Hopegill Head

Hopegill Head is a fell in the Lake District, nine kilometres west of Keswick. It stands on a ridge that runs eight kilometres from Braithwaite to Crummock Water. The ridge includes Grisedale Pike and Whiteside, with Hopegill Head in the middle. Locally it is called Hobcarton Pike, after the valley below. The fell reaches 770 metres and has two lower summits, Ladyside Pike and Sand Hill. The fell’s most striking feature is Hobcarton Crag, a 130-metre cliff of crumbly Skiddaw Slate. These crags are the only place in England where the red alpine catchfly grows. Winter climbers use routes such as Thompson’s Chimney and Cave Route. The crags belong to the National Trust and form part of the Kirkstile Formation’s mudstone and siltstone. Walkers reach the summit along the ridge from Grisedale Pike or Whiteside. Others start from the Vale of Lorton or Whinlatter Pass road. The Coledale Round, an 18-kilometre horseshoe walk, passes over Sand Hill. The summit is a small pointed peak with wide views. On clear days the Isle of Man and the Scottish Border hills can be seen, along with the Helvellyn range to the east.