North Pennines
Randygill Top
624M
2047FT
About Randygill Top
Rising above the remote upper reaches of Ravenstonedale, this rounded Howgill summit offers a quiet, grassy alternative to its busier neighbours. It marks the high point of a broad ridge, providing a steady climb from Sedbergh or Bowderdale that rewards walkers with the characteristic velvet slopes and deep-cut valleys unique to this range.
Key Statistics
Rank
74th Highest in Region
Parent Range
Yorkshire Dales
Prominence
?
133m
Nearest Town
Westmorland and Furness
Geology
You are walking over layers of sandstone, siltstone, and mudstone. This foundation includes lime-rich silts and muddy rocks that form the sturdy ground beneath your boots.
Find It
OS Grid Reference
NY687000
Latitude
54.3945°N
Longitude
2.4836°W
Did You Know?
- •The name is a combination of the Old Norse 'gil', meaning a narrow ravine, and the local dialect 'randy', which historically described something boisterous or unruly—likely a reference to the temperament of the beck in the valley below.
- •At 624 metres, it is one of the few hills in the Howgills to reach 'Hewitt' status, a classification for peaks in England and Wales over two thousand feet with a prominence of at least thirty metres.
- •The summit offers a clear perspective of the 'U' shaped glaciated valley of Bowderdale, one of the longest and most perfectly formed valleys in the North of England.
- •The view to the east is dominated by the dramatic limestone escarpments of Wild Boar Fell, while the high, flat-topped Pennine bulk of Cross Fell is often visible to the northeast.
- •The ascent is notoriously spongy; the Howgills are famous for their lack of rock and scree, meaning you are more likely to be defeated by damp turf than difficult scrambling.