Great Calva: 691m Height, Walks and Summit Views

Great Calva gives the quieter country behind Skiddaw a distinctive pointed summit. At 691m, it is far from the highest of the Northern Fells, but its position makes it an unusually rewarding viewpoint. Heather-covered slopes rise above the upper Caldew valley, while the outlook south reaches into the heart of Lakeland. Its appeal lies in that contrast: spacious, solitary-feeling moorland with the better-known fells in sight.

A distinctive summit behind Skiddaw

Great Calva stands in the upland country commonly known as Back o’ Skiddaw, north of Skiddaw House and between the Skiddaw massif and the broader moorlands around Knott. Its height is 691m, or 2,267ft, and its summit grid reference is NY290311. Seen from the south, it has a more pointed profile than many of the rounded fells surrounding it.

Heather is an important part of its character. These are open moorland slopes rather than the rocky ridges associated with some of Lakeland’s higher summits. The upper River Caldew passes below the fell to the south, helping separate it from the ground around Skiddaw House. Nearby Little Calva forms a lower companion to the west, but is not a separate Wainwright.

The view into the central Lakes

The southward outlook is Great Calva’s best-known feature. The gap between the Skiddaw and Blencathra groups opens a long view towards the central Lake District and the Thirlmere valley. This gives the summit a distinctive perspective: rather than simply looking across neighbouring tops, walkers can look along one of the district’s major north–south corridors.

Skiddaw and Blencathra also give the view its immediate scale, contrasting with the gentler uplands around Knott to the north. Clear conditions matter here; the long southern outlook is a different experience from a day when cloud closes around the neighbouring summits. Even without distant visibility, the fell’s position above the Caldew and the breadth of the surrounding moorland explain much of its attraction.

Great Calva in the Northern Fells

Great Calva appears in The Northern Fells, Book Five of Alfred Wainwright’s Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells. It ranks 95th by height among the 214 Wainwrights. Nearby Wainwrights include Knott, Great Sca Fell, Meal Fell and Great Cockup, placing it within a substantial area of open fell country beyond the more familiar Skiddaw and Blencathra summits.

Walks involving Great Calva often take in other tops, particularly Knott, rather than treating it as an isolated ascent. The surrounding terrain allows longer moorland rounds, but wet ground, exposure and navigation still deserve attention. Its modest height relative to the district’s giants should not obscure its upland setting: this is open country, with considerable stretches between roads and settlements.

Where Great Calva stands

Summit at grid reference NY290311 · open full map

The real Great Calva

Walking Great Calva

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

• Great Calva walk - back o'skiddaw walk - Lake District walks (andrewswalks.co.uk)
• Lake District Walk: Great Calva and Knott from Mosedale (walklakes.co.uk)
• Great Calva Route One (wainwrightroutes.co.uk)

Weather on Great Calva

Conditions estimated at summit height (691 m) via Open-Meteo. For a walker's forecast, use the Mountain Weather Information Service.

Great Calva on your wall

A painting of Great Calva can bring home a less familiar side of the Lakes: the pointed summit, the heather slopes and the long southern outlook. For anyone who values the quieter Northern Fells, it is a landscape worth keeping in view long after the walk.

Own “Vibrant Track To Great Calva” — our painting of Great Calva → or browse all Fells & Mountains artwork

Neighbouring Wainwrights in The Northern Fells

• Knott 710 m
• Great Sca Fell 651 m
• Meal Fell 549 m
• Great Cockup 526 m

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