Great Crag: 449m Height, Walks and Borrowdale Views

Great Crag rises above Borrowdale between Stonethwaite and Watendlath, a compact fell of rocky knolls, heather and rough ground. At 449 metres, it is one of the lower Wainwrights, but height tells only part of its story. Walkers come for the outlook over Borrowdale and the nearby waters of Dock Tarn: a combination that gives this modest summit a character quite distinct from the higher Central Fells.

A rocky summit above Borrowdale

Great Crag is not a neatly pointed fell. Its upper ground is a broken landscape of rock outcrops and heather, with two principal summit knolls rather than a single commanding peak. That uneven shape is part of its appeal: the foreground matters here, with rock, vegetation and small hollows giving texture to the wider Borrowdale setting.

The summit reaches 449 metres, or 1,473 feet, at grid reference NY270146. Borrowdale lies to the west, with Stonethwaite below the fell’s south-western side and Watendlath to the north-east. The outlook takes in the valley and its surrounding fells. This is a lower vantage point within the landscape, rather than a high summit looking down across everything, and the enclosing slopes are an important part of the view.

Great Crag in the Central Fells

Great Crag belongs to The Central Fells, Book Three of Alfred Wainwright’s seven-volume Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells. It ranks 191st by height among the 214 Wainwrights. Its inclusion is a useful reminder that these fells are not simply a collection of the district’s highest summits: smaller, individual features of the landscape have their place too.

Nearby Wainwrights include Grange Fell, Eagle Crag, Sergeant’s Crag and High Tove. Together they place Great Crag within the varied country around Borrowdale, Watendlath and the central watershed. These are neighbouring summits, not a single continuous ridge walk. Great Crag’s comparatively low height should not be confused with smooth or straightforward terrain; its upper slopes are rough, and the ground between the rocky rises can be wet.

Dock Tarn and walking country

Dock Tarn, immediately south of the summit area, is one of Great Crag’s best-known associations. Its irregular shoreline, small islands and surrounding heather-covered ground make it a distinctive feature of the fell. It is an enclosed upland tarn, quite different in scale and atmosphere from the larger lakes below.

Walks involving Great Crag commonly start from Stonethwaite or Watendlath, and often include Dock Tarn. The approaches offer different experiences of the fell, from Borrowdale’s wooded slopes to the rougher upland ground. For planning a walk, use a dedicated route guide and an appropriate map: the modest summit height does not remove the need to account for wet ground, visibility and changing weather.

Where Great Crag stands

Summit at grid reference NY270146 · open full map

The real Great Crag

Walking Great Crag

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

• Great Crag and Grange Fell (treksandtors.co)
• Lake District Walk: Walla Crag and the Great Wood (walklakes.co.uk)
• Eagle Crag, Sergeant's Crag, Ullscarf, and Great ... (alltrails.com)

Weather on Great Crag

Conditions estimated at summit height (449 m) via Open-Meteo. For a walker's forecast, use the Mountain Weather Information Service.

Great Crag on your wall

A painting of Great Crag can bring a familiar corner of Borrowdale into everyday view: heather, broken rock and the quiet water of Dock Tarn. As a framed print or canvas, it offers a lasting connection to a fell whose appeal lies in its smaller details.

Own “Winter Light On Great Crag” — our painting of Great Crag → or browse all Fells & Mountains artwork

Neighbouring Wainwrights in The Central Fells

• Grange Fell 417 m
• Eagle Crag 523 m
• Sergeant's Crag 571 m
• High Tove 515 m

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