Arnison Crag: Height, Walks and Ullswater Views

Arnison Crag stands above Patterdale at the southern end of Ullswater, a small, rocky fell with a much larger landscape around it. At 433m, it is easily overshadowed by the higher Eastern Fells, but its summit gives walkers a rewarding view of the lake and the surrounding valley. Its close relationship with Birks makes it worthwhile both as a separate outing and within a longer fell day.

A rocky summit above Patterdale

Arnison Crag occupies the lower ground north-east of Birks, immediately above Patterdale. Its distinctive feature is the rocky summit, which gives this modest fell a clear identity beneath the broader slopes behind it. The summit stands at 433m, or 1,421ft, with a grid reference of NY393149. Among the 214 Wainwrights, it ranks 194th by height.

The setting matters more than the altitude. From the summit, Ullswater stretches away beyond its southern shore, while Place Fell rises across the valley. The contrast between water, valley-floor fields and steep fell sides is central to the view. This is a place to appreciate how closely the inhabited dale and the higher fells fit together, rather than simply to look out from the highest available ground.

Arnison Crag in the Eastern Fells

Alfred Wainwright included Arnison Crag in The Eastern Fells, the first volume of his Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells. Its inclusion gives a small outlying summit its own place alongside much higher names such as Helvellyn and Fairfield. The book covers a region of substantial ridges and deep valleys, but Arnison Crag shows that its interest is not confined to the main summits.

Birks is the immediate higher neighbour, with St Sunday Crag continuing the upland setting beyond. That relationship helps explain Arnison Crag’s character: it is part of a larger fell system, yet its rocky top and outlook towards Ullswater make it more than an indistinct shoulder. Seen in this context, it offers a lower-level perspective on the Eastern Fells without losing the sense of being among them.

Walks and the appeal of a smaller Wainwright

Patterdale is the usual base for walks on Arnison Crag. Walkers may visit it as their main objective or include it in a longer outing taking in Birks and the higher ground beyond. Those are quite different days, so a dedicated route guide and a suitable map are useful when choosing between them.

Its relatively low height should not be confused with a level or surfaced walk: this is fell terrain, with rock underfoot around the summit. The attraction is straightforward rather than dependent on a famous scramble or a record-breaking height. Arnison Crag brings a recognisable rocky top, a close view of Patterdale and an outlook over Ullswater into one compact fell.

Where Arnison Crag stands

Summit at grid reference NY393149 · open full map

The real Arnison Crag

Walking Arnison Crag

We make artwork, not route guides — these are the guides we'd point a friend to:

• Guide links to be curated.

Weather on Arnison Crag

Conditions estimated at summit height (433 m) via Open-Meteo. For a walker's forecast, use the Mountain Weather Information Service.

Arnison Crag on your wall

A painting of Arnison Crag can recall the quieter details of a day above Patterdale: summit rock, the fields below and Ullswater stretching north. As a print or canvas at home, that familiar arrangement of fell and water gives a well-loved walk a lasting place.

Own “Arnison Crag Over Sunlit Fields” — our painting of Arnison Crag → or browse all Fells & Mountains artwork

Neighbouring Wainwrights in The Eastern Fells

• Birks 624 m
• Hartsop Above How 586 m
• Glenridding Dodd 442 m
• High Hartsop Dodd 519 m

Part of our guide to all 214 Wainwrights — see the full index.