Kentmere Pike

Kentmere Pike is a fell in the English Lake District. It stands between the Kentmere and Longsleddale valleys, forming the high point on the ridge that links Harter Fell and Shipman Knotts. The western slopes drop to Ullstone Gill, a tributary of the River Kent, while the Longsleddale side features crags such as Goat Scar and Raven Crag. Quarrying once scarred both flanks, with remains of Wrengill Quarry and an old mine entrance still visible. The ridge north to Harter Fell dips into a wet hollow before rising again through grassland. South-eastwards, the ridge leads to Goat Scar’s cairned top, a fine vantage point over Longsleddale’s rugged throat. The summit is a grassy dome with a stone wall running along the ridge. An Ordnance Survey column and a small cairn mark the highest point, both of equal height. From here, glimpses of Lakeland appear between intervening fells like Ill Bell and the Coniston group. A wider view stretches south to Windermere and Morecambe Bay. The fell is often climbed as part of the Kentmere Horseshoe, a circuit that takes in the ridges and higher fells at the valley’s head. Direct routes also ascend from either flank, following old paths and walled tracks. Visitors find a landscape of rough grass and rocky outcrops, with traces of past industry. The summit offers intermittent views of distant fells and lowland bays. Paths lead up from High Lane in Kentmere and from Longsleddale’s bridleway near Steel Pike. The ridge walk to Harter Fell or Shipman Knotts provides varied scenery. Goat Scar’s crags frame the narrow valley below. The remains of quarries and mines add a layer of history to the open fell.