Hobcarton Crag (Hobcarton Head) Hiking Guide & Routes

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738 mBirkett — North Western (not a Wainwright summit)+13 bonus Birketts within 3 km

📖 Key Information

Hobcarton Crag at 596m (1,955ft) is the rocky spur above the Hobcarton valley between Grisedale Pike and Hopegill Head, its crags giving the Coledale Horseshoe much of its character. Wainwright noted the dramatic valley views from the crag edge. Most naturally part of the Coledale Horseshoe circuit between Grisedale Pike and Hopegill Head. The views down into the Hobcarton valley from the crag rim are impressive.

Free mapping: OpenTopoMap / OpenStreetMap (switch layers top-right). Parking positions are approximate.

🎯 Bonus Birketts within 3 km

These Birkett tops are not Wainwright summits — detour to them on this walk and they are pure profit. Distances are straight-line; allow extra for terrain.

0.7 km WSWSand Hill756 m · North Western

1.1 km NWLadyside Pike704 m · North Western

1.4 km SSWEel Crag (Birkett)807 m · North Western

1.4 km NHobcarton End634 m · North Western

1.5 km WGasgale Crags703 m · North Western

1.9 km WWhiteside East Top (Whiteside) (Gasgale Crags)719 m · North Western

2.5 km NWSwinside509 m · North Western

2.7 km SSWThirdgill Head Man734 m · North Western

2.7 km WNWDodd (Lorton)454 m · North Western

2.7 km EStile End447 m · North Western

2.8 km ENEKinn374 m · North Western

2.9 km NWhinlatter Top525 m · North Western

2.9 km SSEIll Crag (Newlands) (Knott Rigg North Top)546 m · North Western

⚠️ Hazard & Incident Information

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🦶 My hikes over Hobcarton Crag (Hobcarton Head) (Strava)

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🅿️ Potential parking

Whinlatter Visitor Centre (paid) — 2.8 km from summit (straight line)

Forest centre — Lord's Seat, Barf, Whinlatter fells, Grisedale Pike's back route.

Directions ↗

Braithwaite village (roadside/small areas) — 4.0 km from summit (straight line)

Start of the Coledale Horseshoe: Grisedale Pike, Causey Pike round.

Directions ↗

Positions are approximate — zoom the map to confirm. Lakeland car parks fill before 9am on fine weekends.

🚌 Buses from Penrith / Ambleside / Windermere

Stagecoach 77 / 77A “Honister Rambler”

Keswick – Portinscale – Hawse End (Catbells) – Grange – Seatoller – Honister Pass – Buttermere – Lorton – Whinlatter – Keswick (circular)

Catch it from: Keswick (connect via 555 from Windermere/Ambleside or X4/X5 from Penrith)

Seasonal (roughly Easter–October). Brilliant for the North Western fells: Catbells, Dale Head from Honister, the Buttermere fells and Whinlatter.

Stagecoach X4 / X5

Penrith – Rheged – Threlkeld – Keswick – Braithwaite – Cockermouth – Workington

Catch it from: Penrith

Year-round, frequent. From Penrith this is your way into Keswick and the Northern fells — Threlkeld/Scales stops serve Blencathra directly, Braithwaite serves the Coledale fells.

Rural routes change seasonally — confirm on stagecoachbus.com or Traveline before relying on a last bus.

🌦️ 7-day summit forecast

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⛰️ Hobcarton Crag (Hobcarton Head)