Tarn Crag (Easedale): 549m Height, Walks and Views

Tarn Crag stands above the northern side of Easedale Tarn, giving this familiar corner of the Central Fells a rocky backdrop. At 549m, it is modest in height but full of the rough, broken character that makes the country west of Grasmere rewarding to explore. Its appeal lies in the contrast between the well-known tarn below and the less-frequented fell ground above.

A rocky fell above Easedale Tarn

Tarn Crag occupies the ridge between Easedale and Far Easedale, west of Grasmere. Its name belongs to the craggy ground above Easedale Tarn, while the Wainwright summit stands higher on the ridge. This is a landscape of rocky knolls, grassy hollows and uneven skylines, rather than one clean-sided peak. The tarn and its enclosing slopes give the fell a clear identity, even though higher ground rises behind it towards Sergeant Man.

The distinction between the summit and the tarn-facing crags matters when thinking about the views. The outlook changes as the foreground opens or closes across the broken ground; there is no single viewpoint that tells the whole story. Easedale Tarn is central to the fell’s character, but so too is the neighbouring valley of Far Easedale, which separates this ridge from the country around Gibson Knott and Calf Crag.

Tarn Crag among the Central Fells

Alfred Wainwright included Tarn Crag in The Central Fells, the third book of his Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells. Its recorded height is 549m, or 1,801ft, placing it 151st among the 214 Wainwrights. The summit grid reference is NY303093. The Easedale qualifier distinguishes it from Tarn Crag in Longsleddale, a separate Wainwright in the Far Eastern Fells.

Nearby Wainwrights include Blea Rigg, Sergeant Man, Calf Crag and Gibson Knott. Together they place Tarn Crag within the intricate fell country between Grasmere and the higher central uplands. It is worth understanding those names as neighbouring summits rather than assuming they form a straightforward ridge circuit: valleys and broken terrain are an important part of the geography here.

Walking country with a familiar landmark

Easedale Tarn is the best-known feature associated with Tarn Crag. The tarn is a long-established walking destination from Grasmere, and Sourmilk Gill, its outflow, is known for its waterfalls. Many visitors experience the fell first as the rocky skyline above the water, without continuing to its summit.

For fell-walkers, Tarn Crag offers a different perspective on that familiar landscape. It can be the principal objective of a walk from Grasmere or part of a longer outing among the Central Fells. Its relatively low height should not be confused with simple ground: the rocky, uneven terrain calls for proper footwear, navigation and a route chosen to suit the conditions.

Where Tarn Crag (Easedale) stands

Summit at grid reference NY303093 · open full map

The real Tarn Crag (Easedale)

Walking Tarn Crag (Easedale)

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

• High Raise over Tarn Crag. - One Foot (one-foot.com)
• Tarn Crag and Steel Fell (walkinginthewild.co.uk)
• Route 21 - Tarn Crag via Tarncrag Gill (lakelandroutes.uk)

Weather on Tarn Crag (Easedale)

Conditions estimated at summit height (549 m) via Open-Meteo. For a walker's forecast, use the Mountain Weather Information Service.

Tarn Crag (Easedale) on your wall

A painting of Tarn Crag can bring back the particular character of Easedale: dark crags above the tarn, rough fell pasture and shifting cloud. As a print or canvas, it offers a lasting connection to a familiar walk, without needing to explain why the place matters.

Own “Vibrant Tarn Crag in Snow” — our painting of Tarn Crag (Easedale) → or browse all Fells & Mountains artwork

Neighbouring Wainwrights in The Central Fells

• Calf Crag 537 m
• Blea Rigg 542 m
• Gibson Knott 420 m
• Sergeant Man 736 m

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