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Red Beck Top (Glaramara South Top) (Lincomb Head - Glaramara)

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720 mBirkett — Southern (not a Wainwright summit)+10 bonus Birketts within 3 km

At 720 m (2,361 ft), Red Beck Top (Glaramara South Top) (Lincomb Head - Glaramara) is a Birkett (one of the 541 tops in Bill Birkett's Complete Lakeland Fells) in the Southern Fells.

Summit conditions on Red Beck Top (Glaramara South Top) (Lincomb Head - Glaramara)

On the summit on Tuesday 27 October: 10° to 4°C, gusts to 63 mph, 9.7 mm of rain forecast over the whole day, midnight to midnight.

Full 7-day summit forecast ↓

The forecast figures are Open-Meteo’s, worked out for the summit’s height. How we check →

Weather data by Open-Meteo.com (opens in new tab)

Routes up Red Beck Top (Glaramara South Top) (Lincomb Head - Glaramara)

Both start from Seathwaite Farm, Borrowdale (free verge); the last two rows give its parking and bus. Full maps further down.

ComparedAllen Crags & GlaramaraGlaramara, Allen Crags via Stockley Bridge
Starts fromSeathwaite FarmSeathwaite Farm
Distance and climb10.94 km, 853 m of climb9.74 km, 826 m of climb
Time, fast to steady~3½–5 h~3¼–4½ h
ScramblingHands for a few steps: between Red Beck Top and Glaramara's top, and the 3 m step at the start of the descent (km 6.9–7.9). Make the final short traverse north from Looking Steads, dipping into a shallow, stony hollow, then scramble up to the twin rocky crowns of Glaramara.Hands for a few steps: between Glaramara's top and Red Beck Top (km 2.9–4.0).
ExposureModerateNot assessed
NavigationModerateHard
Steepest stretchDescent of about 49% at 9.5 km (Severe)Climb of about 50% at 1.4 km (Severe)
After the summitOver Looking Steads (Glaramara) and GlaramaraOver High House Tarn Top (High House - Allen Crags) and Allen Crags
Walked or plannedPlanned: drawn, not yet walkedPlanned: drawn, not yet walked
Car park at the startSeathwaite Farm, Borrowdale (free verge)Seathwaite Farm, Borrowdale (free verge)
Bus to the start78, 2.2 km walk from Seatoller, at National Trust car park. The 77 runs until 1 November 2026, the last day of its season.78, 2.1 km walk from Seatoller, at National Trust car park. The 77 runs until 1 November 2026, the last day of its season.

Times run from fast to steady pace (Naismith’s rule). Scrambling quotes each route’s own notes; “not mentioned” means they do not say, not that the ground has none. Each route’s page has its map, stages and GPX.

Distance, climb and the steepest stretch are measured from each route’s GPX track; the other grades are set on the ground, judged from the map or estimated from OpenStreetMap, and each route page says which. How we check →

How hard is Red Beck Top (Glaramara South Top) (Lincomb Head - Glaramara)?

The shortest way up we hold is Glaramara, Allen Crags via Stockley Bridge — 9.74 km, 826 m of ascent, ~3¼–4½ h. On our scale its hardest axis is steepness — Severe.

All axes: steepness: Severe · navigation: Hard · length: Moderate · terrain: Not assessed · exposure: Not assessed.

These are the route page’s grades, set by the rules on how we grade: length and steepness measured from its GPX track, the others set on the ground, judged from the map or estimated from OpenStreetMap. The route page says which. How we check →

Conditions and 7-day summit forecast

Modelled for the 720 m summit (Open-Meteo). Check the Met Office mountain forecast and MWIS before you set off.

Full 7-day forecast
Tue 27 Oct
10° / 4°
63 mph
9.7 mm (100%)
Wed 28 Oct
8° / 5°
47 mph
13.5 mm (100%)
Thu 29 Oct
8° / 6°
28 mph
0.9 mm (26%)
Fri 30 Oct
8° / 6°
27 mph
0.1 mm (31%)
Sat 31 Oct
9° / 0°
9 mph
0.0 mm (25%)
Sun 1 Nov
8° / 0°
7 mph
0.0 mm (12%)
Mon 2 Nov
6° / 0°
17 mph
0.0 mm (0%)

Taken 27 October 2026, 08:13 UTC; the live forecast replaces it when it loads. Weather data by Open-Meteo.com (opens in new tab)

Parking & buses for Red Beck Top (Glaramara South Top) (Lincomb Head - Glaramara)

Parking

Route starts first, then the car parks nearest the summit, which are not always a way up.

