Robinson

About Robinson

Often overlooked in favour of its craggier neighbours, this broad-backed fell provides the high-point of the ridge between Buttermere and Newlands. The ascent via the rocky steps of Blea Crags is a delightful scramble, leading to a sprawling summit plateau that offers a surprisingly airy perspective over Crummock Water.

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Did You Know?

• •The fell is unique among the Lake District heights for being named after a specific person. It is believed to be named after Richard Robinson, a local man who bought the land in the late 17th century, replacing its ancient title of 'Mellbecks'.
• •Alfred Wainwright held the fell in high regard, describing it as 'a lordly hill' when viewed from the Newlands Valley, though he cautioned that its broad, grassy summit can be a confusing place in thick mist without a compass.
• •From the summit cairn, there is a perfectly framed view down the Newlands Valley towards the distant shapes of Skiddaw and Blencathra, while the nearby Pillar and Great Gable dominate the skyline to the south.
• •For those approaching from the Buttermere side, the ascent via Blea Crags offers several short, optional rocky steps that provide a rare bit of hands-on-rock interest on an otherwise predominantly grassy fell.
• •The eastern slopes above the Newlands Valley were once a hive of activity; the Goldscope Mine at the base of the fell was one of the most productive lead and copper mines in the district during the Elizabethan era.
• •The broad, mossy plateau of the summit is so deceptively level and vast that, in a thick mist, the only way to tell you have actually reached the top is by tripping over the modest pile of stones that serves as the cairn.