Kidsty Pike, at 780 m (2,560 ft), is the highest point reached on the entire Coast to Coast walk — the climax of the Lakeland high-fell crossing on Stage 5. Though modest by Lakeland standards and technically a subsidiary top of neighbouring Rampsgill Head (792 m, about 100 yards west), it earns its fame from a beautifully peaked profile, sculpted by glacial erosion biting into both sides of its narrowing summit ridge above the deep valley of Riggindale. Walkers reach it by leaving the broad, grassy whaleback of High Street — a ridge so flat the Romans ran a road along it — and following the rim eastward as it sharpens to the cairn. From the top the ground falls suddenly: the route plunges down the steep, rocky staircase of Kidsty Howes to the shore of Haweswater reservoir, the last great descent out of the mountains before the long miles to Shap. Riggindale, immediately below, was for decades the territory of England's last resident golden eagle.
Highlights
- The highest point on the whole Coast to Coast walk — 780 m (2,560 ft)
- A sharply peaked summit on a narrow, glacially-cut ridge above Riggindale — emphatically mountainous despite its modest height
- The Roman road along High Street, the broad ridge approached just before the top
- Riggindale below: the long-time eyrie of England's last golden eagle
- The dramatic, steep descent of Kidsty Howes to the shore of Haweswater — the final big drop out of the Lakeland fells
- Vast views over Haweswater to Harter Fell, Mardale and the eastern fells
At a glance
| Period | Natural landmark (the route's high point) |
|---|---|
| Stage | 5 — Patterdale to Shap |
Take care
- This is high, serious mountain ground — Stage 5 (Patterdale to Shap) is the longest and one of the most committing days on the walk; turn back or use a lower alternative in bad weather
- The descent of Kidsty Howes is steep, rocky and slippery when wet — take it slowly and carefully, especially with a heavy pack
- The summit ridge is exposed and the broad top of High Street is featureless in mist — confident map-and-compass navigation is essential when cloud is down
- No water, shelter or escape on the tops; mobile signal is patchy to absent
- Severe weather, including snow and ice, can persist into late spring at this altitude
History
Kidsty Pike takes its name from old dialect — likely 'kid' (young goat) and a steep path or 'sty' — and has long been recognised as a distinct fell despite being a shoulder of Rampsgill Head, thanks to its classic peaked shape; Alfred Wainwright gave it its own chapter in his Far Eastern Fells. The ridge it stands on, High Street, carries one of the highest Roman roads in Britain, used for centuries afterwards as a drove road and as the line of fell-top horse races and shepherds' meets. The valley below, Riggindale, became famous in the late 20th century as the home of England's last golden eagles; a lone male held the territory until around 2015–16, watched over from an RSPB viewpoint, and his disappearance marked the end of breeding golden eagles in England.
Myth & legend
Riggindale, curving below Kidsty Pike, hides Hugh's Cave, where legend holds Hugh Holme lay hidden after the 1209 plot against King John. Emerging once John's reign was over, he settled in Mardale below, and his heirs bore the affectionate title 'King of Mardale' for six centuries after.
Geology
Kidsty Pike is carved from the Borrowdale Volcanic Group — tough andesitic lavas and volcaniclastic rocks erupted around 450 million years ago — which gives the eastern fells their craggy, rugged character. Its sharp summit is a textbook product of glaciation: ice gouging out Riggindale on one side and Randale on the other left a narrowing arête of rock that rises to the peaked cairn. The broad ridge of High Street nearby is a remnant of an older, gentler upland surface, contrasting with the steep, ice-sculpted valleys that bite into it. Below, Haweswater fills a glacially over-deepened trough, now dammed as a reservoir.
Wildlife & nature
This is high, open fell country of close-cropped grass, heather, bilberry, mat-grass and rock. Ravens tumble over the crags, buzzards and kestrels hunt the slopes, and ring ouzels and wheatears breed among the boulders in summer; meadow pipits and skylarks rise from the grass. Riggindale's RSPB ground still supports peregrine, raven and red deer, even though the golden eagle has gone. Herdwick sheep graze the fells, and the rocky ground around the summit carries hardy alpines, mosses and lichens. Red deer are often seen on the slopes above Haweswater.
The view
From the summit the panorama is superb: west and north over the heart of the Lake District's fells, and east down the long sweep of Haweswater toward Harter Fell, Mardale Ill Bell and the head of the dale, with the Pennines beyond. The narrow ridge and peaked top make the foreground feel genuinely alpine. The descent of Kidsty Howes opens out a constantly changing view down to the steel-blue reservoir, with Mardale Common, Branstree and Harter Fell laid out across the water.
