoot.com)
• Robinson, Dale Head and Hindscarth in Rain and Wind. (josweeney.net)
• Robinson, Hindscarth and Dale Head from Buttermere (hiiker.app)

Weather on Robinson

Conditions estimated at summit height (738 m) via Open-Meteo. For a walker's forecast, use the Mountain Weather Information Service.

Robinson on your wall

A painting of Robinson can bring back the shape of a familiar day: the broad top, the neighbouring ridges, the changing light above Buttermere. As a print or canvas, it gives that remembered fell a quiet place at home, well beyond the walking season.

Own “Blue Shadows on Robinson Fell” — our painting of Robinson → or browse all Fells & Mountains artwork

Neighbouring Wainwrights in The North Western Fells

• Knott Rigg 556 m
• Hindscarth 727 m
• Ard Crags 581 m
• Sail 773 m

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