Brock Crags: 561.2m, Walks and Views above Hartsop

Brock Crags stands above Hartsop, a modest-height fell with a generous outlook over the southern end of Patterdale. Its grassy, broken summit country contrasts with the steeper ground falling towards the valley, while nearby Angle Tarn gives it a place in many longer fell walks. At 561.2 metres, it is easily overshadowed by higher neighbours, but the views across Brothers Water and towards the Helvellyn range make it worth knowing in its own right.

A fell above Hartsop and Brothers Water

Brock Crags occupies the upland ground north of Hartsop and west of Rest Dodd. Rather than rising to a single sharp peak, it presents a mixture of grassy tops, rocky outcrops and hollows. The name suggests its rougher features, but much of the upper ground has a softer, more rounded character. That contrast between crag and grass is part of what makes the fell recognisable.

Its position gives the summit a useful advantage over its relatively modest height. Brothers Water lies below to the south-west, with the fells around Hartsop enclosing the valley beyond. Across Patterdale, the Helvellyn range forms a substantial western skyline. Nearby ridges and the settled valley floor give these views depth: this is as much a fell for looking into the dales as towards distant summits.

Brock Crags in the Far Eastern Fells

Alfred Wainwright included Brock Crags in The Far Eastern Fells, the second volume of his Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells. Its recorded height is 561.2 metres, or 1,841 feet, placing it 144th in height among the 214 Wainwrights. The summit grid reference is NY416136.

The surrounding Wainwrights help explain its setting. Angletarn Pikes lies to the north, beyond Angle Tarn, while Rest Dodd rises to the east. Hartsop Dodd and Gray Crag stand to the south and south-east, across the valleys around Hartsop. These are neighbouring fells rather than points on one continuous ridge walk; their slopes and the intervening valleys are an important part of understanding the local terrain.

Walks and the connection with Angle Tarn

Nearby Angle Tarn is one of the most distinctive features of this part of the Far Eastern Fells. Its irregular shoreline, islands and surrounding rocky ground provide a different setting from the open valley views on Brock Crags. The tarn and Angletarn Pikes are natural companions when considering a longer walk in the area, while Hartsop and Patterdale are established starting places for walks on the surrounding fells.

Brock Crags is not defined by a celebrated scramble or a towering summit face. Its appeal is quieter and more varied: broken upland ground, close views of neighbouring ridges and a strong sense of the relationship between the fells and the valleys below. For route details, consult a dedicated walking guide and current mapping.

Where Brock Crags stands

Summit at grid reference NY416136 · open full map

The real Brock Crags

Walking Brock Crags

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

• Guide links to be curated.

Weather on Brock Crags

Conditions estimated at summit height (561 m) via Open-Meteo. For a walker's forecast, use the Mountain Weather Information Service.

Brock Crags on your wall

A painting of Brock Crags can hold onto the quieter details of a day above Hartsop: the broken skyline, the valley light and the meeting of grass and crag. On a wall at home, those familiar shapes offer a lasting connection with this corner of the Lakes.

Own “Brock Crags over Sunlit Valley” — our painting of Brock Crags → or browse all Fells & Mountains artwork

Neighbouring Wainwrights in The Far Eastern Fells

• Angletarn Pikes 566 m
• Hartsop Dodd 619 m
• Gray Crag 698 m
• Rest Dodd 696 m

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