Seathwaite Farm, Borrowdale (free verge) — at the start of Allen Crags & Glaramara and Glaramara, Allen Crags via Stockley Bridge
Free verge parking on the Seathwaite lane — the honeypot start for the Scafells, Great Gable and Glaramara. It fills early; the farm’s own field just down the lane takes the pressure off, and the lane needs to stay clear for residents, farm traffic and emergency vehicles.
Typically full before 09:00 on fine weekends, Apr-Oct — Lee McCoy, local observation, 9 August 2026.
Directions (opens in new tab)Something changed here?
If it is full: Honister Pass (paid, slate mine) (1.8 km); Seatoller (NT, paid) (2.0 km); Rosthwaite (NT, paid) (3.8 km)
Public toilets (opens in new tab) (~188 m straight line) — Free
Seathwaite Farm, Borrowdale (farm field, paid) — 2.7 km from summit (straight line)
The farm’s own field, signed off the lane — £5 all day, £10 overnight, no booking needed (the farm’s own page, read 21 September 2026; its notice is still headed 2025). A different place from the free verge on the same lane, and the reason not to race for a verge space. The farm opened it to ease the parking problems in the busy period.
Directions (opens in new tab)Something changed here?
Thornythwaite Fell (layby) — 2.8 km from summit (straight line)
Walking base for Allen Crags, High House Tarn Top (High House - Allen Crags), Red Beck Top (Glaramara South Top) (Lincomb Head - Glaramara) and Looking Steads (Glaramara) — the 'Allan Crags & Glaramara' route starts 135 m away. Also serves 'Scafell Pike via the Corridor Route'. Free (OSM-tagged). Unpaved surface (OSM-tagged).
Directions (opens in new tab)Something changed here?
2 more places to park near Red Beck Top (Glaramara South Top) (Lincomb Head - Glaramara)
Thornythwaite Fell, north-west (layby) — 2.9 km from summit (straight line)
Walking base for Allen Crags, High House Tarn Top (High House - Allen Crags), Red Beck Top (Glaramara South Top) (Lincomb Head - Glaramara) and Looking Steads (Glaramara) — the 'Allan Crags & Glaramara' route starts 255 m away. Free (OSM-tagged). Unpaved surface (OSM-tagged).
Directions (opens in new tab)Something changed here?
Seatoller, south-east field car park (paid) — 3.8 km from summit (straight line)
A paid field by the River Derwent, 0.5 km south-east of Seatoller; operator not identified. The 'Seathwaite, Green Gable, Base Brown' route starts 78 m away. Paid parking (OSM-tagged).
Directions (opens in new tab)Something changed here?

Positions are approximate.

Vehicles are left at their owner’s risk: we list places people park and cannot vouch for any of them. Take valuables with you and leave nothing on show.

Buses

The 77 and 78 stop at Seatoller, at National Trust car park. From there it is 2.2 km and 75 m of ascent to the start of Allen Crags & Glaramara — a route we rate Severe overall (hardest: steepness) — a walk in before the walk. And the same back: about 15.2 km in all, with the walk. The 77 runs until 1 November 2026, the last day of its season. As timetabled from 27 October to 1 November. Towards Keswick (78): Tuesday to Sunday 20:00. Checked against the operator’s timetable, 12 September 2026. Times here are a guide, not a promise — leave yourself more than the minute.

Stagecoach 78 “Borrowdale Rambler”
Keswick – Lodore – Grange – Rosthwaite – Seatoller
Catch it from: Keswick (connect via 555 or X4/X5)
Year-round, frequent in season. Serves all the Borrowdale starts — Glaramara, the Scafells and Great Gable via Seathwaite (alight Seatoller, about 2 km up the lane).

Rural routes change seasonally — confirm on stagecoachbus.com (opens in new tab) or Traveline before relying on a last bus.

Getting there across the Lake District: Buses · Parking map · By train · By boat

Hazards on Red Beck Top (Glaramara South Top) (Lincomb Head - Glaramara)

Notes from a planned route, not walked: Allen Crags & Glaramara

  • The flanks of Glaramara are craggy and carry loose rock, and rock set off by a walker above has injured a walker below. On steep, loose ground, don't climb or stand directly below another walker; keep the party within sight of each other. Stay on the path to avoid dislodging stones onto those beneath you.
  • Esk Hause (and the ‘false’ Esk Hause close by, which walkers often take for it) is a notorious place to go wrong: several paths meet and in cloud it is easy to set off toward the wrong valley — Langstrath, Grains Gill, Langdale or back to Sty Head. Know exactly which path you want and take a compass bearing before committing.

If you need to get off (the leg from High House Tarn Top): Do not try to bail off the lateral flanks of this section. You must either push on to Glaramara's main summit and its northern descent, or turn round and retreat southwards to Esk Hause.

Quoted from the route page of a planned route, drawn from the map and not yet walked: its warnings and the note for the leg that reaches Red Beck Top (Glaramara South Top) (Lincomb Head - Glaramara).

