Lake District
Water Crag
305M
1001FT
About Water Crag
Rising above the western shore of Devoke Water, this rocky outcrop offers a rugged, miniature mountain feel despite its modest height. It is a key summit among the fells circling the tarn, providing a grandstand view of the Scafell massif across the deep trench of upper Eskdale.
Key Statistics
Rank
773rd Highest in Region
Parent Range
Southern Fells
Prominence
?
36
Nearest Town
Eskdale Green
Geology
You are walking across a landscape of ancient volcanic lava flows and solid granite that formed from molten rock cooling deep underground.
Classifications
Find It
OS Grid Reference
SD153974
Latitude
54.3658°N
Longitude
3.3038°W
Did You Know?
- •The name is a literal description of its position as the prominent rocky bluff overlooking Devoke Water, which, at over half a mile long, is the largest natural tarn in the Lake District.
- •Alfred Wainwright included this summit in his 'The Outlying Fells of Lakeland', recommending a circular walk around the tarn that he described as an area of 'peace and silence' far from the crowds of the central fells.
- •The summit offers a specific and celebrated vista of the Scafell range to the northeast, while the view to the west reaches past Ravenglass to the Irish Sea and, on clear days, the Isle of Man.
- •It is often climbed as part of the 'Devoke Water Seven,' a circuit of small fells popularized by Bill Birkett that includes neighboring Rough Crag and Seat How.
- •Standing at 1,000 feet and 8 inches, the hill retains its four-figure status by a margin so slim it could be negated by a particularly enthusiastic gardener with a spade.