St Sunday Crag: Height, Walks and Ullswater Views

St Sunday Crag is a long, high-backed fell above Patterdale, with a grassy summit ridge and a much sterner face towards Grisedale. At 841.2 metres, it offers substantial height without the narrow summit crest its name might suggest. Walkers value the outlook over Ullswater, the close view of Helvellyn’s eastern ridges and the satisfying connection with Fairfield across Deepdale Hause.

A high ridge between two dales

St Sunday Crag stands between Grisedale and Deepdale, extending north-east from the Fairfield massif towards Patterdale. Its shape is best understood as a ridge rather than an isolated summit: a broad upper back, steep flanks and a lower continuation towards Birks. The contrast between the grassy top and the broken rock of its north-western face gives the fell much of its character.

The summit reaches 841.2 metres, or 2,760 feet, at grid reference NY369133. From the upper ridge, Ullswater opens out beyond the lower fells, while Helvellyn and Striding Edge dominate the view across Grisedale. Fairfield supplies the higher ground to the south-west. This position makes St Sunday Crag a particularly useful viewpoint for understanding how the ridges and valleys of the eastern Lakes fit together.

St Sunday Crag in the Eastern Fells

St Sunday Crag appears in The Eastern Fells, Book One of Alfred Wainwright’s Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells. It ranks 22nd in height among the 214 Wainwrights. Although close to the Helvellyn range, it belongs to the ridge system extending from Fairfield, with Grisedale separating it from the fells on the opposite side of the valley.

Birks is its lower neighbour towards Patterdale, while Fairfield is linked by the ridge across Deepdale Hause and Cofa Pike. These connections explain why St Sunday Crag features both as a principal objective and as part of longer fell days. Walks from the Patterdale area can take in Birks, while a continuation towards Fairfield involves further ascent and rougher terrain rather than a simple level ridge stroll.

Pinnacle Ridge and the fell’s craggy side

Pinnacle Ridge is St Sunday Crag’s best-known scrambling feature. On the Grisedale side of the fell, it is commonly graded as a Grade 3 scramble and is a very different undertaking from an ordinary fell walk. Its exposed rock demands appropriate experience, judgement and suitable conditions; the broad summit above should not be taken as a guide to the difficulty below.

That distinction matters when choosing a walk here. St Sunday Crag has established walking approaches as well as technical scrambling ground, and the two should not be confused. Dedicated route descriptions help distinguish them. For many walkers, the enduring attraction is simpler: a substantial Eastern Fells summit with open ridge walking, two deep dales alongside it and a clear view into the heart of the Helvellyn country.

Where St Sunday Crag stands

Summit at grid reference NY369133 · open full map

The real St Sunday Crag

Walking St Sunday Crag

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

• St. Sunday Crag Route One (wainwrightroutes.co.uk)
• St Sunday Crag Round - Group walks (ramblers.org.uk)
• St Sunday Crag, Fairfield and Hartsop Above How (treksandtors.co)

Weather on St Sunday Crag

Conditions estimated at summit height (841 m) via Open-Meteo. For a walker's forecast, use the Mountain Weather Information Service.

St Sunday Crag on your wall

A painting of St Sunday Crag can bring back the shape of a familiar day: the long grassy ridge, the crags above Grisedale and Ullswater beyond. As a print or canvas at home, it offers a quiet connection to ground you know and love.

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

Neighbouring Wainwrights in The Eastern Fells

• Birks 624 m
• Hart Crag 823 m
• Fairfield 873 m
• Birkhouse Moor 718 m

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