Rampsgill Head

Last updated

Rampsgill Head
Rampsgill Head from Rest Dodd.JPG
Seen from Rest Dodd, 1.5 km to the NW.
Highest point
Elevation 792 m (2,598 ft)
Prominence c. 40 m
Parent peak High Raise
Listing Hewitt, Wainwright, Nuttall
Coordinates 54°30′27″N2°51′42″W / 54.50744°N 2.86173°W / 54.50744; -2.86173 Coordinates: 54°30′27″N2°51′42″W / 54.50744°N 2.86173°W / 54.50744; -2.86173
Geography
Lake District National Park UK relief location map.png
Red triangle with thick white border.svg
Rampsgill Head
Location in Lake District, UK
Location Cumbria, England
Parent range Lake District, Far Eastern Fells
OS grid NY443128
Topo map OS Explorer OL5
Looking down into the valley of Ramps Gill from the summit. Ramps Gill from Rampsgill Head.JPG
Looking down into the valley of Ramps Gill from the summit.

Rampsgill Head is a fell in the English Lake District, standing to the west of Haweswater Reservoir in the Far Eastern Fells. It forms the focal point of three ridges which fan out north-east, north-west and south.

Contents

Topography

The spine of the Far Eastern Fells, travelling north from High Street, crosses the Straits of Riggindale and then collides head-on with the steep U-shaped valley of Rampsgill which comes south to meet it. The ridge splits in two, sending one arm around each side of Rampsgill and the Martindale valley system of which this forms part. The north-western branch leads over the fells of The Knott and Rest Dodd, finally reaching Place Fell above the head of Ullswater. The north-eastern branch continues the main ridge of the Far Eastern Fells, running over High Raise and ending near the foot of Ullswater at Heughescar Hill. Between these two embracing arms are the valleys of Boredale, Bannerdale, Rampsgill and Fusedale, collectively known as Martindale.

Rampsgill Head stands at the junction of these three ridges, with the summit a little to the north-east. Kidsty Pike, a subsidiary top to the east, is given separate fell status by Wainwright in his Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells and that convention is followed here. Rampsgill Head therefore occupies a very small area for one of the higher fells.

The southern ridge to High Street is the narrowest, closing down to little more than the width of the path at the Straits of Riggindale. The north-eastern ridge is also narrow, once Kidsty Pike is passed, but the north-western ridge is much broader with the summit of The Knott standing off to the left.

The northern face of the fell drops 1,800 ft over rough ground into the bowl of upper Rampsgill. The south-western flank above Hayeswater and the south-eastern above Riggindale (a feeder of Haweswater) are craggier, none of them giving a realistic route of ascent for the average walker.

Ascents

High Street (the Roman road) crosses the fell to the south-east of the summit, passing along the ridge from High Street to High Raise. There is also a clear path along the third ridge to The Knott.

Summit

The top is grassy with a little outcropped rock, a cairn marking the top. A larger cairn is set on the brink of the north face. The view westward to the Helvellyns is good with Ullswater and Brothers Water also visible. [1] Ascents can be made via other fells from Patterdale, Hartsop and Mardale Head.

Related Research Articles

High Street (Lake District) Mountain in the English Lake District, Cumbria, England

High Street is a fell in the English Lake District. At 828 metres (2,718 ft), its summit is the highest point in the far eastern part of the national park. The fell is named after the possible Roman road which ran over the summit.

Place Fell Fell in the Lake District, Cumbria, England

Place Fell is a hill in the English Lake District. It stands at the corner of the upper and middle reaches of Ullswater, with steep western flanks overlooking the villages of Glenridding and Patterdale.

Hallin Fell

Hallin Fell is a hill in the English Lake District surrounded on three sides by Ullswater.

The Nab Fell in the Lake District, Cumbria, England

The Nab is a fell in the English Lake District. It has a moderate height of 576 metres (1,888 feet), and lies in the quieter eastern high ground between Ullswater and Haweswater Reservoir. The Nab is included in Alfred Wainwright's list of Lakeland fells and many walkers feel compelled to climb it to complete their list of 'Wainwrights' even though it is not a significant fell and is awkward to reach.

Dollywaggon Pike Mountain in the English Lake District, Cumbria, England

Dollywaggon Pike is a fell in the English Lake District. It stands on the main spine of the Helvellyn range in the Eastern Fells, between Thirlmere and the Ullswater catchment.