Photography
Shoot back along the narrow ridge to the peaked cairn with the fells behind, or frame the summit against the deep trough of Riggindale. The descent toward Haweswater gives classic shots of the reservoir filling the valley below. Early morning or evening light models the ridge and crags best; in clear, cold conditions the eastern fells and distant Pennines stand out sharply. Watch for red deer on the slopes above the water.
When to visit
Late spring to early autumn (roughly May–September) gives the safest and most rewarding conditions for this high crossing and the long Stage 5. Snow and ice can linger on the tops into April and return early in autumn — winter ascents demand full mountain skills and kit. Cloud frequently caps the ridge; pick a clear, settled day if you can, and be ready to use lower-level alternatives if the weather turns. Heather and bilberry colour the slopes in late summer.
Getting there
Kidsty Pike is deep in the fells with no direct access. The stage runs from Patterdale (served seasonally by the Ullswater bus and steamer, with Penrith the nearest rail hub) to Shap (on bus routes, with Penrith again the nearest station). Note that the A592 Kirkstone Pass has been closed, affecting some bus links into Patterdale — check current services. There is no public transport anywhere near the summit; the only way up is on foot.
Where to stay
There is no accommodation on the high fells. Patterdale and Glenridding at the start of Stage 5 have hotels, inns, B&Bs, a YHA and campsites; Shap at the end has inns, B&Bs and a campsite. Burnbanks, a small hamlet at the foot of Haweswater reached after the Kidsty Howes descent, and Bampton offer limited options for splitting this very long day. Book ahead in peak season and use baggage transfer — this stage is too long for many to carry full packs comfortably.
Food & water
Carry plenty before leaving Patterdale — there is no reliable safe water on the high crossing over Kidsty Pike. Becks running off the fells lower down (e.g. on the descent and along Haweswater) can be used if treated or filtered. This is the longest day on the walk, so plan water carefully, especially in warm weather.
Safety
This is the most serious mountain ground on the Coast to Coast. The summit ridge is exposed, the broad top of High Street is featureless and dangerous in mist, and the descent of Kidsty Howes is steep, rocky and slippery — a common place for slips, especially with a heavy pack in the wet. Carry full waterproof and warm layers, map and compass (and the skills to use them), food and water, and start early on this long day. Mobile signal is patchy to absent. In an emergency dial 999 or 112 and ask for the Police, then Mountain Rescue (Patterdale or Penrith teams); for non-urgent medical advice call NHS 111.
Accessibility
Reaching Kidsty Pike involves a long, strenuous mountain ascent over rough, exposed fell paths with a steep, rocky descent, and is not wheelchair- or buggy-accessible. It demands hill fitness, sure-footedness and confident navigation. Dogs cope well but should be under close control around sheep, ground-nesting birds and the steep ground of Kidsty Howes; keep them leashed near livestock and during the bird breeding season.
Visitor tips
Savour the moment at the cairn — this is the literal high point of the whole walk, coast to coast. Take the Kidsty Howes descent slowly and carefully; it is far steeper than it looks from above and the rock is greasy when wet. Set your navigation on the broad High Street ridge before any cloud arrives. Stage 5 is the longest day on the route, so start early, carry enough water, and consider an overnight at Burnbanks or Bampton to break it. Look down into Riggindale and spare a thought for England's last golden eagle, which held that valley for years.
Listen: the audio guide
The full narration of this stop's audio guide, in text.
You are standing on the highest ground of the entire journey. The wind pulls at your jacket, the little cairn crouches beside you, and the land drops away on every side — fell beyond fell, ridge beyond ridge, valley behind valley, the whole eastern Lake District spread out below you like a great rumpled map. This is Kidsty Pike, seven hundred and eighty metres, some two and a half thousand feet above the distant sea, and from here, in every direction, the only way is down. The summit is reached along a broad, grassy whaleback of high moorland — the flank of the mountain called High Street, an ancient upland once crossed by a Roman road. From the wide rounded heights near Rampsgill Head, the ridge begins to narrow and sharpen, drawing to the neat little peak on which you stand. That distinctive pointed summit is what makes Kidsty Pike so easy to pick out from far away — a small, clean triangle riding above the deep trough of Riggindale below. And it marks a threshold: from this cairn the Coast to Coast leaves the high Lakeland fells behind for the last time, dropping steeply down the rocky staircase of Kidsty Howes toward the water waiting far below. Take a slow turn on the summit and look. First, the cairn at your feet and the sharp fall of ground just beyond it — this is a real peak, not a broad plateau, and its edges are abrupt. Second, gaze west and north over the crowded central fells you have crossed, ridge folding into ridge, and pick out High Street's long green back running away behind you. Third, look down into Riggindale, the deep valley immediately below, a wild and lonely place enclosed by steep flanks. Fourth, follow