We have not written a hazard card for this fell yet, and that is not a sign that it is low-hazard. Read the warnings on the route pages that climb it, check the forecast, carry a map and compass, and turn back in cloud if the ground is not what you expected. The National Park Authority’s What to pack page, AdventureSmart’s hill walking kit list and Mountain Rescue England and Wales’s safety page are linked from our what to carry guide.

If you need Mountain Rescue

Dial 999 or 112 and ask for the Police, then Mountain Rescue.

Before you call, have ready: where you are (a grid reference if you can – the OS Locate app shows yours on your phone), what has happened, how many of you there are, and your mobile number.

Then stay where you are until the rescue team contacts you.

If you cannot make a voice call because of a hearing or speech impairment, emergency SMS works only if you have registered first: text “register” to 999.

From Mountain Rescue England and Wales’s guidance on calling them out (opens in new tab) (read 26 October 2026).

Map, GPX and nearby Birketts

Free mapping: OpenTopoMap / OpenStreetMap, with SRTM elevation data (switch layers top-right).

Parking, toilets and buses: Parking & buses ↑.

Birketts within 3 km of Red Beck Top (Glaramara South Top) (Lincomb Head - Glaramara)

These Birkett tops are not Wainwright summits. Distances are straight lines: check the ground and access on a map before adding one.

0.6 km NELooking Steads (Glaramara)775 m · Southern
1.4 km NNECombe Head735 m · Southern
1.5 km WSeathwaite Fell (Great Slack)631 m · Southern
2.1 km SEBlack Crags (Mickleden)588 m · Southern
2.1 km NThornythwaite Fell574 m · Southern
2.2 km SSEBuck Pike (Mickleden)606 m · Southern
2.5 km NNERosthwaite Fell (Rosthwaite Cam)612 m · Southern
2.9 km SSWPike de Bield810 m · Southern

Routes over Red Beck Top (Glaramara South Top) (Lincomb Head - Glaramara)

Summits: Allen CragsHigh House Tarn Top (High House - Allen Crags)Red Beck Top (Glaramara South Top) (Lincomb Head - Glaramara)Looking Steads (Glaramara)Glaramara

Download GPX Planned route · not yet walked

Picked for its light in: March A winter pick assumes the tops are clear of snow and ice on the day, or that you carry winter kit and know how to use it.

Warnings: The flanks of Glaramara are craggy and carry loose rock, and rock set off by a walker above has injured a walker below. On steep, loose ground, don't climb or stand directly below another walker; keep the party within sight of each other. Stay on the path to avoid dislodging stones onto those beneath you. Esk Hause (and the ‘false’ Esk Hause close by, which walkers often take for it) is a notorious place to go wrong: several paths meet and in cloud it is easy to set off toward the wrong valley — Langstrath, Grains Gill, Langdale or back to Sty Head. Know exactly which path you want and take a compass bearing before committing.

Route guide: Allen Crags & Glaramara →

Every line here is a guide, not a guarantee — conditions change. Navigate for yourself and carry a map and compass. How to use this guide.

On the hill: terrain and water on Red Beck Top (Glaramara South Top) (Lincomb Head - Glaramara)

Water & shelter on the way up

On the Allen Crags & Glaramara route:

Seathwaite Farm Campsite (opens in new tab) (185 m from the start, straight line)

On-route facilities © OpenStreetMap contributors, per route — an absent marker doesn’t mean none.

About Red Beck Top (Glaramara South Top) (Lincomb Head - Glaramara)

The name combines red (Old English read, red), and beck (Old Norse bekkr, a stream). It also features on the Synge, Nuttall lists. Its nearest tops are High House Tarn Top (High House - Allen Crags) (0.5 km SW); Looking Steads (Glaramara) (0.6 km NE); Glaramara (0.8 km NE) — it's usually taken in on a round of these neighbours. It's a worthwhile objective for anyone working through the Birkett list.

Classifications & hill data

Is Red Beck Top (Glaramara South Top) (Lincomb Head - Glaramara) a Wainwright?

Red Beck Top (Glaramara South Top) (Lincomb Head - Glaramara) is not a Wainwright. It is on the Birkett list, the Synge list, the Nuttall list and the Hewitt list.

Selected lists

720 m
Height
2,361 ft
In feet
NY 2426 0971
Grid ref

This is the summit’s grid reference. If you call from anywhere else, give your own position, not this one.

Lists, height and summit position from the Database of British and Irish Hills; the feet are converted from its metres and the grid reference from that position. How we check →

Places to stay near this fell

Also nearby, but not independent

We have not stayed at any of them. We take no bookings or affiliate fees. Distances are straight lines from each route start, never walking times. Properties found via OpenStreetMap (opens in new tab).

Other fells near Red Beck Top (Glaramara South Top) (Lincomb Head - Glaramara)