Branstree Fell in the Lake District, Cumbria, England

Branstree is a fell in the Far Eastern part of the English Lake District. It overlooks the valley of Mardale and Haweswater Reservoir.

Rest Dodd Fell in the Lake District, Cumbria, England

Rest Dodd is a fell in the English Lake District. It is situated in the quieter far eastern region of the national park and reaches a height of 696 metres (2,283 feet). Rest Dodd is a fell that is often by-passed by walkers as they travel the busy footpath between Ullswater and Haweswater either to climb the more significant fell of High Street or strive to complete Alfred Wainwright’s Coast to Coast Walk. Indeed Wainwright describes Rest Dodd as “A fell of little interest although the east flank falls spectacularly in fans of colourful scree”. The fell is usually climbed in conjunction with other nearby "Wainwright" fells such as The Nab, Brock Crags and Angletarn Pikes.

Angletarn Pikes Fell in the Lake District, Cumbria, England

Angletarn Pikes is a fell in the English Lake District near the village of Patterdale. Its most notable feature is Angle Tarn from which it derives its name.

Arthurs Pike Fell in the Lake District, Cumbria, England

Arthur's Pike is a fell in the English Lake District, near Ullswater. It is a subsidiary top on the ridge falling north from Loadpot Hill in the Far Eastern Fells. An extensive craggy face stands above the lower reach of Ullswater.

Loadpot Hill Fell in the Lake District, Cumbria, England

Loadpot Hill is a fell in the English Lake District, between Haweswater and Ullswater.

Wether Hill (Lake District) Fell in the Lake District, Cumbria, England

Wether Hill is a fell in the English Lake District, between Martindale and Haweswater. It lies on the main north-south ridge of the Far Eastern Fells between Loadpot Hill and High Raise. Lesser ridges also radiate out to the east and north-west.

High Raise (High Street) Mountain in the English Lake District, Cumbria, England

High Raise is a fell in the English Lake District, standing to the west of Haweswater Reservoir in the Far Eastern Fells. Note that another High Raise is the highpoint of the Central Fells.

The Knott Fell in the Lake District, Cumbria, England

The Knott is a fell in the English Lake District, standing above Hayeswater in the Far Eastern Fells. It is an outlier of Rampsgill Head, being the high point of the ridge from there to Rest Dodd.

Brock Crags Fell in the Lake District, Cumbria, England

Brock Crags is a fell in the English Lake District, standing above Hartsop in the Far Eastern Fells. It forms part of the perimeter of Martindale, lying on the long ridge from Rampsgill Head to Place Fell.

Beda Fell Fell in the Lake District, Cumbria, England

Beda Fell is a fell in the English Lake District, situated to the south of Ullswater. It divides the valleys of Boredale and Bannerdale within the Martindale system.

Kidsty Pike

Kidsty Pike is a fell in the English Lake District, standing to the west of Haweswater Reservoir. It is a subsidiary top of Rampsgill Head, but has long achieved the status of a separate fell, thanks to its classic peaked profile. Wainwright followed this convention in his Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells.

Selside Pike is a fell in the English Lake District. It stands between the valleys of Mardale and Swindale in the Far Eastern Fells.

Hartsop above How

Hartsop above How is a fell in the English Lake District, an outlier of the Helvellyn range in the Eastern Fells. It stands above Brothers Water and the Ullswater–Ambleside road.

Far Eastern Fells

The Far Eastern Fells are a group of hills in the English Lake District. Reaching their highest point at High Street, they occupy a broad area to the east of Ullswater and Kirkstone Pass. Much quieter than the central areas of Lakeland they offer in general easier walking as the fells merge mainly into the surrounding moorlands.

Martindale, Cumbria Human settlement in England

Martindale is a valley, village and civil parish in Cumbria, England, situated within the Lake District National Park between the lakes of Ullswater and Haweswater. The valley is served by a narrow minor road which runs as far as the farm of Dale Head. This road commences at Howtown, a hamlet on the shore of Ullswater that forms part of the civil parish but is not in the valley of Martindale, and passes over a mountain pass or hause into the valley.

References

  1. Alfred Wainwright: A Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells , Book 2: ISBN   0-7112-2455-2