the line of your descent — the steep ground of Kidsty Howes tumbling down toward the long steel-blue gleam of Haweswater, the reservoir that marks the true end of the mountains. And fifth, if the air is clear, let your eye travel eastward, beyond the last fells, toward the gentler, rolling country that the walk is about to enter — a whole new landscape opening ahead. There is a wild story that belongs to the ground beneath you. In the valley of Riggindale, just below this summit, England's last resident golden eagle made its home. For years a magnificent bird soared over these crags, the only wild golden eagle in the whole of England, and walkers would pause on ridges like this one, binoculars raised, hoping to catch sight of it wheeling far below on broad, fingered wings. Volunteers even kept watch through the seasons, protecting the lonely nest. The eagle is gone now, but the memory clings to Riggindale, and something of its wildness remains in the empty air above the valley. Stand quietly, watch the sky over those crags, and imagine the shadow of great wings crossing the fellside. A word of respect before you move on. These are serious high fells, open and exposed, where cloud can close in without warning and the descent ahead is steep and rough. Go carefully, take your time on the loose ground, and treat the mountain's weather with the seriousness it deserves — map, compass and good judgement belong in every pack up here. From Kidsty Pike the Coast to Coast plunges down Kidsty Howes to the shore of Haweswater, the long reservoir that fills a drowned valley — and, with that descent, you say farewell to the Lake District's mountains and step into the next chapter of the walk. Take one last look at the ridges you have crossed, feel the whole country falling away beneath you, and begin your descent. Walk safe.
Common questions
How old is Kidsty Pike?
Kidsty Pike dates from the Natural landmark (the route's high point) period.
How do I get to Kidsty Pike?
Kidsty Pike is deep in the fells with no direct access. The stage runs from Patterdale (served seasonally by the Ullswater bus and steamer, with Penrith the nearest rail hub) to Shap (on bus routes, with Penrith again the nearest station). Note that the A592 Kirkstone Pass has been closed, affecting some bus links into Patterdale — check current services. There is no public transport anywhere near the summit; the only way up is on foot.
Is Kidsty Pike accessible?
Reaching Kidsty Pike involves a long, strenuous mountain ascent over rough, exposed fell paths with a steep, rocky descent, and is not wheelchair- or buggy-accessible. It demands hill fitness, sure-footedness and confident navigation. Dogs cope well but should be under close control around sheep, ground-nesting birds and the steep ground of Kidsty Howes; keep them leashed near livestock and during the bird breeding season.
When is the best time to visit Kidsty Pike?
Late spring to early autumn (roughly May–September) gives the safest and most rewarding conditions for this high crossing and the long Stage 5. Snow and ice can linger on the tops into April and return early in autumn — winter ascents demand full mountain skills and kit. Cloud frequently caps the ridge; pick a clear, settled day if you can, and be ready to use lower-level alternatives if the weather turns. Heather and bilberry colour the slopes in late summer.
Is there food and water at Kidsty Pike?
Carry plenty before leaving Patterdale — there is no reliable safe water on the high crossing over Kidsty Pike. Becks running off the fells lower down (e.g. on the descent and along Haweswater) can be used if treated or filtered. This is the longest day on the walk, so plan water carefully, especially in warm weather.
Where can I stay near Kidsty Pike?
There is no accommodation on the high fells. Patterdale and Glenridding at the start of Stage 5 have hotels, inns, B&Bs, a YHA and campsites; Shap at the end has inns, B&Bs and a campsite. Burnbanks, a small hamlet at the foot of Haweswater reached after the Kidsty Howes descent, and Bampton offer limited options for splitting this very long day. Book ahead in peak season and use baggage transfer — this stage is too long for many to carry full packs comfortably.
What should I know before visiting Kidsty Pike?
Savour the moment at the cairn — this is the literal high point of the whole walk, coast to coast. Take the Kidsty Howes descent slowly and carefully; it is far steeper than it looks from above and the rock is greasy when wet. Set your navigation on the broad High Street ridge before any cloud arrives. Stage 5 is the longest day on the route, so start early, carry enough water, and consider an overnight at Burnbanks or Bampton to break it. Look down into Riggindale and spare a thought for England's last golden eagle, which held that valley for years.
Is Kidsty Pike safe to visit?
This is the most serious mountain ground on the Coast to Coast. The summit ridge is exposed, the broad top of High Street is featureless and dangerous in mist, and the descent of Kidsty Howes is steep, rocky and slippery — a common place for slips, especially with a heavy pack in the wet. Carry full waterproof and warm layers, map and compass (and the skills to use them), food and water, and start early on this long day. Mobile signal is patchy to absent. In an emergency dial 999 or 112 and ask for the Police, then Mountain Rescue (Patterdale or Penrith teams); for non-urgent medical advice call NHS 111.
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