Rampsholme Island

Rampsholme Island, also known as Ramps Holme and Rampsholm, is the smallest of the four main islands of Derwentwater, the other three comprising of Derwent Island, Lord's Island and St Herbert's Island. Rampsholme and Lord's Island formed part of Castlerigg Manor and the Earls of Derwentwater's estates. Unlike Lord's Island, Rampsholme does not have any structural remains as it was not used as a place of residence. The other three islands have all had some form of habitable structures on them; the only one today is the 18th century house on Derwent Island, owned by the and rented out to private residents.

Boat users are welcome to land on the island, however, overnight camping is not allowed.

Etymology
Rampsholme is almost identical to that of Rampholme in Windermere. Although they are in two completely different locations, both are lake islands. The name would suggest that both derive from the same meaning. As there is a lot of Old Norse influence in the north west of England, either is plausible.

Rampsholme gets its name from two possible sources:


 * Old Norse:  Hrafn holmr  where Hrafn → Raven and holmr → island
 * Old English:  Hramsa holm  where Hramsa → ramson and holme → island

Additionally:
 * The Old English form of raven is Hræfn which is cognate with Old Norse Hrafns.
 * Ramsons are onions or broad-leafed or wild garlic, synonymous with ramp, hence the name Rampsholme → Garlic Island or the island where garlic grows.
 * Holme or holm means a small island or islet on a lake, river or estuary. Also, an eyot.

Past uses
There is evidence that a medieval bloomery or some form of iron working once existed on the island, although no trace of the actual furnace survives today. There is a parallel between Rampsholme Island and Peel Island at Coniston Water whereby both islands were used for iron working. W.G. Collingwood (1904), having investigated the site stated: "I could not find the exact site of the hearth without digging; but under the trees and moss in the highest part there is material enough, and a blackness in the earth which betrays the smithy." He also mentions that the scale would have been too small for the German miners who lived and worked on Derwent Island, then named Vicar's Island in the 16th century. It was more likely to have been a private enterprise by the Radcliffes or the earlier Derwentwaters before them.

There is no exact date for the bloomery but the National Trust Heritage Records Online provides a date range between 1066–1535 CE (see links below). The evidence suggests that there was a large amount of slag discovered on the north facing beach, which was most likely been dumped there after the firing process was complete. At various locations across the island are large cobbles that show signs of burning, which comes from modern intervention where people have lit camp fires. That said, some of the stones show signs of intense heat, suggesting a furnace. Any other evidence that may have existed has either suffered at the hands of storm damage or possibly removed long ago by human interference.

External sites
The following links from the National Trust Heritage Records website details the following archaeological interests:
 * Iron Working Site (Bloomery)
 * Boat Landing on Rampsholme
 * Jetty, Rampsholme Island
 * Jetty, Rampsholme Island
 * Jetty, Rampsholme Island