Dow Crag: 778m Height, Walks and Views near Coniston

Dow Crag is one of the Coniston fells at its most rugged: a rocky summit above a great wall of crags, with Goat's Water lying below. At 778m, it stands close to the better-known Old Man of Coniston but has a distinctly different character. Walkers come for the airy summit, the view across the tarn's hollow and the satisfying connections along the surrounding ridges.

A rocky summit above Goat's Water

Dow Crag's defining feature is its steep eastern face, which rises above Goat's Water opposite the Old Man of Coniston. From the tarn, the buttresses and gullies dominate the scene; from the summit, the same ground falls sharply away beneath your feet. The contrast with the less precipitous western flank is marked. This is a fell whose character changes considerably according to where you stand.

The summit reaches 778m, or 2,552ft, at grid reference SD262977. Its rocky top gives it a more rugged finish than many of the broader summits nearby. Across the hollow of Goat's Water, the Old Man occupies much of the immediate view. Elsewhere, the outlook takes in the Coniston group and extends towards the Duddon country and the coast when visibility allows. Low cloud can conceal both those wider views and the steep ground close to the top.

Dow Crag in the Southern Fells

Dow Crag appears in Book Four of Alfred Wainwright's guidebooks, The Southern Fells, and ranks 49th in height among the 214 Wainwrights. It belongs to the Coniston group, with the Old Man of Coniston, Brim Fell, Swirl How and Grey Friar among its neighbouring Wainwrights. These fells form a substantial area of connected high ground in the southern Lake District.

Goat's Hawse is the important connecting col between Dow Crag and the Old Man. To the south, the ridge continues over Buck Pike and Brown Pike towards the Walna Scar pass. Those relationships make Dow Crag a natural part of longer Coniston fell walks, rather than simply an isolated summit objective. The Walna Scar Road and Goat's Water are familiar features in descriptions of walks here; dedicated route guides are the place to check the different approaches and their demands.

A landmark of Lakeland rock climbing

Dow Crag is also one of the Lake District's established rock-climbing grounds. Its eastern buttresses carry numerous named climbs, and the crag has a long place in the history of climbing in the district. The rock belongs to the Borrowdale Volcanic Group, the ancient volcanic rocks responsible for much of the central and southern Lakes' roughest scenery.

The climbing face and the walking approaches are distinct undertakings. Walkers do not need to tackle the buttresses to reach the summit, though the summit rocks and nearby drops deserve care. For many visitors, seeing those crags from Goat's Water is as memorable as standing above them.

Where Dow Crag stands

Summit at grid reference SD262977 · open full map

The real Dow Crag

Walking Dow Crag

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

• Lake District Walk: Dow Crag and Goats Water (walklakes.co.uk)
• Dow Crag walk - Southern Lakeland Fells (andrewswalks.co.uk)
• Dow Crag, Old Man of Coniston, Swirl How, Great Carrs, ... (walkingenglishman.com)

Weather on Dow Crag

Conditions estimated at summit height (778 m) via Open-Meteo. For a walker's forecast, use the Mountain Weather Information Service.

Dow Crag on your wall

A painting of Dow Crag can bring back the fell's particular contrasts: dark buttresses, open ridgeline and the still surface of Goat's Water. On paper or canvas, that familiar outline offers a quiet connection to a day among the Coniston fells.

Own “Winter Sunlight on Dow Crag” — our painting of Dow Crag → or browse all Fells & Mountains artwork

Neighbouring Wainwrights in The Southern Fells

• Brim Fell 796 m
• The Old Man of Coniston 802 m
• Grey Friar 773 m
• Swirl How 802 m

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