Jenkin Hill

About Jenkin Hill

Rising as a significant shoulder on the popular tourist path from Keswick to Skiddaw, this grassy, broad-backed summit offers a moment of respite before the final steep haul. While often overlooked, it commands a clear, airy perspective over the deep trench of Lonscale Fell and the winding Glenderaterra Beck.

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Did You Know?

• •The name is derived from the personal name 'Jenkin', a medieval diminutive of John. Like many nearby features, it likely refers to a local farmer or shepherd who historically held grazing rights on these specific southern slopes of the Skiddaw massif.
• •The hill is defined by the 'Jenkin Hill path', the primary bridleway used by the majority of walkers ascending from Keswick. It is home to a notorious series of gravelly zig-zags that represent the steepest section of the climb before reaching the Skiddaw Man.
• •The summit offers a specific, high-angle view of the Lonscale Crags to the east. From this vantage point, the scale of the Glenderaterra valley is fully revealed, backed by the distinctive 'saddle' profile of Blencathra.
• •Although Alfred Wainwright excluded it from his pictorial guides, considering it a mere shoulder of Skiddaw, it is classified as a Birkett and a Synge due to the measurable drop between it and the higher slopes of Little Man.
• •For many walkers, Jenkin Hill is less a destination and more a psychological milestone—the exact point where a pleasant stroll from the car park officially transforms into a relentless, lung-burning slog.